Christmas Safety

This article come from Parents.com.  Most of the safety tips deal with lighting and making sure your lighting is safe.  For example you should check your lights, turn them off when you are not home or when you go to bed.  Attempt to use fresh trees and boughs, and water when you can.  Connect no more than one extension cord, and make sure cords are certified.  Use a timer on your lights and do not turn on until after 7 p.m. to avoid peak usage times.  Outdoors keep electrical connectors off the ground.  In using a ladder use them safely and make sure the ladder is working properly.  Keep fireplace fires behind glass.  Keep clutter picked up and keep flammables away from water heaters and other heat sources.

Article Review: Fireproof Your Family

Fireproof Your Family: Jeannette Moninger, Parents, January 2017.
A year since I burned my back, so I decided it is a good idea to share this article.  Knowing what to do in case of a fire can save lives.  Unbelievable 357,000 homes catch fire in a year in the United States.  That is a lot.  They result in 13,000 injuries and 2,400 deaths.  Important things to remember include:
Have an escape plan, and practice every six months.  Develop two means of escape from every room.  Replace smoke-alarm batteries every sixth months.  Check the manufacture date of smoke alarms and discard those over ten years old.
: turn off stove whenever you leave the kitchen, never leave home with appliances running, wear short or tight fighting sleeves around the stove, keep children away from the stove.  (The stove was my culprit.  I was warming my backside near the gas burner.  Also my grandmother tells of her baby brother being burned.  I think that was hot water being spilled from the stove.)
Bedroom safety: don't smoke in the house, and keep lighters and matches out of reach of children.  Extinguish candles when leaving a room.  Candles need to be on flat surfaces.
Basement: Keep flammable objects away from heaters.  DOn't plug space heaters into extension cords.  Turn heaters off when not in the room.
Fireplace: Hire qualified cleaners every fall.  Keep flammable objects, including wood, three feet or more away.  Use a study screen.  Allow ashes to cool before disposing, and let them cool a distance from your house.
Laundry Room: Scrape out the dryer lint every time the dryer is used and clean the vent pipe yearly.  Check the outdoor vent door.  Plug appliances directly into the wall.  Never leave the appliances on when not in the home.

I think the most important part of this article is the escape plan )have one) and practicing the escape plan.  Maybe even practicing and different times of day or night might be good.  You don't want to traumatize kids with the idea of fire,  but being prepared can lead to more confidence and trust.  Practicing should include knowing how to release screens for exit from windows.  Collapsible ladders are needed for upstairs windows.

Burn Safety and Burn Center Nurse Manager

Please be mindful of the season and take care.

On Monday, June 27^th, SCVMC teamed up with officials from the Santa Clara Fire and Sheriff's Department and the San Jose Fire and Police Departments to improve public awareness about the danger of illegal fireworks.  Our own Jill Sproul , RN, Nurse Manger of our Burn Center joined other County leaders at this Community event held at Vasona Park in Los Gatos. Jill provided the following advice to members of the Santa Clara Community:

• "The staff at the Burn Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center have been treating pediatric and adult burn patients for the past 46 years.  Every 4^th of July season we treat several patients with burn and blast injuries as the result of illegal fireworks.
• Despite our prevention efforts few people understand the associated risks, lifelong effects and devastating disability that occurs after a burn injury.
• In addition to life threatening injuries, years of rehabilitation, burn injuries can cause disfigurement and loss of function.
• After working in Burn care for 26 years I can tell you people do not think it will happen to them.
• As a burn survivor myself from a gasoline explosion I sustained as a child- I am here to tell you burns do not discriminate and it can happen to you.
• According to the National Fire Protection Agency, Emergency rooms across the country will treat thousands of people over the next few weeks due to fireworks related injuries.
• This time of year we also see an increase in camp fire related injuries, BBQ accidents and burns sustained from covering hot coals at the beach.
• Our goal this year at the Burn Center is to have no fireworks related burn injuries, as EVEN ONE is too many.
• We ask that you help us in preventing burn injuries by not participating in the use of illegal fireworks. Our hope is that you and your families have a safe and injury free Fourth of July Holiday!
• 

**E-Training: Fire Safety

This hits home in my life right now as I heal from a burn on my back after lighting myself on fire.  Fire is something you have to be carful with, and there are many sources of burns in our homes and at work.   Fire requires three things, heat, oxygen and fuel.  You fight fire by removing one of these things.  When you discover a fire in the hospital RACE--Rescue or remove those at risk, Initiate alert system, Contain the fire (such as closing door) and Extinguish.  As for using the extinguisher pull the pin, aim at the base, squeeze the handle and sweep from side to side.