Trick or treatment—don’t spend Halloween in the ER

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so it promises to be a big night for trick-or-treaters who may stay out later than usual. It’s a good night for fright and fun, but it’s also a big night for accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of deaths among young pedestrians (ages 5 to 14) is four times higher on Halloween evening that any other evening of the year. Drivers should be extremely cautious on Halloween.

This Halloween I’ll be doing the following to keep my children and our friends and neighbors safe. Feel free to borrow these tips.

First, I’m making sure that the pathway to my front door is well lit and not strewn with wet leaves, flower pots, garden hoses, or any other obstacle that could cause a nasty fall.
  
My jack-o-lantern and luminaries will be lit with electric candles this year since real candles can set costumes on fire. 
 
I made sure my decorative Halloween lights have a UL-listed label on the cord. The one outside has the appropriate red UL holographic label, while the one inside the house has a green holographic label.
 
My kids think this is “lame,” but I’m taking the advice of one of our readers and doling out mini flashlights along with some candy. They cost me about a dollar each including the AA battery but it’s well worth it. If kids use them, drivers may be able to see them better in the dark, and all kids like flashlights. The Halloween flashlights I'm handing out are not the same flashlights recalled by Target. However, I cut the looped string off the lights I bought because I feared that could pose a strangulation hazard.  
 
My older daughter wants to venture out with a group of friends this year. She’ll be carrying a cell phone so that she can check in with me regularly. Both children will carry flashlights and identification.

We’re all looking forward to a night of fright and fun and staying out of the ER. Happy Halloween! —Don Mays

More Halloween safety tips

• DWI incidents spike on Halloween
• Hey kids, don't mess up when you dress up
• Trick-or-treat safety tips for pedestrians and drivers
• Hidden Halloween hazards
  
• How to choose a safe costume

When the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round, sit down

Every day, more than 23 million children across the country board a big yellow bus and head to school. While many parents worry about sending their most precious cargo off on the bus each morning, riding a school bus is considered one of the safest forms of transportation, about seven times safer than passenger vehicles.
 
Each year 42,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes, Of those, on average, six are school-age passengers killed while riding a school bus. In 2008, there were 153 people killed in school bus-related accidents. Sixty-eight percent were occupants of other vehicles; 13 percent were pedestrians and nine percent were school bus passengers, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
 
There's a debate over whether the use of seat belts would further reduce student fatalities but NHTSA has not found any data to suggest that school bus passengers are safer belted than not. The size of the bus is a factor in that it is more like a heavy truck and distributes crash forces differently than a passenger vehicle. And, by design, large school buses are “compartmentalized” to provide an envelope of crash protection with taller, energy-absorbing seat backs and closely-spaced seating rows. The same cannot be said of small school buses, which are required to have lap and/or shoulder belts, since their size and weight are more similar to passenger vehicles. Still, there is a concern that belting up in one type of vehicle but not another can send a contradictory message to children who are told to wear their seat belts in the family vehicle but often not required to on a bus.
 
The greatest risk with school buses is when children are getting on and off. That is why motorists should be extra vigilant when sharing the road. The most important tip for other drivers is to obey the stop arm signal and red flashing lights and not proceed until the signals are turned off. Also, never pass on the right side of a bus where children exit and enter.

This week is school bus safety week and NHTSA is offering these safety tips as a reminder to parents and students:

• Supervise children to make sure they get to the bus stop on time.
• Make sure they wait on the curb away from the road and avoid rough play.
• Teach your child to ask the driver for help if he/she drops something near the bus. A driver cannot see a child who may bend down to pick something up. Have your child use a backpack or bag to keep loose items contained.
• Make sure clothing and backpacks have no loose drawstrings or long straps that may get caught in the handrail or bus door.
• Encourage safe school bus loading and unloading.
• If you think a bus stop is in a dangerous place, talk with your school or transportation office about changing the location.—Liza Barth

Related reading: For more transportation safety news, read our Cars blog.

How to avoid a chain saw massacre—or mishap

Haunted hayrides have become as much a part of Halloween as trick-or-treating. As the hay wagon moves slowly through the darkness, every manner of man and beast jumps into its path eliciting screams of terror from those on board. But these days instead of a witch with a broom, the ghouls are more likely to be brandishing a buzzing chain saw.

Even though the chain saws used at these events are fake or defanged, they still conjure up images of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and other movies of mayhem. But that's not what scares us. Instead, we're thinking, "Shouldn't that chain saw have a bar-tip guard? And shouldn't the local "Leatherface" be wearing protective gear?"

Of course, the hayrides are all in good fun but every year real chain saws cause 36,000 injuries and 20 deaths so it's important to treat them with respect. Kickback—where the tip of the saw snaps up and back toward the user—is involved in one in four of those injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Modern chain saws are built with safety in mind and following these tips can increase your chance of remaining unscathed when you use one.

• Wear eye and ear protection, gloves, tight-fitting clothing, cut-resistant leg chaps, boots, and a hard hat with a protective face screen.
• Keep the cutting chain properly sharpened, tensioned, and oiled.
• Grip the saw with both hands and keep both feet firmly on the ground.
• Saw only tree limbs you can reach from the ground. Never saw on a ladder or while holding the saw above your shoulders.
• Avoid sawing with the tip of the chain and bar, where kickback typically occurs.
• Carry saws safely. Use a bar sheath or carrying case to protect yourself and the bar and chain.
• And remember, some jobs are better left to the pros.

As Halloween draws closer, we'll be offering more safety tips. As for that Headless Horseman who rides through nearby Sleepy Hollow each year, shouldn't he be carrying a flashlight instead of that candle-lit jack-o'-lantern?

Hey kids, don't mess up when you dress up

With witches and goblins getting ready for their big night out, parents should get ready too. The stores are chock full of costumes for wee trick-or-treaters including some that could turn an evening of fright and fun into a night at the ER.  Here are some tips for buying or making safe Halloween costumes: 

• Consider buying light-colored or bright garments that are visible to motorists. If the costume is dark, apply some reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights.
• Carefully consider the costume's flammability and opt for material that won't easily go up in smoke. If your child wants to be a mummy, don't wrap him in toilet paper, paper towels or gauze. Other fire hazards include big, baggy sleeves, trailing cloaks, and billowing skirts that can get too close to a jack-o-lantern. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends purchasing costumes, beards, masks, and wigs that have the "Flame Resistant" label.
• Make sure the costume is short enough so children won’t trip and fall.
• Make sure masks don’t obstruct your child’s vision.  Better yet, use FDA-approved facial make-up, instead of masks.
• Don’t allow your children to wear decorative, non-corrective contact lenses that are dispensed without a prescription. 
• Don't overlook the shoes; they should be sturdy and fit well. Mom's high heels may look great but if they're wobbly and unsteady—in other words, easy to trip over—consider something more well-grounded.
• If a sword, cane, or stick is part of a costume, make sure it is not sharp or too long. Better yet—skip the sticks entirely. These accessories can easily cause harm including serious eye injuries.
• Give your child a flashlight to carry.—Don Mays

Generator safety: Deaths from CO poisoning on the rise

Deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with the use of  portable generators are increasing, according to new information released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

There were 85 carbon monoxide poisoning deaths attributed to the use of generators in 2006, the year covered in the latest CPSC study. The estimated number of generator-related CO fatalities doubled in 2005 and 2006 from the two prior years, with a combined estimate of 182 fatalities in 2005 and 2006 compared to an estimated 92 in 2003 and 2004, the agency reported. One reason for the sharp spike in 2005 was likely a high number of severe weather events that caused widespread power outages, including hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Non-weather related CO fatalities associated with generator use are also on the rise—by 53 percent from 2004 to 2005, and another 41 percent  from 2005 to 2006. In contrast to 2005, the busiest hurricane season since records have been kept, there were no hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. in 2006.

Recently, Underwriters Laboratories asked us to help get the word out on generator safety and to call attention to its first standard for portable generators, which took effect in March. The standard—UL 2201—addresses hazards associated with the typical use of generators, primarily those related to CO poisoning.

According to UL, the new performance requirements facilitate safe outdoor use of UL-listed portable generators during storms or poor weather conditions, as well as provide clear usage labels for consumers to help reduce the known risks of CO poisoning and electrocution.

Here are some tips on generator safety that our readers have found helpful..

• Never operate a generator indoors or in any enclosed or partially enclosed area—even if you think you can adequately ventilate the space.
• Keep generators away from windows, doors, air conditioners, and vents where gases can enter the house. Outside, always be conscious of where the exhaust gas is moving, and stay out of its path.
• Maintain working carbon-monoxide detectors throughout your home.
• Properly store and handle the gasoline. Never refuel the generator while it's running; stop the engine and allow it to cool first.
• Store gasoline safely. Keep it outside in a cool place away from the house or a heat source. Treat gas with a stabilizer (about $5 to treat 25 gallons) to preserve it for up to a year. And dispose of old fuel by using it in mowers and other outdoor equipment.
• Be sure the generator is properly grounded, and use extreme caution around wet electrical cords. Use a portable GFCI device with extension cords whenever you use your generator.
• Never connect a generator directly to a home's wiring. If the generator is used to power home circuits, always use a properly installed transfer switch (about $600 installed).
• Keep connections safe. For small generators, use extension cords rated for the wattage they're carrying.

For more information see our most recent report on generators including Ratings and recommendations.

Don't take a tumble while performing fall maintenance

With homeowners clambering up ladders to paint, clean gutters and perform other fall chores, the autumn months can be an especially dangerous time
 
Ladders play a big role in thousands of accidents around the home. A Consumer Reports analysis of data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission found more than 160 deaths and 170,000 injuries related to ladders in 2007, the latest year for which full data is available. And over the past five years, more than 500,000 ladders have been recalled "due to fall hazards."

We've written about ladder safety in the past and would like to remind our readers about the Dos and Don'ts of ladder use. The two examples at right are definite Don'ts.

Inspection and maintenance

• Keep ladders clean and dry. Wipe the ladder off after each use to prevent deterioration.
• Wear and tear can cause a ladder to fail. Check all types—aluminum, fiberglass and wood—for cracks, dents and missing components.
• Tighten reinforcing rods beneath steps and hinges, and check the lanyard on an extension ladder for deterioration.

Getting ready

• Set up your ladder on a firm, level surface. Use leg-levelers if necessary. Never stack objects, such as lumber or stones, beneath a ladder leg to level it.
• Lean a straight or extension ladder against a wall or other even, fixed object—never against a narrow tree or surface that cannot support both of the side rails.
• Set up an extension ladder with the base 1 foot away from the wall for every 4 feet the ladder reaches up--that's 3 feet at the base for a 12-foot ladder, or roughly a 75-degree angle.
• Use your stepladder only in the open, A-shaped position, never when folded. Make sure the spreaders are fully open and locked.
• Be sure that your extension ladder extends 3 feet beyond the roofline or work surface.
• When raising any extension ladder, be mindful of overhead power lines and other hazards. 
• Before climbing, inspect the area where you'll be working for insect and bird nests. Check the area from below with a pair of binoculars.

Ups and downs

• Use the right ladder for the job. Always select a height that doesn't require you to reach up or out in a way that destabilizes the ladder; keep your belt buckle centered between the rails. Don't use a stepladder to get to the roof.
• When doing electrical work or working near an electrical power line, use only a wooden or fiberglass ladder. And remember that any ladder can conduct electricity when it's wet.
• Don't allow anybody else on the ladder with you.
• Climb and descend slowly, facing the ladder and holding the side rails with both hands (keep tools in a tool belt).
• Keep both feet on the ladder and center your weight between the rails at all times.
• Don't try to move the ladder when you're standing on it or try to "walk" it into a new position. 
• Don't step above the labeled maximum height. Beyond that point, the odds of an accident increase significantly.

Essential reading. For more tips on sprucing up your home inside and out, read our Fall Cleanup Guide. Our Home & Garden blog also has helpful hints for homeowners.

CPSC ventures into the blogosphere

The Consumer Product Safety Commission stepped up its outreach efforts today by joining the blogosphere and the Twitter universe, opening a channel on YouTube and creating a photo stream on Flickr.

"These are terrific tools that I plan to use frequently to keep you up to date on what’s happening on issues that affect you directly," wrote Chairman Inez Tenenbaum in her first blog post. "These sites are for the moms, dads, grandparents and others who want to protect themselves, their homes and those they care about."

One of the agency's first efforts is a video highlighting the dangers of furniture tipover, an issue we've written about in the past.

In the video, The Tipping Point, a mother in Connecticut talks about the heartbreak of losing her daughter when the toddler was crushed by a television that had fallen off its stand. “You may think your home is safe, but everyday things like a television can hurt your child. I was right there and it happened,” said Sylvia Santiago, of West Haven, Connecticut who lost her two-year old daughter last year.

“The most devastating injuries that we see resulting from furniture tipping on children are injuries to the brain and when a child is trapped under a heavy piece of furniture and suffocates,” said Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who was featured in the video. (Smith is one of our Safety Crusaders.)

To help prevent tip-over hazards, the CPSC offered the following advice:

• Furniture should be stable on its own.
• For added security, anchor chests or dressers, TV stands, bookcases and entertainment units to the floor or attach them to a wall.
• Place TVs on a sturdy, low-rise base. Avoid flimsy shelves.
• Push the TV as far back as possible.
• Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach, and teach kids not to play with them.
• Keep remote controls and other attractive items off the TV stand so kids won’t be tempted to grab for them and risk knocking the TV over.
• Make sure free-standing ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.

We're pleased to see the CPSC offering these tools to consumers, including a handy "Recall Widget" that other bloggers and Web sites can use to track recalls.

Got a leaky tire? Check your valve stem

It's been over a year since we warned about millions of faulty Chinese-made tire valve stems, yet every week we get comments from readers about flat tires and blowouts caused by defective stems.

"Two tires that I purchased two years ago blew up on the expressway within a few hours of each other," wrote Rick. "Just yesterday I came outside and a third tire was flat. On this one the valve stem was obviously leaking."

"I had a tire fail from a defective valve stem on the capitol beltway near Washington, D.C. at night in a construction zone during a thunderstorm. I'm lucky to be alive," wrote Mark. "I drove for almost a week before I realized I probably had three other defective valve stems."

Mark is a lot like other drivers who may not realize that they have defective valve stems. In fact, not everyone is aware that a valve stem is sold separately from the tire or wheel. And because the identifying characteristics of the valve stem are on the part that does not show (see illustration) they are very difficult to identify.

The faulty stems were made by a Chinese company in Shanghai for Dill Air Control Products of North Carolina. Dill and one of its distributors, Tech International, have recalled approximately 8 million faulty valve stems.  It's believed that many more have been sold and that some were used as original equipment on 2007 Fords. In an agreement reached with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which investigated the defective valve stems, Ford sent letters to affected owners and offered to do free inspections for premature cracking. Cracks in the stems can cause tires to lose air, and such air loss and low tire pressure can result in tire failure and a loss-of-control crash at highway speeds.

According to one recent news report in the Stamford Advocate, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is considering an investigation into potentially millions of defective valve stems.
 
Eugene Petersen, program leader for tire testing at Consumer Reports recommends that motorists conduct a visual inspection of their valve stems to check for cracks. To do this, remove the hubcap (if there is one) move the top of the stem around, and use a flashlight to check for any sign of cracks at the base of the stem where it meets the wheel. It's also important to keep a close eye on tire pressure by checking it monthly. If one or more tires have to be topped off, it may be a sign of a leak, possibly from a valve stem. If this happens, have your tires checked by a mechanic at once. 

Essential reading. To learn more about valve stems read our past posts:

• Warning issued on faulty tire valve stems following rollover death
  
• Recall of faulty tire valve stems expanded
  
• NHTSA steps up investigation of tire valves … but not enough
  
• Faulty tire valves may have been installed on 2007 Fords
  
• 2 million more tire stem valves recalled that are prone to cracking

Back-to-school safety checklist

On the same day that President Obama exhorted students to “get serious" and study, the Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, who was appointed by Obama, encouraged students and parents to get serious about safety.

Speaking at Rosewood Elementary School in Columbia, S.C. (Obama was at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.), Inez Tenenbaum released a safety checklist and told parents and school officials to "make it a priority to check for hazards at home and at school.”

“It just takes a moment for a child to be seriously injured or even killed riding a bicycle, playing on the playground, using a movable soccer goal, wearing a jacket with a drawstring or by a recalled product,” said Tenenbaum. “Let’s keep kids in the classroom and out of the emergency room."

Here are the items on Tenenbaum's safety checklist:

Playgrounds
Each year, more than 200,000 hospital emergency room visits are related to playground injuries. Most injuries involve falls onto the playground surface or playground equipment.

• Check with school officials to make sure that the school’s playground equipment has been inspected and maintained.
• Check to see if there are at least nine inches of shock absorbing surface material around the school’s playground equipment.

Read more about playground safety on the Safety blog.

Bike helmets
The CPSC reports that an annual average of 80 children under 16 have died in bicycle-related incidents in recent years. About half of the 500,000 bicycle-related emergency room-treated injuries in 2008 involved children under 16.

• Make sure your child wears a helmet that meets CPSC requirements every time he/she bikes or rides a scooter to and from school.
• Make sure your child’s helmet fits snuggly, level on top of the head, with a buckled chin strap.

Read more about bike safety on Consumer Reports.

Drawstrings
Since 1985,the CPSC has received reports of 28 deaths and 71 non-fatal incidents involving the entanglement of children’s clothing drawstrings.

• Make sure that none of your child’s clothing has drawstrings at the hood or neck area.

Read more about drawstrings on the Safety blog.

Movable soccer goals
From 1998-2008, the CPSC has gotten reports of at least 8 deaths and an estimated 2,000 emergency department visits by children younger than 16 related to soccer goal tip-overs and structural failures.

• Check that all soccer goals are securely anchored while in use.

Read more about soccer goals on the Safety blog

Recalled products

• Check the CPSC’s Web site, www.cpsc.gov, to make sure all back to school purchases and previously owned items have not been recalled.
• Sign up at www.cpsc.gov to get e-mail alerts of recall announcements.

Read more about recalls on the Safety blog.

Back-to-school street smarts for walkers, riders and drivers

Children around the country are headed back to school and that means more kids on the streets, more school buses on the road, and more chances for accidents to occur. Here are some tips for parents and children to keep in mind to ensure safe travel to and from school.
 
Around the house and neighborhood

• Before entering your vehicle, make it a habit to walk completely around your car, and look down the street to see if children may be around.
• When backing out of your driveway or garage, be wary of children walking or bicycling to school.
• Watch out for children playing or gathering near bus stops or in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks.
• When driving through school zones, slow down and stop at crosswalks.
• Be alert as children may not look both ways when crossing the street.

Walking to school

• Map out a safe route to school and walk it with your child for a few days so they become familiar with the way.
• Make sure your child crosses at intersections where there is a crossing guard.
• Have children wear bright clothing that can be seen by drivers.
• Start a neighborhood school walk by having a parent accompany a group of children to school. That way, the children are supervised and you can rotate the parental duties throughout the week.

Riding the school bus

• Check to see if the school bus has lap and/or shoulder seat belts and if so, make sure your child uses them at all times. If no belts are available (which they often aren’t), make sure your child knows to stay seated when the bus is in motion.
• Tell your child to wait for the bus to stop completely before trying to board or exit.
• Teach him or her to look both ways before crossing the street.
• Make sure children are aware that they need to remain in clear view of the bus driver when moving around the bus.
• Children should only board and exit the bus in areas that are safe or close to the school building.

Driving in the car

• Obey the school bus laws. It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus when its stop signal is extended, and you should leave 75-plus feet between your car and bus, depending on state laws.
• All children should wear a seat belt or use an age appropriate car seat or booster seat. (Read about safe driving with children on our Cars blog.)
• Check the laws on car seat use in your state. See our car seat Ratings and recommendations.    Some states require booster seats for children as old as eight.
• All children under 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles.
• If you have a teen driving to school make sure they drive safely by using a seat belt at all times, limit the number of passengers, and reduce distractions by not allowing them to eat, drink, talk on a cell phone or text while driving.
• Learn about graduated licensing laws in your state or institute your own rules for your teen driver, such as no driving with minors or after dark. 

Using two wheels

• Make sure your child always wears a bicycle helmet. 
• Teach them to ride in the same direction as traffic, on the right side of the road.
• Show your child the appropriate hand signals for turning.
• Explain the “rules of the road”—-obey stop signs and traffic lights.
• Put your child in bright clothing to increase visibility to drivers.

 For more information on child safety, see our kid and car safety guide.—Liza Barth