SAFETY SQUAD BLOG

Top 3 items your first aid kit doesn't have, and throw out the burn cream.

It is tough to find a ‘pre-packaged’ first aid kit that fits a modern family’s needs.  Many of the high-end first aid kits are designed for job sites, so they contain enough supplies to treat many, many people.  Other kits have items for the minor cuts and scrapes, but not the real emergencies.  Safety Squad has responded to many emergencies, in clinical settings as well as within the community. Below are three critical first aid kit items that many families don’t know about:

• Thermal blanket: In case of internal injury or blood loss, shock can be life-threatening.  Keeping the person warm is critical.  Medical grade thermal blankets work quicker and faster than traditional blankets.  And, they are inexpensive (most are less than $6.00), they have no expiration date, and they are tightly packaged to fit easily into first aid kits (most are no more than 8” X 6” X 4”).  None of us want to think of this kind of extreme emergency.  But, this is the reason we have first aid kits – for the emergency.  Most of us parents keep the character Band-Aids and antiseptic wipes in other, more accessible places, like the bathroom drawer or medicine cabinet.

• Liquid Benadryl: An allergic reaction can happen out of the blue. What would you do for a severe allergic reaction, that presents for the first time, and

High back vs. Backless boosters

There are a lot of topics that accompany this booster seat conversation, the least of which is when to move into a booster, (4 & 40) is NOT a rule. We're not talking about that here (except to say.. boosters are often a demotion in safety, not a graduation from a 5 point harness). 

After "When to go into a booster?", the number one question we get from parents about choosing a booster seat is which style is safest – high-back or no back (backless).   Both styles have passed mandatory federal safety testing, so they are both safe. The answer to this question depends on your vehicle and your child.  Here are the two most important things to consider:

• What kind of head support does your vehicle’s back seat offer?  Is there a head rest?  Where are your child’s ears in relation to the head rest?
  • Your vehicle’s headrest helps with whiplash protection.  If your vehicle doesn’t have a head rest, or has one that you are not comfortable with, you will want to purchase a high back booster. Of if you have a tall child and the ears are above the vehicle headrest when sitting in a backless booster, you will want to purchase a highback booster.
• How is your child’s behavior while sitting in the car?  Remember that the booster seat only ‘raises’  your child up in the vehicle – crash protection is

Teaching kids to dial 911 on an iPhone

It's been a while, but we're posting again. More to come. Here's a practical tip. Even though many kids are super tech savvy, very few will know how to call 911 on your phone if the screen is locked. Test this with your kids. Watch what happens when you give them a phone with no guidance. Of course, if you have an android or another smart phone, tweak the instruction to reflect how kids can dial quickly. 

 

Calling 911 on an iPhone:
1. Swipe to right
2. Press "Emergency Call"
3. Dial 9-1-1
4. Press green "Send" button

Let us know what your kids do. 

Recall Notification: Dorel Juvenile Group, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi, and Safety 1st Child Restraint System Center Front Adjuster Recall

You may remember that we helped call attention to this problem back in March 2010. Here's the original story.  It looks DJG has finally issued a recall. Please contact Dorel and take any action required if your seat is included. The information is below. We will give you more information when we get it. Here is a link to the notification on Dorel's website.

HTSA Campaign ID Number: 11C001

Synopsis:
DJG is recalling certain infant, convertible, and booster child restraint systems which were sold both as stand alone seats or part of a travel system (with stroller). Child restraint systems included in this recall begin with model numbers 22077, 22078, 22148, 22149, 22150, 22152, 22154, 22155, 22158, 22159, 22172, 22177, 22178, 22185, 22188, 22195, 22356, 22371, 22372, 22412, 22439, 22452, 22453, 22456, 22458, 22459, 22462, 22465, 22469, 22476, 22486, 22546, 22547, 22553, 22554, 22561, 22564, 22567, 22574, 22580, 22657, 22740, 22741, 22755, 22758, 22759, 22790, 22799, 22880, 22560, 22346, 17439, 22449, 22475, and IC072, manufactured from May 1, 2008, through April 30, 2009. The harness locking and release button does not always return to its locked position. A button that is not in the locked position can allow the harness adjustment strap to slip back through the adjuster as a child moves around in the seat and results in a loose harness. In the event of a vehicle crash, the child may not be adequately protected and is at an increased risk for injury. Registered owners will receive a free remedy kit consisting of a small tube of non-toxic, food-grade lubricant to be applied to the center front adjuster (CFA) to prevent sticking and allow it to properly engage the CFA strap. Instructions on how to apply the lubricant will be provided, along with a label to indicate that the repair has been completed. Non-registered owners should contact DJG at 1-866-623-3139 or by email at [email protected]. Consumers will need the entire model number on the child restraint when contacting the manufacturer.

For more information for this particular recall, please go to 11C001.

Thank you,

Recalls Subscription Team 
Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

 

BuckleBuddy.Org

 

 

Alderman Wants Retailers to Carry Part of Car Seat Safety Burden

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday will consider a proposal aimed at getting parents expert help when it comes to wrestling the alligator that is a child car safety seat.

An estimated 83.9 percent of child car seats are not installed correctly, potentially exposing children to serious risk.

"The scary part about that is when parents are polled, 96 percent of parents think their car seat is in correctly," according to Steve Breden, a certified child passenger safety technician.

Those numbers inspired Ald. James Balcer (11th) to introduce an ordinance that would require any retailer selling child car seats to post an informational flyer with 20 feet of the car seat that is for sale. The flyer would provide parents with a phone number and a website where they can access a certified child passenger safety technician who can install a seat or answer questions about the process.

He said the legislation, which passed through subcommittee last week, would save frustration and lives.

"One thousand children are dying each year [and ]184,000 are injured. I felt something had to be done," he said.

But the measure is opposed by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, which said the idea would put stores on a slippery slope.

"The concern we have is that somehow the responsibility for educating consumers on the proper way to install a car seat has fallen on the retailers," said IRMA Senior Counsel Tanya Triche. "So you can imagine a certain percentage of our store being taken up with 'educational' sort of signs. So that's an issue for us."

Balcer took IRMA to task upon hearing the comments.

"Shame on them. It's a slippery slope. Fine, let it keep sliding. Whatever it takes to save the lives of children, to prevent children from being injured -- I'm all for that," he said.

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/business/chicago-car-seat-ordinance-95890004.html#ixzz0qJbfG8f9

Thoughts from Lifesavers 2010 in Philadelphia

Lifesavers 2010 is in the books.

First off, we're always thankful for the friends, colleagues and experts we spend time with at Lifesavers. You're crucial in shaping the message we deliver to parents about keeping children safe.  

Next, there were a few important themes we would like to highlight from this year's event. These represent emerging trends, needs and changes in philosophy relating to child passenger safety.  - We are starting to see real cooperation between retailers and CPS technicians in some cities.  This is important as stores are key places to capture parents' attention and deliver the much needed message of appropriate restraint usage.

Children benefit tremendously from police officers being car seat awareness trained. This is especially true in states which have laws addressing appropriate restraint use as opposed to just general use. Officers can't write tickets and save lives if they don't recognize misuse. 

Car seat law offender programs require clear goals. Appropriate measures must be enacted to achieve those goals. Car seat laws are useless if they are not enforced. Violators habits remain the same if they have no incentive to change.

Safety 1st Vantage Investigation on NBC

 As part of this NBC Report, Safety Squad's Tom McQueen Investigated the seats in question:

A Chicago father's home video that apparently shows the failure of multiple child safety seats is getting some high-level attention.

Initially, Bryan Dussault said he wasn't surprised when he took a call last fall from his mother-in-law, who reported having difficulty with one of the straps on the Safety First Vantage Booster Car Seat, made by Dorel Juvenile Group of Columbus, Indiana.

That changed when he inspected the seat himself and found that it was impossible to secure a child in the seat because the strap wouldn't hold.

"I had a little bit of a tough time with the strap. Ultimately, I got it adjusted, but then was able to pull the harness loose without touching the levers again. That told me something was really wrong," Dussault said.

Making matters worse, he was able to duplicate the problem on another car seat of the same make and model that was in his own car.

5 Questions with Josh of Baby Solutions

We'd like you to get to know Josh Berliant. He's the founder of Baby Solutions, Safety Squad's preferred childproofer since 2007. We sat down with him to deliver some childproofing basics to parents.

Safety Squad: When should parents begin thinking about childproofing?

Josh: It really is never too soon to begin the babyproofing process. Parents should start thinking about babyproofing even before they give birth to the child.  Its a great time to evaluate the safety of your home and furnishings, while you still have your sanity.  Waiting until your child begins to crawl is a mistake.

Safety Squad: What advice do you have for first time parents new to babyproofing?

Josh: Advice I would give new parents is that all products are not created equally.  Many of the products on the market can do more harm than good.  A professional can really help to ensure you are using quality products.

Wear Your Seat Belt.. because we don't live in a fantasy world