Awareness is key to preventing injuries

By Aleks Dolzenko

Published: September 5, 2008

According to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), injuries are defined as unintentional or intentional. Unin-tentional injuries include motor vehicle crashes, poisonings, falls and suffocations. Injuries sustained from suicide and violence are categorized as intentional injures. By increasing protective factors, you can reduce or eliminate the risks of being injured. Reducing or eliminating risks can be accomplished by changing the environment, individual behavior, products, social norms, and instrumental policies—legislative and government.

In 2006, there were more than 4,000 deaths as the result of injuries with Virginians spending more than $891 million in hospitalization fees. Of unintentional injury deaths, 73 percent of these injuries were the result of motor vehicle traffic crashes, poisonings, falls and suffocations. Among those categories, motor vehicle traffic, poisoning and falls accounted for 68 percent of all unintentional injury deaths. Individuals highly affected by these devastating figures are children. Each year, 20.6 million children (56,000 children a day) are injured, 22, 000 die annually due to inju-ries and 60, 000 are permanently disabled. Yet injuries are preventable and the key to injury prevention is aware-ness. By raising awareness, we increase the odds of keeping our children safe.

This week, Sept. 1-7, is National Childhood Injury Prevention Week. The Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue (http://www.pwcgov.org/fire) request your assistance in preventing childhood injuries within your home and community by taking the

following precautions:

Poisoning

• Lock all items out of your child's reach

• Use child-resistant containers

Drowning

• Never leave children unattended near pools, toilets, bathtubs, showers, hot tubs, animal troughs, pails (diaper and household)

Fires and Burns

• Keep children away from stoves and fireplaces

• Lock up lighters and matches

• Check and keep smoke detectors and fire extinguishers functioning

• Check water temperature for baths

Choking

• Keep the house free of small objects that pose a choking threat (including pennies)

Falls

• Secure windows and doors

• Remove tripping hazards

• Keep paths well lit

• Bathroom surfaces should be non-slip

Electrical

• Cover outlets and keep plugs locked

• Secure cords to prevent tripping

Suffocation/

Strangulation

• Keep all plastic wraps and garbage bags out of reach of children

• Keep wires, cords and strings out of reach of children

This column is provided by the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue's Community Rela-tions Team.  Send questions or comments to DFR Responding to You, 9250 Lee Ave., Manassas, VA 20110 or e-mail dfrrespondingtoyou@

pwcgov.org.