KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Happy Holiday’s!!! Safety Dad is here to help keep it that way. Each year hospital emergency rooms treat about 8,700 people for injuries, such as falls; cuts and shocks related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees. Christmas trees are involved in about 400 fires annually, resulting in 20 deaths, countless injuries and about 15 million in property loss and damage. House fires increase dramatically during the months of December and January. They facts speak loudly and clearly. Safety Dad is well aware of the imported safety risks that await you during the holiday season. These simple but easy to follow tips will help make this holiday a safer and happier time for both kids and parents alike.

TREES
* Make sure your tree is freshly cut and not dried out. Shake the tree a few times, if the needles fall out than your tree is too dry. Bend the needles as well. If they break in half, it is too dry.
* Make sure you’re the tree stand has water up to it’s base. A well watered tree will be less likely to dry out
Trees should never be near direct heat sources (heater, fireplace) this direct heat will accelerate the drying process and creates a fire hazard
* Throw your tree out as soon as it becomes too dry
* Cut the lower branches off the tree as these branches can poke a child in the eye causing injury or worse
* Make sure there are no lit candles near the tree
* All artificial trees should be labeled fire resistant
* Place your tree out of people traffic and do not block doorways
* Fasten all outdoor lights to protect from wind damage and potential fire and use GFI circuit interrupters to prevent shocking

HOLIDAY LIGHTS/DECORATION

*It is important not to overload sockets with holiday lights. Overloading outlets can create a short and start a fire
*Do not string lights on the lower branches as they can become a strangulation hazard
*When using metallic or artificial trees, do not string lights across. The metal can attract electrical currents and cause shocking
*Do not use lights with frayed or cracked wires
*Make sure that all lights are turned off when going to bed or when leaving the house. Trees make look pretty at night but should be shut off.
*Use only lights approved by a recognized testing laboratory
*Sharp and breakable items should be removed from the lower branches.
*Remove trimmings that resemble candy-This will avoid children trying to eat and swallow them

CANDLES - Candles account for over 10.000 fires each year (CPSC)

*Candles that are tall and thin are more likely to tip over and fall to the ground. Use smaller, wider candles that are very easy to tip
*Candles should never be lit near trees
*Keep candles away from children. Candles should be on high shelves at all times
*Never go to bed with candles still lit.

TOYS
*Toys with small removable parts should be separated from children. Dolls and other small toys have many small removable parts that can become a choking hazard.
*Lead poisoning has become an issue with many toys this year. Keep track of recalled toys

PLANTS
*Most holiday plants look pretty and make for a festive atmosphere but certain plants pose hazards to children that should be avoided. Though not deadly, these plants can cause sickness that can ruin any holiday for a child.
*Poinsettias-Can cause stomachache and irritation around the mouth area.
*Mistletoe-The berries on the plants can cause mild cramps, vomiting and/or diarrhea
*Holly-As with Mistletoe, the berries of this festive plant can cause vomiting, diarrhea and cramps. It is also important to watch the sharp leaves of this plant that can cut the inside of a childs mouth and throat if swallowed.

Now that you've got the tips to keep you and your children safe this holiday season, have a great time and enjoy this wonderful time of year. For more information about how you can protect your family, visit Baby-Safe at http://www.babysafeamerica.com/.

TIPS FOR TRAVEL

Role Mommy welcomes a brand new columnist to the site - SAFETY DAD, better known as James Hirtenstein, founder and president of Baby Safe-Inc. Born in 1996, Baby-Safe has pioneered the field of child-safety risk management. Baby-Safe is the only full service safety company serving the tri-state area. Not just a safety expert, James Hirtenstein is also a founding member of the International Association for Child Safety(IACS). Our 12 years of safety expertise have made us a regular guest on shows such as The CBS Morning Show, Dateline NBC, Good Day New York and many others. Let our experienced professionals leave you and your family with the peace of mind you deserve.

As the holidays are quickly approaching, Safety Dad offers important tips on travelling safe with your kids.

SAFETY DAD'S TRAVEL TIPS ON THE RUN

“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmothers house we go” may sound like the fairy tale trip you intended for your family but without the proper safety preparations, your trip can all too easily end by way of the big bad wolf. DANGER!!!! With the holidays rapidly approaching so will family travel. Do you have a comprehensive safety plan to deter common and preventable injuries? Are you prepared if something catastrophic were to happen to you or a loved one???? When pressed for an answer, most parents answer “what plan?” or say, “I never even thought about it”. Planning family trips are difficult at best but don’t forget those precautions or recovery plan that might end up saving you or one of your loved ones from major injury or worse.

Questions to ask yourselves and the hotel/home before we depart on any trip

How would you contact 911(local emergency eqivalent) in a foreign country?
Where is the best hospital within driving distance of your hotel???
What is the nearest Hospital with a trauma unit?
Do you have a pre printed map quest from your hotel/residence to local hospitals?
Do you have all vital medical information of your Family?
Are all your documents/fingerprints copied to a USB flash drive around your neck?
Do you have a first aid kit?
Do you have at least 2 extra weeks worth of any vital medications?
Is your hotel/apartment room baby-proofed?
Are there exposed stairs without gates?

Most accidents are preventable. With proper planning and execution, your trip can be made easier and you can have peace of mind. These simple hints will make your trip easier and safer. Bon Voyage!!

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

Remember, no matter your mode of transportation, keeping your children happy when traveling will also keep them calm and inevitably safer. A screaming and disruptive child can easily become a safety hazard and traveling only exacerbates that fact. It only takes an instant for catastrophe to happen and it happens everyday all across America. Below are tips that will greatly decrease the chance of an accident while traveling by car, air or train

1) Bring plenty of activities to keep them busy and occupied (games, movies, bookies, toys)
2) Bring plenty of dry snacks, water & juice- have enough for at least 4 days longer than your trip is planned- Plan for unexpected holdovers.
3) When driving put a yellow “baby on board” sign in the rear window. An indication to your fellow motorists that your family is on board.
4) Place sun stoppers on the rear windows of your car- any baby in direct sunlight will be fussy and soon to cry.
5) Have an air pump, flashlight, fire extinguisher, flare, reflector triangle, jack and spare tire in the trunk
6) Have an extensive first aid kit that has a bottle of ipecac
7) A large and sturdy plastic golf umbrella and a change of clothes for each member in your party in case you are stranded out of your car in bad weather

Do you have hotel reservations? We do!!!!

If you don’t have reservations about safety, you should. Most hotels/motels aren’t baby-proofed and their in-room safety deterrents are minimal at best if at all. Taking 10 minutes before you depart on your trip and 10 minutes once you’ve arrived to re-arrange your room and secure a few areas will make your trip less dangerous and envitably, more enjoyable. If you can’t find a hotel that is baby-proofed while booking your trip you can easily pre-pack the following and secure them when you arrive. The items below should all fit in a small knapsack or easily fit in your luggage without taking up much room.

Suggested items:
1) 8 soft cushion corner guards- Adhesive won’t mar furniture but can cover most of the low lying corners of any desk, nightstand ,counter or any other sharp corner.
2) 1 toilet lock-easily removed from one at home and re applied at hotel
3) Tie any blind cords up into a bow up high.
4) Adhesive latches-take all dangerous items and place in a drawer/cabinet that can be latched Also, latch any low lying cabinets that might tip over
5) Move all soaps, razors, sewing kits etc.. from tub/sink & low lying areas into latched cabinet.
6) Keep access to mini-bar away. Alcohol kills. Keep key securely away.
7) Move all pens/matches from coffee/nightstands and desks
8) Always have a First aid kit that has a bottle of ipecac-
9) Flashlight & transistor radio and extra charged phone battery in case of power outage
10) Printed map quest directions or better to best local hospital and hospital with best trauma unit.

Traveling with the family is fun and these safety tips are intended to help enjoy the time away with your family. These tips will help you be safer on your travels but it is important to stress that these hints can’t prevent accidents and that is that there is no substitute for parental supervision and even homes that have been baby-proofed aren’t 100% safe.

For more information about Safety Dad and Baby-Safe, Inc., then Click Here today!