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Swimming Season Ends but Home Drowning Danger Continues

Posted under: Child Health, Home Safety — tslaughter @ 8:48 am

This week the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an interesting warning to consumers concerning childhood drownings. The Commission noted that while the danger of outdoor drownings in swimming pools has wound down with the coming of fall, the danger of young children drowning in bathtubs, bathinettes and even buckets continue throughout the year.

The Commission published statistics from 2003-2005 that show that an average of 90 children under 5 years old drown in homes each year. The deaths occur in bathtubs (62%), baby seats or bathinettes (15%), buckets and pails (11%), landscaping or yard products (6%) and other products (4%).

The Commission suggests the following safety tips:
Never leave young children alone, even for a moment near any water.
Keep young child within arm’s reach in bathtub. If you must leave, take child with you.
Don’t leave a baby or toddler in bathtub under care of another young child.
Never leave a bucket containing even a small amount of liquid unattended. Toddlers fall headfirst into buckets and drown.

This is sound advice If you are caring for young children, it is always a good idea to take a few moments to review the potential dangers in your premises, and remind yourself of these very common sense tips. Be safe out there.

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Composite Wood Deck Materials Sold at Home Depot Recalled

Posted under: Home Safety, Product Recall — tslaughter @ 12:52 pm

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a nationwide recall of composite wood deck materials sold at Home Depot from January 2005 to August 2008 under the Veranda brand. These decking materials are made of composite materials that are milled and colored to resemble wood. They are particularly popular in Northern California where the sun and high temperatures in the summer can cause rapid deterioration of natural wood decks. The recall has been issued because the composite decking materials have experienced premature deterioration. 37 cases of unexpected deck breakings have been reported,some causing injury.

The composite decking materials were manufactured by Louisiana-Pacific under the Veranda brand name, as well as LP WeatherBest and ABTCo. They were sold at Home Depot, and building product dealers Louisiana Pacific WeatherBest and ABTCo. The price point was between $1.50 and $2.25 per linear foot.

If you suspect that you have such materials in your deck, contact Louisiana Pacific at 888.325.1184 for a free inspection. LP promises to replace any decking that shows signs of premature deterioration.

If you have these materials on your deck, you undoubtedly purchased them based upon claims that they would last for many years(25-50), and would withstand the all of the climate changes that are commonly experienced in Northern California. The fact that these materials are already showing signs of deterioration within 2-3 years of installation causes great concern. Check out your decks and get LP out here to replace them if it appears necessary.

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Ten Ways to Prevent Child Poisonings

Posted under: Child Health, Home Safety — tslaughter @ 8:56 am

One of the most terrifying human experiences imaginable is for a young parent or grandparent to discover their unconscious or violently ill child next to an open container of household chemicals or a bottle of pills. Over 90% of all childhood poisonings occur in the home. Over two million calls to our nation’s poison control centers are made each year. On average, approximately 80,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for unintentional poisonings annually. In recent years, approximately 30 children per year die of poisoning. This is down from 216 that died in 1972, when child-proof containers were introduced.

The <a href="http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09159.html">U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission</a> recently released a list of 10 recommendations to prevent childhood poisonings. These are great recommendations and are worth re-publishing here:

1. Keep medicines and household chemicals in oringinal, child-resistant containers.
2. Store potentially hazardous substances up and out of the reach of children.
3. Keep National Poison Control Center Telephone No. handy, 800.222.1222.
4. When using hazardous products, never let young children out of sight, even if you must take them along to answer phone or doorbell.
5. Keep items closed and in original containers.
6. Leave original lables on all products, and read before using.
7. Always leave the light on when giving or taking medicines to assure the correct dosage is given.
8. Avoid taking medicine in front of children. Never call medicine "candy." Call it medicine.
9. Clean out medicine cabinets periodically to remove unneeded and outdated medicines.
10. Do not put decorative lamps and candles that contain lamp oil where children can reach them. Lamp oil can be very toxic if ingested by young children.

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Gas Generator in Basement Kills Castella Father and Daughter

Posted under: Home Safety — tslaughter @ 10:29 am

Tragically, the bodies of two Castella residents, a father and his teenage daughter, were discovered in their home yesterday. According to the Redding Record Searchlight, the culprit was emissions from a gas generator.

Over the weekend, power was lost in this small mountain community due to inclement weather. The family had apparently tried to restore power to the home by using a gas generator placed in the basement. Given this scenario, the probable killer was carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas that can insidiously permeate a living environment in short order, creating a potential death chamber. The gas is the by-product of incomplete combustion. As every gas powered engine utilized today does not burn fuel with 100% efficiency, carbon monoxide will be emitted no matter how efficient the engine purports to be. Since it cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, carbon monoxide can move into a living environment without detection and become a silent killer.

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when the carbon monoxide molecule combines with the oxygen molecules in the body. This creates a state called carboxyhemoglobin which inhibits the body’s ability to absorb oxygen. As a result, the person exposed to this gas slowly, and without appreciation of the effects, suffocates to death. The first symptoms are usually dizziness, nausea, headaches, loss of coordination and fatigue or sleepiness. As the concentration of carbon monoxide increases in the body, confusion, impaired vision and cognitive problems follow. Unless the exposure is terminated, death can follow.

In regards to gas generators, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has published the following warning:

PUT GENERATORS OUTSIDE
Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas.
Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in these reas and can linger
for hours, even after the generator has shut off.

In times of severe inclement weather and loss of power, people are prone to improvise solutions to obtain electrical power and heat. It is in these times that it is most important to think about the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning. Opening and lighting gas stoves or ovens, resorting to portable gas stoves or heaters are often considered in these situations and are extremely dangerous. Proper venting is a must and it must be recognized that carbon monoxide will seep through andy openings in floors or walls. Lastly, a carbon monoxide alarm in the residence will provide a great measure of additional safety if the home is equipped with indoor furnaces or gas appliances.

We at Reiner, Simpson & Slaughter are saddened by this recent tragedy, and hope this advise will prevent future occurrences. Our condolences go to the family and friends of these two members of our community.

If you seek further information regarding the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, please consult the Indoor Air Quality website published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Blog

October 9, 2009

Swimming Season Ends but Home Drowning Danger Continues

May 19, 2009

Composite Wood Deck Materials Sold at Home Depot Recalled

April 27, 2009

Ten Ways to Prevent Child Poisonings

February 18, 2009

Gas Generator in Basement Kills Castella Father and Daughter