Some degree of hazard is associated
with every form of activity.
Therefore, the highest degree of
injury prevention can be achieved only by careful, painstaking attention to
safety in every form of activity carried on in an environment. Being safe and
healthy should actually be the business of everybody.
We all want to stay safe where we live, work, learn and play. Injury prevention values should be taught at any given time.
In this post, you will be exposed to, what safety education is, its
goals, importance and principles.
In the article, you should be able
to say what safety education is, mention the goals of safety education, state
the importance of safety education, itemize the principles of safety education
and explain what safety education entails.
What
is Safety Education?
Safety education implies education
for safe living. Safe living in this age of ICT has become very complex. The
complexity of modern living demands that man be more conscious of the
environment so as to tame it safe for living. Life is the most important game
that is ever played.
There are rules for playing it
safely and well. If you follow the rules, you have a higher chance of reaching
your goal. A risky shortcut may cut a life short. Each time you fail to follow
the rule of safety, you may be taking a big risk with your life.
Before discussing safety education,
attention will be given to safety. Safety is the state of being 'safe'. The
condition of being protected from harm or other non-desirable
outcomes.
Safety is the control of recognized
hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Safety education could
mean the education of individuals on various safety practices at work, school
and on the road and in daily life.
It is also seen as the recognition
and avoidance of hazards causing illness, injury, disability or death in the
workplace. Safety education could be referred to as a planned programme to
provide knowledge, skills and attitude and to adopt certain practical measures
to enable an individual to live safely and avoid accidents.
In fact, it is the means and process
of taking precautions to avoid an accident. It is the rules, means and methods
adopted and followed for safe living.
The Importance of Safety Education
The
following are the importance of safety education.
1.
It helps to provide a safe and healthy living.
2.
It protects people from premature and unexpected death.
3.
It helps in promoting longevity.
3.
It helps to create a civilized and progressive society.
4.
It helps to build a healthy and successive personality.
5.
It helps to protect people from unnecessary expenses.
Problems
Injuries are the leading threat to a child's health. There are more preventable deaths to children from bicycle accidents, automobile accidents, burns, drowning, falls, chokings and poisonings than from all contagious diseases combined. "By nearly every measure, injury ranks as one of the nation's most pressing health problems."
A summary from the National Center for Health Statistics showed that injuries disproportionately strike the young. Statistics showed that 44% of the deaths to children from 1 to 4 years old were injury related.
The percentage of deaths
attributed to injuries for 5 to 14 year old children was 52%, and 63% for the
age group of 15 to 24 years old. With respect to children, one problem is a
lack of safety education.
The costs to society for childhood injuries are enormous. These include health care costs, loss of parent productivity while parents worry about and care for their child, costs to the legal system, and strains on schools.
There is also the
societal loss of unrealized future contributions by children who suffer fatal
or brain damaging injuries. Worse are the effects on the quality of life for
the children and their parents: unnecessary physical and emotional pain,
stress, financial pressures, and negative effects on the child's education and
development.
Children Are at a Greater Risk for Injuries
Infants and Young Children
Infants and young children are at greater risk for many injuries. This increased risk may be attributed to many factors. For example, children like to explore their environment.
This natural curiosity may lead them to sample the pills in the medicine cabinet, play with matches, or venture into the family pool. Younger children and infants have limited physical coordination and cognitive abilities, which puts them at a greater risk for falls from bicycles and playground equipment.
It might also make it more difficult for them to escape
from a fire. Due to their small size and developing bones and muscles, children
and infants may be more susceptible to injury in car crashes if they are not
properly restrained.
Children and Adolescents
Children
and adolescents are at a higher risk for injuries for many reasons. Because of
their stage of cognitive development, children are often impulsive and unable
to judge the safety of a situation.
For example, they may dart out into a busy
street to retrieve a ball, fail to follow the rules of the road while riding a
bike, or assume that an unfamiliar dog is friendly. A child's size may also put
him or her at risk.
Because
they are small, they are hard to see when walking in traffic. They may be seen
as an easy target for a dog prone to attack, and they are not well- protected
by adult seat belts in motor vehicles.
The
risk of abuse- including sexual abuse- and suicide is high for both children
and adolescents. Many children and adolescents do not report abuse because they
fear punishment and/or the loss of a parent's love.
They
may also feel like they would be getting someone they love and rely on in
trouble. The emotional and social changes that occur during this life stage may
increase the risk of suicide.
Teen and Young Adults
Teens and young adults are at higher risk for many types of injuries. They are involved in violence more than any other age group. This increased risk may be due to development to act impulsively and to engage in risk-taking behaviors.
Personal and social factors like substance abuse and involvement with
delinquent peers may also increase one's risk of interpersonal violence.
These
factors may also increase this age group's risk of suicide and suicidal
behavior.
For
many reasons, teens are at increased risk for motor vehicle-related injuries
and deaths. Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed, run red lights,
make illegal turns, ride with an intoxicated driver, or drive after using
alcohol or drugs.
Teens
are also more likely than older drivers to underestimate the dangers in
hazardous situations, and they have less experience coping with such
situations.
Additionally,
nearly two-thirds of high-school students do not consistently wear seat belts.
Just as with violent behavior, driving behaviors such as not wearing a seat
belt and speeding may be linked to teens' impulsiveness and tendency to take
risks.
These
factors are also likely linked to teens' and young adults' higher risk for
spinal cord injuries and drowning and to their reluctance to wear bicycle
helmets.
Injury Prevention among children
Preventing injuries to children is the goal of the Help Keep Kids Safe campaign. Injuries to children are not random, chance occurrences. When anticipated, most are easily prevented.
The Help Keep Kids Safe program was founded in 1989 by the law firm of Montlick & Associates, P.C. Since that time, it has conveyed important safety information to millions of people, through a wide range of activities.
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