Broward College Offers Safety Tips for the Home, Road and Workplace

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (May 29, 2015) –Now is the time to clean out your medicine cabinets, replace the batteries in old smoke alarms, and pledge to not use your cell phone while driving. During National Safety Month, sponsored by the National Safety Council (NSC), Broward College is bringing awareness to several key safety issues, and promoting safety strategies for in the home, on the road and at the workplace.

Home Safety

According to the NSC, approximately 245 people die every day from unintentional injuries in their own homes and neighborhoods. Some of the top causes of unintentional deaths include falling, accidental overdoses or poisonings, drowning, choking and fires. To prevent the chance of these injuries, it is important to recognize the hazards and make changes as soon as possible.

Ken Shives, associate dean at Broward College’s Institute of Public Safety, suggests performing a basic check around the house to make sure all exits and passageways are free of tripping hazards, such as boxes and furniture, as well as clearing the floor of items, such as toys, games, magazines and other obstructions. If there are stairs in the house, ensure they are clearly lit and install light switches at the top and bottom of the stairway.

To avoid prescription drug overdose, there are several precautions to take, including making sure the safety cap is locked by always listening for the click, asking visitors to lock and put away suitcases or purses containing medications, safely disposing of leftover or unwanted medications and also having the poison control number listed in the home and on all cell phones.

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children and usually happens when they are left alone near a pool or in a bathtub. To avoid potential drownings, remain vigilant of children when they are near water. Age-appropriate swim lessons are useful, but they are never a guarantee against drowning. This is why it’s critical to surround backyard pools or hot tubs with at least a five-foot tall fence and consider installing door alarms for whenever a child unexpectedly opens a door leading to a pool.

Adults and children usually choke while eating. While it’s important to recognize the signs and immediately call 911, Shives also recommends taking a class in CPR and for the use of an automated external defibrillator.

Fire is a serious concern for every homeowner. It is important to check the batteries in your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors, and also learn how to use a fire extinguisher.

Work Safety

In the workplace, it is important to be conscious of ways to protect yourself on the job. Never keep your personal possessions, such as purse, wallet, laptop or other valuables in the car, and once in the office, securely lock personal items in a drawer or closet to stop theft.

If a stranger enters the office, check their identity and trust your instincts. If they make you feel uncomfortable, inform security or senior management immediately. As for fellow employees, if you notice signs of potential violence or harassment, report these cases to the appropriate person.

Driving Safety

Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving, endangering driver, passenger and pedestrian safety. There are three forms of distracted driving, including visual, manual and cognitive. These include eating or drinking, adjusting the radio, reading, looking at maps, grooming and texting or using a cell phone.

According to Wayne Boulier, Broward College instructor of vehicle operations and first aid, even taking your eyes away from the road for three seconds can be dangerous – at 70 mph, a vehicle can cover a little more than the length of a football field.

Cell phone usage combines all through forms of distracted driving. According to the NSC, driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity by 37 percent. To avoid temptation, place the cell phone somewhere out of reach, such as the glove box, and set your phone to deliver a unique ringtone for urgent or emergency calls and then pullover, park and safely take the call.

Boulier also advises not to multi-task while in the car. Although people live busy lives, being busy should not be an excuse for distracted driving. Make time to eat breakfast before leaving the house in the morning, set the GPS to the final destination before departing and place any toll passes or money in reach, so there is no need to search for anything important while driving.

For more information, contact Angela Nicoletti at 954-201-7939 or anicolet@broward.edu.

-BC-