• Enter your email address to receive notifications of new Safe Kids New Jersey posts.

    Join 21 other followers

  • Photos

    Iesah

    Concussion Safety Bill

    Denville Rodeo

    Safe Kids Middlesex County-Safe Kids Fair

    Safe Kids Middlesex County-Safe Kids Fair Volunteers

    Safe Kids Middlesex County Walk This Way

    Safe Kids Essex County Walk This Way

    Safe Kids Bergen County Walk This Way

    Safe Kids New Jersey Celebrates 20 Years

    Monmouth County Safe Kids Block Party

    More Photos

Get into the Game with Safety With the New Jersey Devils!

Posted on February 7, 2011 by SafeKidsNJ

Join us as Safe Kids New Jersey and New Jersey Dental Association promote sports safety and dental health with Mouth Guard Night on Friday, February 11, 2011 when the New Jersey Devils play the San Jose Sharks at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.  Game time is 7:00 pm.  All kids under 16 will receive a free custom fit mouth guard courtesy of Henry Schein®.  Don’t miss the fun.  Get your half-priced tickets now!  Proceeds go to Safe Kids New Jersey for statewide sports safety education.

If you want more information on the event go to  SafeKids/NJDevils or you can purchase your tickets now by going to: www.newjerseydevils.com\njda   (Be sure to use the Special Offer Code: njda).  

Safe Kids New Jersey reminds you to be sure you wear the proper safety gear when you play! 

PREPARE…..PREVENT…..PLAY

 

 

SafeKids/NJDevils

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Safety In and Around Cars

Posted on February 7, 2011 by SafeKidsNJ

Students and teachers from the Gifted and Talented Program at Grace Wilday Junior High School, Roselle, NJ join executives at Johnson & Johnson World Headquarters for a Business Roundtable to unveil their findings on Safety In and Around Cars. 

Safety In and Around Cars, a statewide initiative of Safe Kids New Jersey funded by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, addresses proper restraint use and preventing trunk entrapment, back-overs, heat related injuries and proper driver/passenger behavior.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Winter Sports Safety

Posted on January 6, 2011 by SafeKidsNJ

With snow comes outdoor activities like sled riding, skiing, snowboarding and ice skating. Thousands of children suffer injuries during these activities that may be prevented.

Helmets are essential for many outdoor winter activities. The risk of head injury is too great to leave the helmet in a closet at home. Helmets prevent or reduce the effects of 53 percent of the head injuries suffered by children while skiing or snowboarding.

Children should bundle up and enjoy the outdoors. Before heading out, it is important to remember a few key items in addition to the hat and gloves.

Safety Tip

Top Winter Safety Tips

  • Always wear sport-specific, properly fitting safety gear when participating in winter sports.
  • Kids should always wear helmets when they ski, sled, snowboard and play ice hockey. There are different helmets for different activities.
  • Parents should wear helmets too. Remember, your children learn safety habits by watching you.
  • Dress in layers and wear warm, close-fitting clothes. Make sure that long scarves are tucked in so they don’t get entangled in lifts, ski poles or other equipment.
  • Stay hydrated. Drink fluids before, during and after winter play.
  • Kids — or caregivers — who become distracted or irritable, or begin to hyperventilate, may be suffering from hypothermia or altitude sickness, or they may be too tired to participate safely in winter sports. They need to go indoors to warm up and rest.
  • Children under 6 should not ride a snowmobile, and nobody under 16 should drive one. All snowmobile drivers and passengers should wear helmets designed for high-speed motor sports. A bike helmet isn’t sufficient for a four-wheeled motorcycle that can go up to 90 miles per hour.

Filed under: Safe Kids Safety Tips | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Governor Chris Christie Signs Comprehensive Concussion Safety Bill to Protect New Jersey’s Student-Athletes

Posted on December 8, 2010 by SafeKidsNJ

NFL Commissioner, Owners of NY Giants and NY Jets,  Former NFL Players, Legislators, Safe Kids NJ, Brain Injury Association of NJ and others join Governor Christie for Bill Signing Ceremony

Governor Chris Christie signed A-2743, legislation to protect and prevent concussions in student-athletes across New Jersey’s interscholastic youth sports programs. The bill adopts a multi-faceted approach, requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to develop an interscholastic athletic head injury safety training program to be completed by school physicians, coaches and athletic trainers of public and nonpublic school interscholastic sports programs.

“We’ve all seen the tragic results that can occur from sports-related concussions in both student and professional athletes. It’s our obligation and responsibility to put the health and safety of our children first, and use the best research and evidence to protect them in the most effective way possible,” said Governor Christie. “I’m proud to sign this forward-looking and comprehensive safety measure into law to ensure that the health and well-being of our young athletes comes first with increased education, awareness and prevention.”

The program that will be developed by the Department of Education will include the recognition of symptoms of head and neck injuries, and will address the appropriate amount of time a student-athlete must wait before returning to sports competition or practice after sustaining an injury. In addition, it will help ensure that school physicians, coaches and athletic trainers are properly trained to be able to identify a concussion as well as utilize the proper response during interscholastic sporting events. Each school district, with the assistance of DOE, will be required to develop a written policy concerning the prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and other head injuries among student-athletes.  Currently, there is no uniform method of handling suspected concussions in interscholastic sports.

“We appreciate Governor Christie’s meaningful and proactive stand on protecting our young athletes by signing this comprehensive concussion safety legislation today,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “By improving education, training and treatment, we can increase concussion awareness and work to prevent these injuries among our youngest athletes, not only in football, but in all sports.”.

Concussions are caused by a blow or motion to the head or body that disrupts the normal functioning of the brain and can cause significant and sustained neuropsychological impairments. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur every year.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Avoid Decorating Dangers

Posted on November 30, 2010 by SafeKidsNJ

In addition to food, family, and gifts, decorations are one of the highlights of the holiday season. While candles, Christmas trees, and other decorations are part of the holiday spirit, they can pose fire and poisoning hazards, especially to curious children.

The holidays are a time for spending with family and friends, not for rushing to the emergency room. Once all of your decorations are up, keep a close eye on both children and the decorations themselves.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season.

Follow some simple safety tips to protect your family and your home.

Safety Tip

Top Safety Tips

If you decorate a tree, avoid these top decorating mistakes:

  • Decorate with children in mind. Do not put ornaments that have small parts or metal hooks, or look like food or candy, on the lower branches where small children can reach them.
  • Trim protruding branches at or below a child’s eye level, and keep lights out of reach.
  • Natural trees always involve some risk of fire. To minimize the risk, get a fresh tree and keep it watered at all times. Do not put the tree within three feet of a fireplace, space heater, radiator or heat vent.
  • Never leave a lit tree or other decorative lighting display unattended.
  • Inspect lights for exposed or frayed wires, loose connections and broken sockets.
  • Do not overload extension cords or outlets and do not run an electrical cord under a rug.
  • Do not burn tree branches, treated wood or wrapping paper in a home fireplace.   

Top tips to prevent poisoning this holiday season:

  • Keep alcohol, including baking extracts, out of reach and do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended.
  • Color additives used in fireplace fires are a toxic product and should be stored out of reach.
  • Artificial snow can be harmful if inhaled, so use it in a well-vented space.
  • Mistletoe berries, Holly Berry and Jerusalem Cherry can be poisonous. If they are used in decorating, make sure children and pets cannot reach it.
  • In a poison emergency, call the national Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.

Filed under: Safe Kids Safety Tips | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Don’t Toy With Safety

Posted on November 29, 2010 by SafeKidsNJ

Naturally, you want your children to have a safe play environment with safe toys.  Did you know that in 2009, there were an estimated 181,900 toy-related injuries?  And that children under 5 accounted for nearly half of these injuries? 

Do your children like small play balls and balloons? These kinds of toys account for many choking deaths.  Do your children like riding toys – unpowered scooters or tricycles?  They are associated with more injuries than any other toy group; in fact half of the toy-related injuries treated in emergency rooms were caused by unpowered riding toys.  In addition to other hazards, any electrical toy is a potential burn hazard. 

Make sure your children play safely by following some simple safety tips.

Top Toy Safety Tips

  • Be sure your children play with toys that are age-appropriate.  Read the warning labels before buying toys for your children.
  • Look for well-made toys
  • Check toys regularly for damage that could create hazards.  Repair or discard damaged toys immediately.
  • Make sure that discarded toys are out of children’s reach.
  • Watch your children while they play.  Be aware of potential dangers like small parts, cords and strings, moving parts, electrical or battery-powered cords or wheels
  • Do not allow riding toys near stairs, traffic or swimming pools
  • Teach children to put toys away after playing.  Toys intended for younger children should be stored separately from those suitable for older children
  • Make sure toy chests are open (no lid) or have safety hinges.

Filed under: Safe Kids Safety Tips | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Keep Your Children Safe in the Kitchen – Thanksgiving and Year Round

Posted on November 12, 2010 by SafeKidsNJ

Did you know cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States, with unattended cooking on the stovetop the leading cause?  Not surprising, Thanksgiving Day has almost three times the daily average number of cooking fires.   In fact, Thanksgiving Day fires in residential structures cause more property damage and claim more lives than residential structure fires on other days.

Because young children may not recognize danger or may lack the ability to escape a life-threatening burn situation, parents need to take the necessary precautions to make sure their children are not exposed to items that may cause fires or burns.

Safe Kids New Jersey offers these safety tips to help parents keep their children safe in the kitchen on Thanksgiving and throughout the year.         

Prevent Cooking Fires

  • Never leave hot food or appliances unattended while cooking. If you are frying, grilling or broiling food stay in the kitchen.  If you are baking, boiling, or simmering food, check food frequently.
  • Always be alert when you are cooking.  If you are under the influence of medication or alcohol, avoid using the stove or stovetop.
  • Keep anything that can catch on fire at least 3 feet from the stove, toaster oven, or other heat source. 
  • Keep the stovetop, burners, and oven clean.
  • Do not wear loose fitting clothes when you are cooking as they may catch fire from the stovetop.

Prevent burns and scalds

  • To prevent hot food or liquid spills, use the stove’s back burner and/or turn pot handles away from the stove’s edge.
  • Keep appliance cords coiled, away from the counter edges and out of children’s reach, especially if the appliances contain hot foods or liquids. 
  • Use oven mitts or potholders when carrying hot food.
  • Open hot containers from the microwave slowly and away from your face.
  • Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents a scald danger if the moisture in the mitt is heated.

Keep Your Kids Safe

  • Create a 3 foot Kid Free Zone around the stove. Young children should be more than 3 feet from any place where there is hot food, drinks, pans or trays.
  • Never hold a child while cooking, carrying or drinking hot foods or liquids.
  • Hot foods and items should be kept from the edge of counters and tables.
  • Do not use a tablecloth or placemat if very young children are in the home.
  • When children are old enough, teach them to cook safely and always with help from an adult.

Filed under: Safe Kids Safety Tips | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Did you remember to change your clocks & smoke alarm batteries?

Posted on November 8, 2010 by SafeKidsNJ

When it’s time to “fall back” and change the clocks on Sunday, Nov. 7, make sure to check the batteries in all of your smoke alarms – it could save your life.

Did you know that having a working smoke alarm reduces a person’s chance of dying in a fire by half? For the best protection, install smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside every sleeping area, and in every bedroom. Smoke alarms should be mounted high on walls or ceilings, and tested monthly.

It’s important to replace smoke alarm batteries once a year, unless they’re 10-year lithium batteries. Even if your smoke alarms are hardwired, replace the batteries in case of a power outage.

To learn more, visit our Fire Safety page.

Filed under: Safe Kids Safety Tips | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Running for Team Safe Kids New Jersey: Ali’s thoughts & perspective on completing his second marathon

Posted on November 4, 2010 by SafeKidsNJ

Running a full marathon may seem like an individual accomplishment, but when you’re a part of something like Safe Kids, you are no longer alone on the road. That’s certainly how it felt throughout the week leading up to the race as well as on race day itself.

 If you’ve ever been on a field trip as a child and got worried because your parents weren’t there – but were relieved when you saw the care and focus that you’re caretakers provided – well that’s how it felt on Sunday October 31st! As a dad who’s always looking after details like food, transportation, full tank of gas, spending cash, passports, visa’s, luggage, etc., it was so nice to know that I had a team behind me who was able to help with these details. It made me feel like a kid again, at least for this one day.

Dan Orzechowski and Allison Murphy, Safe Kids USA, looked after every detail to ensure that runners could maintain their focus on the challenge in front of them. From picking up race kits to supplying Metro passes to the runners, Dan and Allison handled it all. On the morning of the race, Carma Hanson, Coordinator, Safe Kids Grand Forks, ND, managed the process of getting us from the hotel to the starting line – right down to bagels and peanut butter for breakfast!!

The morning was pretty chilly and we wanted to get to the race sight at least an hour before the start. All us runners huddled under a big tent and got to know one another. I could tell that each runner was committed to finishing for the sake of the cause. There was no nervousness, no pre-race jitters – just pure courage fueled by knowing why you’re running.

The Marine Corp Marathon is known as the People’s Marathon. The streets are lined with supporters. At no point during the 26.2 mile course are you alone as runners. Supporters stand on the side of narrow bridges just to cheer you on. Of course I wore the Safe Kids t-shirt that was folded and placed in my race kit for me. As I ran by people, especially those with their children in tow, I could see their approval. Many would yell out “Go Safe Kids!!!”, and several reached out for a high-five. There are a lot of charities and other causes being represented by runners in the Marine Corp Marathon, but for me, the support I receive from all the contributing members of Safe Kids have always made me feel directly connected to the cause.

I am looking forward to doing it again next year!!

~ Ali A. Zaidi

Filed under: Donate Now to Team Safe Kids New Jersey | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Halloween Doesn’t Have to be a Dangerous Night for Children

Posted on October 15, 2010 by SafeKidsNJ

On a potentially dangerous night of the year for child pedestrians, Safe Kids New Jersey urges parents to prepare children to act safely and drivers to take extra precautions.  On average, twice as many kids are killed while walking on Halloween compared to other days of the year.

Kids need proper safety instruction before they go out trick-or-treating.  Many kids will be out trick-or-treating while it is dark and thus more difficult for drivers to see them.  There are several simple and effective behaviors that parents can share with kids to help reduce their risk or injury.  For example, children younger than age 12 should not be alone crossing streets on this night without an adult.  If older kids are mature enough to go trick-or-treating without adult supervision, parents should make sure they go in a group and stick to a predetermined route with good lighting.

Drivers need to be extra alert as there will be more children on the streets and sidewalks – and may also be focused on gathering candy and the excitement of the holiday.  Drivers – be sure to slow down on neighborhood roads to make Halloween more enjoyable for everyone, but also to help save lives.

 

Top safety tips Safe Kids USA recommends for parents:

  • Cross the street safely at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.  Walk, don’t run, across the street.
  • Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
  • Slow down and stay alert – watch out for cars that are turning or backing up and never dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars.
  • Costumes can be both creative and safe. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. Masks can obstruct a child’s vision, so choose non-toxic face paint and make-up whenever possible instead. Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights in order to see better, as well as be seen by drivers.  While glow sticks are good for visibility, remember that the liquid in glow sticks is also hazardous, so parents should remind children not to chew on or break them.
  • Slow down in residential neighborhoods and school zones. Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
  • Be especially alert and take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
  • Slowly and carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
  • Reduce any distractions inside your car, such as talking on the phone or eating, so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
  • Check Candy – While kids never want to wait to dive into their candy, it is best to check sweets for signs of tampering before children are allowed to eat them

For more tips on how to keep kids safe while walking on Halloween and throughout the year, visit http://www.usa.safekids.org/  



Filed under: Safe Kids Walk This Way | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

« Previous Page — Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.