“This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All opinions are 100% mine.”
Make Safe Happen is a program dedicated to reducing accidental injury, the leading cause of death of children.
Did you know that 9 out of 10 poisonings occur in the home? Let’s face it; children love to explore and learn and what better place than home. Unfortunately, there are many hidden risks in the average household from not properly store cleaning supplies to medication we accidently leave out. With Poison Prevention Week March 20 – 26 it’s important to take a look at our homes and remember that practicing poison safety can save our children’s lives.
This year, in collaboration with nonprofit partners like Safe Kids Worldwide, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the American Red Cross, Make Safe Happen will focus on educating caregivers on four critical at-home safety risks. They are: furniture and TV tip-overs, poisoning, drowning and fire.
We are focusing on poisoning this week. When my son James was a baby, my husband was changing his diaper and cleaning his umbilical cord with rubbing alcohol. He accidently dropped the bottle of alcohol, and it went in James’ face. Panic set in and we were freaking out. What if he went blind? What if it went down his throat? These and a million other questions were going through my head, but fortunately, we had Poison Controls number handy, and we were able to call immediately. They were able to calm us down and go through a list of questions that soon put our minds at ease and gave us signs to look for in case of ingestion. We are HUGE advocates of poison control and safety, and we want you to have the information you need if an emergency ever arises! It isn’t just the things we think of every day, but also the little things such as watch (button) batteries, cigarettes, hand sanitizer, laundry pods, and other hidden dangers we take for granted. Here are some tips from MakeSafeHappen.com to get you thinking safety:
- Use Safety: Although you may be familiar with many of the items that are poisonous, there are many more that also need to be kept out of your child’s sight and reach. It’s best to avoid even using chemicals in front of kids, especially if they are five years old and younger.
- Safe Storage and Disposal: Keep any household cleaners or medicines in the original containers, out of sight and reach, and in a locked cabinet. Immediately dispose of old or unused chemicals and medicines.
- Be Prepared: If you suspect or know that a child has ingested or come into contact with any poison, call the poison Help Number. Take a moment to save the Poison Control number to you phone: (1-800-222-1222).
Yes, there is an app for that…. #makesafehappen and download the Make Safe Happen App for more information!
Join the conversation with the hashtag #upandaway & #MakeSafeHappen
Everyone should print this out and have it close by.