Safe Kids Clark County News Articles

Written on Sunday, December 10th, 2006


Toy Safety

Parents and caregivers can make sure they’re choosing safe toys for their children by paying close attention to warning labels and manufacturer’s guidelines. Manufacturers set minimum age and other restrictions for a reason; be sure to follow instructions.

Nationwide, approximately 160,000 children per year ages 14 and under are treated in emergency rooms for toy-related injuries; nearly half of these children are under age 5.

About 40 percent of toy-related injuries involve riding toys, such as scooters, inline skates, and skateboards. Riding toys should not be used near vehicle traffic, stairs, swimming pools or bodies of water.

Don’t hesitate to report defects or design features that seem dangerous. You can report safety concerns about toys to the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 800-638-2772 or www.cpsc.gov. Your experience could be part of a pattern that might lead to a recall.

Safe Kids Clark County also recommends these precautions:

  • Use a small parts tester or the cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper to identify choking hazards. Do not let small children play with anything that can fit into one of these cylinders.
  • Inspect toys to make sure they are in good repair. Do not let young children play with toys that have straps, cords or strings longer than 7 inches, due to the risk of strangulation.
  • Supervise children playing with any toy that has small parts, moving parts, electrical or battery power, cords, wheels or any other potentially risky component. (Simply being in the same room as your child is not necessarily supervising. Active supervision means keeping the child in sight and in reach and paying undivided attention.)
  • Teach children to put toys away after playing, to help prevent falls and unsupervised play, and make sure toys intended for younger children are stored separately from those for older children. Toy chests should be equipped or retrofitted with safety hinges that prevent the lid from closing on a child who is leaning over the open chest; if a chest does not have safety hinges, remove the lid.

For more information about toy safety, protective equipment and choking, visit Safe Kids USA.

Carbon Monoxide: Invisible Winter Hazard

Cold weather is here. Safe Kids Clark County reminds parents and caregivers that space heaters can cause dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to build up in the home. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, invisible gas that can build up near fuel-burning appliances such as ovens, generators and supplemental heaters.

Carbon monoxide detectors can detect CO levels in the house that can be harmful to a child, but may not noticeably affect an adult. They can be found at hardware and discount stores for around $20 and could prevent half of all CO poisoning deaths.

Each year, in the United States, nearly 4,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for CO exposure, and about 28 die — not counting fire-related CO fatalities.

Safe Kids Clark County also recommends these precautions against CO poisoning:

  • Prevent CO buildup in the first place — make sure heating appliances are in good working order and used only in well-ventilated areas.
  • Don’t run a car engine in the garage, even to warm it up; move the car outside first. Never leave a child alone in a car.
  • Install a CO detector outside every sleeping area and on every floor of the home. Detectors should be installed at least 15 feet from fuel-burning appliances. Check the batteries monthly (when you check your smoke alarm batteries).
  • Remember that cigarette smoke is another source of carbon monoxide.

If someone who has been in a poorly ventilated room with a fuel-burning appliance begins to feel nauseous, drowsy or confused, or complains of a headache, move the victim to fresh air and call 911. If more than one person in the home suddenly feels ill for no apparent reason, or if a CO alarm goes off, get everyone outside immediately and call the fire department from a pre-arranged meeting place.

For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning, visit Safe Kids Worldwide.