Carlsbad, CA – Physical Rehabilitation Network (PRN) proudly acknowledges National Safety Month held annually in June. National Safety Month focuses on raising awareness to reduce leading causes of injury and death on the road, at home, at work and in our communities.
Motor Vehicle Safety
Among the most dangerous activities we do each day is operating a motor vehicle. More than 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2017. Two major safety issues with motor vehicles are distracted driving and hot car deaths. Greater than 90% of car accidents result from human error. Distracting tasks can affect drivers in different ways and can be considered as cognitive, visual and manual distractions. Being attentive and alert while driving can help prevent accidents that cause unintentional death or injury. Do your multi-tasking outside the car.
An average of 38 children under the age of 15 die annually from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. Parents and other caregivers need to be educated that a vehicle is not a babysitter or play area … but it can easily become tragedy.
- NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN A VEHICLE. NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTE!
- IF YOU SEE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN A HOT VEHICLE CALL 9-1-1.
Safety at Home
Two major safety issues in the home environment include poisoning and slips, trips, and falls. Non-fatal and fatal poisonings overwhelmingly occur with adults, which is largely attributed to the opioid epidemic in the United States. While 44% of poisoning exposures involve children under the age of 4, over 90% of nonfatal poisonings and 99% of fatalities are adults over the age of 19. With opioids, take them as prescribed, do not share them with anyone, keep them locked up, discard them when finished and call 911 if you suspect someone has overdosed.
As our population ages, the prevalence of falls among older adults is increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 25% of older adults report a fall each year. In 2017, 31,190 adults aged 65 and older died from preventable falls, and more than 3 million were treated in emergency departments. Practice good housekeeping, be organized; keep walkways well-lit, eliminate trip hazards; monitor and address conditions of walkways (wet or icy); and install railings, ramps and assistive devices when needed.
Every 7 seconds, a worker is injured on the job. Unintentional injury is the third leading cause of death in the United States. In 2017 there was 104,000,000 production days lost due to work-related injury. The 3 most common types of injuries keeping workers away from work are sprain, strains and tears; soreness or pain; and cuts, lacerations or punctures.
In the workplace setting it is important to have a basic safety program in place and annual safety trainings to reinforce good safety practices. Assigning one staff member as the safety lead that audits regularly and keeps records of near misses and safety incidents will help ensure program sustainability and personal accountability.
All robust safety programs include ergonomics. Ergonomics programs and training is essential to meeting OSHA standards and preventing of MSD injuries in clinics, offices and virtually any work environment. The PRN Ergonomics team has a proven track record for reducing injury rates and associated costs for Fortune 500 companies in our nationwide network.
PRN HWE is a Health, Wellness and Ergonomics company that partners with public and private sector businesses to enhance the employee experience by optimizing the environment and developing a culture of wellness that improves productivity and job satisfaction leading to retention of happy employees and attraction of new talent. We provide the knowledge and skill to help your workforce continuously improve and make your business more successful and profitable. If you have questions about your safety and ergonomics program and want to learn more please contact PRN Ergonomics Program Director, Robin Bussolini rbussolini@prnpt.com.
Author: Joe Bootier, Ergonomist MA, CIE, CIEE, EP-C
About Physical Rehabilitation Network
Physical Rehabilitation Network, LLC (PRN) is a privately held physical therapy organization based in Carlsbad, California. PRN is prominently recognized as the leading therapist-friendly rehab organization in the western part of the United States through its partnership model with premier physical and occupational therapists. The company currently operates over 125 locations providing local autonomy and branding to its therapist partners while streamlining all traditional overhead activities of running a practice. For more information on our model, locations or partnership opportunities, visit PRNpt.com. You can also follow us @PRNPhysicalTherapy on Facebook, @PRN_therapy on Twitter and Instagram, or on LinkedIn.