Arlington Family Connection

RESOURCES - CHILD SAFETY

General Safety
Window Safety
Playground Safety
Bicycle Safety

Childhood Injury Prevention Program
Boston Public Health Commission
Bike helmets, window guards, car seats
(617) 534-5197

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
(617) 534-5965
Lead inspection, screenings, lead laws

Children’s Trust Fund
(888) 775-4KIDS
(617) 727-8957
Newborn visitation, focus on prevention of child abuse

Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse
The National Exchange Club
(800) 760-3413

Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association
Product safety tips
(856) 638-0420
www.jpma.org

Massachusetts Dept of Public Health
(617) 624-6000
www.state.ma.us/dph

Massachusetts Poison Control Center
(800) 682-9211

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Guidelines on car seats
(888) 327-4236
www.nhtsa.gov

National Paint and Coatings Association
(202) 462-6272
Lead paint

Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800) 426-4791

Toy Safety Hotline
(800) 851-9955

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Information about recalls
(800) 638-2772
www.cspc.gov

National Ski Areas Association - promoting helmets for kids who ski
www.lidsonkids.org

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Window Safety Facts:

4,700 children are injured by falls from windows in the United States each year. This doesn't just happen in cities, where buildings are taller.
Even falling from a first-floor window can kill a child.
In some cases, children have broken through the glass and fallen out of windows.
Many window sills are less than 24 inches off the floor; the average 1 year old is 30 inches tall.
Falls from windows occur in the child's own home in 96% of the cases.
If a fall occurs; the landing surface greatly affects the severity of the injury sustained. Shrubs and grass under a window can be a good source of protection.
72% of falls from windows are from the second or third story.

What you can do:

Open windows from the top rather than the bottom.
If you do open windows from the bottom, open them only 4 inches or less. Remember that window screens may give a false sense of security, and are not meant to protect a child from a fall.
Never place furniture that a child could climb on in front of an unguarded window.
When installing window air conditioning units, be sure they are installed securely and properly.
Teach your children not to play near open, unguarded windows, not to lean against window screens, and not to lean out of windows - ever.
Consider planting shrubs or grass under windows to cushion potential falls. The landing surface can greatly affect the degree of injury sustained from a fall.
If you install window guards, make sure they are made of strong metal, installed correctly, and be sure that the window frame you are screwing into is not rotted or loose. The guards should be easy for adults to open in case of fire.
Teach your children an escape route in case of fire...and practice with them.

As parents, we hear many, many warnings about all sorts of dangers, and it is easy to conclude that such a thing could never happen in our own family. In some ways, we need to think that, or the anxiety might become overwhelming. But falls from windows happen in all sorts of families, and most could have been prevented if parents had taken safety precautions. So take a few moments to access your own house's risk and take the necessary steps to protect your children (and your pets, too, as a side benefit!)

Web sites for more information:
www.windowsafe.com/
www.windowguard.org/
www.nsc.org/library/facts/kidfalls.htm

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Playground Safety Web Sites:

Handbook for Public Playground Safety
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/325.pdf

Checklist for Playground Safety
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/327.html

Window safety and playground safety contributed by AFC menber Susan Cronin Ruderman

Bicycle Safety

In conjunction with our June 22, 2002 Kids on Wheels Event, promoting safety on the road and sidewalk, we've provided the resources below on bike safety, fitting helmets properly, and car seats.

Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute: How and Why to Wear a Helmet
http://www.helmets.org/plain.htm

How to Fit a Helmet
http://www.helmets.org/fit.htm

Correct Way to Wear a Helmet
http://www.cpsc.gov/kids/kidsafety/correct.html

Teaching Children about Bike Safety
http://www.helmets.org/kidteach.htm

Child Transportation Safety Tips (PDF file), from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/childps/tips/TST.pdf

Bicycle Information Center: Teaching Preschoolers About Bike Safety
http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/ee/ed_preschool.htm

Coloring pages to print out and color
http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/kids/fbikecolor2.htm
http://www.helmets.org/images/colorpag.gif

Bicycle safety contributed by AFC member Carla Gates

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