The American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division’s

Out of Harm’sThe Trauma Prevention Publication

May & June 2014 • Issue 11WayThe May & June Line-Up

Bounce House SafetyThe Dangers of BOUNCING

“If this were a disease,” Tracy Mehan, a health educator with the Child Injury Prevention Alliance, says of the at least 11,000 annual injuries, “it would be considered an epidemic.” (TIME Magazine)

Injury Prevention TipsLimit bouncer use to children 6 years of age and older.

Only allow a bouncer to be used when an adult trained on safe bouncer use is present.

The safest way to use a bouncer is to have only one child on it at a time.

If more than one child will be on the bouncer at the same time, make sure that the children are about the same age and size (weight).

Proper UseTake off shoes, eyeglasses and jewelry and remove all sharp objects from your pockets before entering the bouncer.

No rough play, tumbling, wrestling or flips.

Stay away from the entrance or exit and the sides or walls of the bouncer while you are inside of it.

If the bouncer begins to lose air, stop play and carefully exit the bouncer.

Setting Up an Inflatable BouncerPlace the bouncer on a flat surface.

Remove all rocks, sticks or objects such as sprinkler systems sticking up from the ground before setting up the bouncer.

Make sure there is open space around all sides of the bouncer.

Place the bouncer away from tree branches or power lines.

If the bouncer will be set up on a hard surface, place a soft surface around the entrance/exit to the bouncer.

According to one study by doctors at Nationwide Children's Hospital, injuries more than doubled between 2008 and 2010. At least 10 inflatables collapsed or were blown away in 2011, injuring more than 40 people.

Infographic from the Child Injury Prevention Alliance

Information from the Child Injury Prevention Alliance

American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division • 2 Flowers Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 • 717-766-1616 • atspa@atspa.org • www.atspa.org

New ATSPA Resource: What You Should Know About Trampoline Safety Trampolines, while fun, can involve injuries and tragedies. “What You Should Know About Trampoline Safety” is a new ATSPA resource that is best utilized in the spring and summer seasons, when trampoline injuries most often occur. It explains the dangers of a trampoline, but also explains the safest ways to play on a trampoline if you choose to buy one.

For example, always supervise children when they are on or around a trampoline and don’t allow children under 6 years old to be on a full-sized trampoline. Visit www.atspa.org for more information, and to order for your safety day. For more information, call 717-766-1616.

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You may have heard about the recent “bounce house” incidents, where these structures went airborne with children still inside them. Two of these events occurred in May 2014 alone, in New York and Colorado. Unfortunately, these preventable incidents have been happening for some time, but have recently increased in number.

Bounce House Safety 1

Trampoline Safety 1

Your Guide To Water Safety 2

Riding Tough, Riding Safe 2

Riding Tough, Riding Safe

Your Guide to Water Safety

GENERAL SWIMMING SAFETY:

Be sure everyone in your family can swim confidently by taking swimming lessons.Be prepared for emergencies by knowing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Call the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or your local fire department or hospital to find courses near you.Assure children’s safety by having them wear Coast Guard approved life jackets/PFDs.Never swim alone! Use the buddy system and make sure children are ALWAYS supervised. Do not drink alcohol in or around water.

When it starts to get hot out, there are few activities more enjoyable than cooling off in a body of water. No matter where you’re swimming — a pool, ocean, lake, creek, etc. — it is important to have fun cooling off while staying safe this summer! Below are tips from ATSPA’s “Guide to Water Safety” flipchart that is available for your use. Please visit www.atspa.org or call 717-766-1616 to get this trauma prevention resource!

POOL SAFETY:

Never leave infants or young children alone in or near water and never rely on flotation devices as a substitute for constant supervision.Teach children how to swim in a pool responsibly: no running, no breath-holding games, no diving in the shallow end, etc.Install a fence or other barrier that is at least five feet high completely surrounding the pool.Make sure your home and community pools are equipped with depth markers, and make children aware of them.Keep all electrical appliances away from the pool area.

OCEAN, LAKE, POND, RIVER, AND CREEK SAFETY:Swim with a partner or group.

Assess any possible hazards before entering the water.

Never dive into cloudy or murky water.

Avoid the water during inclement weather.

Don’t overestimate your ability to swim, and know your strength/endurance.

If you feel like you are caught in a rip current, remain calm to conserve energy, think clearly, and never fight the current. Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim at an angle, away from the current and towards shore. If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore. If you are unable to reach shore, wave your arms and/or yell for help.

The American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division (ATSPA) welcomes any suggestions for future “Out of Harm’s Way” topics or ideas. Please contact Lindsay Sica at lsica@atspa.org.

Transportation (DOT) approval and compliance, which means that the helmet meets certain basic impact standards? Don’t buy a helmet without a DOT sticker, as it may not meet safety standards.

Remember, helmets vary greatly in price and style. Buy one that suits you. A good helmet makes motorcycling safer and more pleasurable, as it cuts down on the wind noise and greatly reduces rider fatigue. Many motorcycle helmets are now made of light, new materials with many designs and colors to choose from.

If you drop your helmet onto a hard surface, or it receives a heavy blow, it is probably time to buy a new one. A motorcycle helmet is designed to absorb the impact of a blow, and a helmet should only do that once. If in doubt, get a new one.

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When riding your motorcycle, it is best to wear a well-fitted motorcycle helmet. When you buy a helmet, make sure you’re wearing it correctly, and be sure that it meets safety standards.

First, try the helmet on. It should be comfortable to wear, but snug and tight against your head. A full-face helmet gives the most protection since it covers all of the head and face. Always fasten the helmet strap. If the helmet is not secured, it is not offering the optimal protection.

Did you know that all adult-sized motorcycle helmets now sold in the United States must have a sticker indicating Department of

Info from www.msf-usa.org.