One important step in creating a safety culture is to instill in your workers safety awareness skills that follow them home. And what better time of year than Thanksgiving to talk with your workers about home safety? Here's a quiz you can share to help the parents in your workforce identify and eliminate the hazards their children face every day in the home.

A Quiz for Parents

Here's a home safety quiz to give to your workers to help them protect their children.

1. Medicines

Question: What do parents often call medicine to get their children to take it?

Answer: Candy. Never do this yourself. You don't want your kids confusing candy and medicine.

2. Household Drowning Hazards

Question: You know that the tub, toilet, sink or swimming pool can be dangerous. But can you spot the other household item that can pose a drowning risk?

Answer: Cleaning/mop buckets, especially industrial size.

3. Child Fatalities

Question: Which kind of accident is responsible for the greatest number of fatalities to children?

Answer: Car accidents.

4. Car Seats

Question: What is the most common mistake parents make when installing infant car seats?

Answer: Installing the seat so that the infant faces the front of the car.

5. Bicycle Safety

Question: According to the Bicycle Institute of America, what age should young bike riders be before they begin using hand breaks?

Answer: 10-years-old at the youngest.

6. Toddler-Proofing the Home

Question: Which door do parents most often overlook when toddler-proofing their home?

Answer: The small door at the bottom through which the cat or dog leaves.

7. Safety in the Bathtub

Question: Which factor most often causes parents to leave their baby alone in the tub? (Hint: It's not the phone ringing.)

Answer: Not being prepared and leaving to get a towel, soap, powder, etc.

8. More Safety in the Tub

Question: Which hazard do parents often leave on the edge of the bathtub?

Answer: Soap slivers.

9. Poisonings

Question: If a child is to become a victim of accidental poisoning, it's most likely to happen in the home. But what's the second the most common site for this kind of tragedy?

Answer: The grandparents' home.

Conclusion

Taking the safety message home is an important way to entrench safety awareness skills in your workers. May we all count a happy, healthy and safe family among our blessings this Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

SEASONAL SAFETY TIP

Harmless fun? Not for Everyone

Leaf Allergens Alone

By Catherine Jones

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you might be excused from the annual chore of raking up leaves. But if your doctor's note doesn't let you off the hook, wear a dust mask while raking to avoid breathing in mold and other allergens stirred up from the leaves. Also, rake leaves when they're dry, not when they're damp and moldy. And be sure to remove and wash right away all exposed clothing to avoid bringing the allergens into your home.

Tip Xchange: SafetyXChange members often tell us that they need quick safety tips to include in their newsletters or safety meetings. Do you have a tip to share with your colleagues? If so, send them to catherinej@bongarde.com. (And let us know if we can include your name/company name.)

HOLIDAY HEALTH

Don't blame the turkey if you don't feel perky.

Let's Talk Turkey

By Catherine Jones

Question:

True or False: Turkey contains a sleep-inducing amino acid that causes many people to feel drowsy after Thanksgiving dinner.

Answer:

False

While it's true that turkey does contain the amino acid tryptophan, a natural sedative, it's unlikely that the average Thanksgiving meal contains enough tryptophan to induce sleep. According to experts, you'd need to sit down to the table with a completely empty stomach and consume only the turkey before you'd ingest enough tryptophan to put you to sleep. Also, many other foods, such as milk, chicken and beef contain tryptophan, but most people don't fall asleep immediately after consuming them.

So what causes the post-feast nap? It's the big meal of solid foods, consisting mainly of high-carbohydrates and fats (stuffing, potatoes, gravy, etc), accompanied by a glass of wine, that leaves you sluggish and sleepy.

But turkey does contain another amino acid worth noting: arginine. According to Harvard Health Publications, arginine is the raw material used by the body to make nitric oxide, a substance that relaxes and opens arteries.

Three other good-for-you foods on the Thanksgiving menu:

• Cranberries: a source of dozens of different antioxidants
• Sweet potatoes: packed with vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium and fiber
• Pumpkin (pre-pie): low in fat and calories, good source of potassium, vitamin A, beta carotene and vitamin C.

Of course, these foods lose much of their nutritional value when drowned in sugar, butter and marshmallows. If you're looking for heart-healthy variations of the traditional Thanksgiving favorites, check out these recipes from Harvard Health Publications.

Story Tools:  Email This Post  Print This Post Top