There’s truly no way to prevent diseases and injuries but you can lessen the risk of incurring them by using standard safety precautions.
Avoid contact with urine, blood, and other body fluids. Wear protective gloves and a face mask if appropriate.
Wash your hands frequently. This goes without saying. Use warm soap and water and, if possible, use a disposable paper towel to dry your hands.
Don’t eat unsafe food. If food looks or smells bad, don’t eat it. Some foods have a slimy appearance when they’re unsafe to eat. If food containing meat has been out of the refrigerator for more than four hours, throw it away!
Use caution with knives, scissors, and other sharp objects. Most accidents with sharp objects happen because the person was in rush or not paying attention. Take your time and pay attention to what you’re doing.
Keep an eye on children playing near water. Kids often have less balance than adults. Plus kids haven’t yet developed the common sense most adults possess.
Wear a seat belt in the car.
Wear a helmet on a motorcycle. Some states don’t require helmets for motorcycle riders. If you live in one of those states, consider this. Every year thousands of motorcyclists are injured and killed while wearing helmets. Imagine how many injuries and deaths could be avoided by wearing a helmet at all times.
HOME SAFETY
Change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors at least once a year. Some experts claim they should be changed every six months.
Inspect electrical cords to make sure they’re not cut or frayed. Replace cords that have any exposed bare wire.
Don’t use electrical devices near water. Almost everyone is aware of this year yet many women use their curling iron over a sink full of water. It’s not safe!
Keep at least two fire extinguishers in your house. Don’t put them near the stove or furnace. Keep them at a safe distance from the appliances so they’re handy in case of a fire. If you store a fire extinguisher next to the stove and it catches on fire, you won’t be able to reach the extinguisher!
Create an emergency plan and make sure everyone in your household understands it. If there’s a fire or a tree falls through the roof during a thunderstorm, you need to follow the emergency plan. Make sure everyone understands it.
Store chemicals and pesticides in a safe place. Most people keep chemicals under the kitchen sink, which is the first place a child will look. An outdoor storage building is the safest places for chemicals and pesticides. If you must store them inside, the basement or garage are the best places if you have a spot that’s inaccessible to children.
Have a first aid kit and keep it fully stocked!!! There’s no sense having a first aid kit if you used all of the bandages and forgot to buy more. We’ll expand on this more in our lesson on first aid kits and survival kits.
We also offer a free certificate of completion. To receive the certificate you must pass a 50-question test with a score of 70 or higher. Check our Basic First Aid Certificate of Completion page for more information.