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Making sure to be aware, alert, and proactive every day prevents accidents and injuries, saving lives. Although it is impossible to eliminate all accident risks, doing simple things can make a big difference. Here are steps that people can take every day to significantly reduce the risk of accidents.
Putting Phones Away Behind the Wheel
Putting the phone away and avoiding cell phone use while driving helps drivers prevent accidents. Texting or talking while driving is a form of distracted driving, one of the common causes of accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving kills nine victims and injures over a thousand people every day.
It is best for drivers to send texts or emails and make calls before hitting the road. If they have to use their phones when on the road, drivers should pull over safely to the side of the road.
Wearing Safety Gear
People who work in factories or industrial environments have a greater chance of becoming involved in workplace accidents. They should be vigilant about wearing proper uniforms and any required protective equipment when working. Such workers risk serious injury when they cut corners, for example, by using a rope instead of a safety harness or wearing soft hats instead of safety helmets.
Everyone should wear an appropriate seat belt or child restraint when riding in vehicles. Drivers should ensure that passengers are properly restrained. NHTSA found that seat belt use saved nearly 15,000 lives in 2017.
Good Housekeeping
According to the Department of Labor, most general industry accidents are slips, trips, and falls. Some of the common causes of these preventable accidents include poor lighting, loose rugs, and wet or slippery floors.
Making good housekeeping a daily occurrence helps prevent slips, trips, or falls at work. Some good housekeeping practices include:
- Marking spills and wet areas
- Assigning cleaning responsibilities to a particular worker or group of workers
- Cleaning spills immediately
- Keeping walkways and work areas well lit
- Securing carpets and rugs that do not lay flat
- Encouraging practices like picking up any loose items on the floor and closing file cabinet drawers immediately after use
Other fall prevention measures will not work without proper housekeeping practices in place.
Keeping Children Safe
To keep children safe, parents have to be vigilant. They should keep a close eye on kids when they are around water. Two of the ten people that die every day from accidental drowning are below the age of 14. There is usually very little noise when children are drowning. A few minutes without oxygen can cause irreparable damage to the brain.
Playgrounds send more than 200,000 children below 14 years to hospitals. More than 10% of these children suffer traumatic brain injuries. Parents should check playgrounds for hazards like sharp edges or points, improper surfaces, and strangulation hazards on playground equipment.
Children should be kept away from the grill to prevent accidents. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that children under the age of 5 make up 39% of those hurt by grill-related injuries. Additionally, they should never be left alone in a closed vehicle to prevent hot car deaths.
Vehicle and Equipment Inspection
Before driving, people should ensure that their cars are safe enough to be driven. Checking the mirrors, tires, lights, brakes, wipers, and seatbelts can help save lives. Employees should be trained to perform the necessary daily checks before using company vehicles.
Equipment and machinery should be in excellent working condition. Quick checks should be done daily. Maintenance checks should be conducted regularly and the required repairs or replacements made as needed. Workers who depend on safety gear to prevent accidents should inspect the equipment every day before using it. The gear should be in excellent working order and fit properly.