FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2002
Release # 03-004
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Kim Dulic, (301) 504-7058
October is Children's Health Month: CPSC Chairman Safety-Checks His Own Home
WASHINGTON, D.C. - October is Children's Health Month and the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the White House and other
federal agencies are urging parents and caregivers to "Discover the
Rewards" of protecting children's health.
To mark Children's Health Month, CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton
invited a video camera inside his home near Washington, as he and his
family safety-checked their house from hidden hazards. The Stratton home
needed smoke alarms, cabinet locks and arc fault circuit
interrupters...just like any home.
"A few simple steps can help reduce the risk of death and injury
from consumer products around the home," said Stratton.
A Children's Health Month calendar highlights each day in October
by alerting caregivers to a different hazard with a corresponding remedy
or safety tip. The CPSC has provided safety tips to reduce head
injuries, and prevent poisoning, strangulation, drowning, and
suffocation hazards to children. The Stratton video is being broadcast
via satellite to TV stations nationwide.
"Children's Health Month provides a wonderful opportunity for CPSC
to spread the message to parents and caregivers about the importance of
providing a safe environment for young children," said Stratton.
From the kitchen to the basement, Mr. Stratton is seen on the
video eliminating hidden hazards from his home, such as water standing
in large buckets. He's also shown cutting loops in window-blind cords.
Each year, more than 100 children drown in buckets, toilets,
bathtubs and other sources of standing water in the home. Since 1980,
CPSC has received reports of more than 200 children who have strangled
in window-blind cords.
Here are some simple, low-cost product safety tips to protect
children:
Never leave standing liquids unattended. Stay within arm's reach
while your child is bathing or near any container of water. If the
phone rings, let it ring; stay with your child.
Prevent tap water scalds by adjusting the temperature on your hot
water heater to 120ยบ F.
Keep medicines and hazardous household chemicals locked up and out of
sight. Use child-resistant packaging for medicines and hazardous
household chemicals, and call 1-800-222-1222 if a poisoning occurs.
Cut the loops on window-blind cords and call 1-800-506-4636 for a
free repair kit.
Make sure your hairdryer has a large rectangular plug. The immersion
protection device prevents electrocution if the hairdryer is dropped in
water.
Change the battery in your smoke alarm when you change your clock's
setting in October.
Have a professional check your furnace for carbon monoxide leaks and
your chimney for blockages; put a CO alarm in the hallway near every
separate sleeping area.
Prevent electrocutions by installing a ground fault circuit
interrupter (GFCI) in your household outlets.
Installing Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) can prevent
electrical fires. AFCIs can sense electrical arc and trip the circuit.
Babies on adult beds risk suffocation from hidden hazards such as
entrapment between the bed and wall; entrapment involving the bed frame,
headboard and footboard; or soft bedding such as pillows or thick quilts
and comforters.
For more potentially life-saving tips, consumers may download the
Children's Health Month: Discover the Rewards Calendar (it is in pdf format and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). Consumers may also visit the Children's Health
Month web site at www.childrenshealth.gov to view this calendar and links associated with each day's suggested activity, and a compilation of
fact sheets containing information on children's health issues from
other participating agencies. Another useful link is
www.healthierus.gov