St. Charles County Missouri

St. Charles County Department of Community
Health & The Environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2007

CONTACT:
Cameron Satterfield, Public Information Officer                                                                               636-949-7408

Protecting Your Family Starts at Home
June is Home Safety Awareness Month

St. Charles County, MO - How safe is your home? On average, home-related injuries result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million visits to doctors and hospitals each year. In an ongoing effort to educate and empower families to take actions that will help keep them safe in and around their homes, the Home Safety Council works to provide home safety resources to local safety advocates, teachers, corporations, and community educators.

Home Safety Awareness Month, observed each June, is dedicated to promoting home safety by educating people about common injuries and their prevention. Follow these steps to create a safe home environment.

Prevent Fires/Burns

  • Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and in or near all bedrooms, and test the batteries at least once a month.
  • Have a fire extinguisher on every floor near exits and know how to use it.
  • Plan a home fire drill and practice it.
  • Use safety covers in electrical outlets.
  • Set your water heater to 120°F or less.

Prevent Falls

  • Make sure all porches, hallways and stairwells are well lit.
  • Use a non-slip mat, or install strips or decals in bathtubs and showers.
  • Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls.

Prevent Poisonings

  • Keep medicines and household chemicals and cleaners up high, out of the reach of children in a locked cabinet.
  • Install a carbon monoxide detector.
  • Keep the poison control number by every phone. In the St. Louis metro, call (314) 772-8300 or (800) 222-1222.

For a room by room safety checklist, visit Kids Health for Parents at:
www.kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/household_checklist.html.

For more information about the St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment, call (636) 949-7400 or visit www.scchealth.org.

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