But by being safety-minded, you can identify most causes of accidents and thereby reduce the risks to life and limb. How can this be done? Let us look at three areas in which we can be more safety conscious.

Falls

In our age of the spectacular and the exotic, the simple and the ordinary are still major causes of injury and death. In many countries, falls are the number one killer in the home. For example, in the United States, after automobile accidents, falls are the leading cause of facial fractures and result in about 14 million injuries and 15,000 deaths a year. And in New Zealand, falls cause injury to 28,000 people (close to 1 percent of the population) each year and run up a 12-million-dollar tab for the insurance companies to pay.

Who are most susceptible to injury or death by falls? The young and the elderly. The danger areas where most falls occur are: steps, ice, rugs, and bathtubs. The vast majority of falls are not from some towering height, such as occasionally makes the news, but just to the floor or ground immediately beneath one’s feet. Good housekeeping is the key to prevention of this type of accident. By keeping the house or workplace clean and orderly, the main cause of accidents is removed.

Fire

We live, work, and sometimes assemble for meetings in an increasingly combustible and toxic world. Despite the presence of steel, brick, and concrete, we are surrounded by volatile liquids, gaseous fuels, and plastic room furnishings that, when kindled, are capable of releasing killing gases.

In the home, the majority of fires are caused by three things​—men, women, and children. A home fire starts every 45 seconds in the United States. In Japan a fire breaks out every seven minutes, and a house is burned down every nine minutes. Yet, most of those fires could have been prevented.

Parents, do you leave your children at home with no adult supervision? Faster than you can snap your fingers, an accident can happen that involves your child. Food cooking on an unattended stove has been the source of many blazes. Scalds are the second leading cause of burn deaths of children. Also, the soaring cost of petroleum fuel that began a decade ago has introduced wood-burning heating stoves to a generation that is unfamiliar with their unique characteristics and maintenance needs. The result​—death and injury by fire to hundreds.

The most deadly cause of home fires is tobacco smoking. Falling asleep with a lighted cigarette results in thousands of deaths by fire each year. Not only is the smoker a victim but family and neighbors suffer too. When a cigar or a cigarette ignites furniture, flames can quickly spread throughout the rest of the house and jump to neighboring buildings.

Suppose that at this instant the home or building where you are suddenly bursts into flames. Could you find the fire exit? Fire accidents do not trumpet their arrival. Prepare for the unexpected. When entering a building or a room, locate the fire exits; mentally diagram escape routes. At home, as a family, plan and regularly practice at least two escape paths and have a predetermined meeting place outside the house. This will prevent panic and keep you from impulsively making a fatal mistake.

“If you catch yourself or clothing on fire, remember three words​—STOP. DROP. ROLL.” That is the advice of Chuck Fierson, firefighter and instructor, as reported in The Express of Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Your goal is to smother the fire.

○ STOP: Do not run. Running increases the amount of oxygen feeding the fire. The greater the amount of oxygen, the fiercer the fire will burn.

○ DROP: Fall to the ground immediately. Lie down. Do not remain standing.

○ ROLL: Roll over and over with elbows tucked against your sides. Cover your face with your hands. This will help smother the fire, prevent facial disfiguration, and prevent hot gases from burning your lungs.

[Box on pages 6, 7]

Safety Checklist​—Fires

• Are smoke or heat detectors properly placed (at least one per floor) and maintained?

• Does everyone in the family, particularly the children, the elderly, and the handicapped, have flame-resistant sleepwear?

• Are matches and flammable liquids far beyond the reach of children?

• Are pot handles turned away from edge of stove but not over burners?

• Is there an adequate fire extinguisher in the kitchen?

• Are bedroom doors shut when you are asleep, so as to delay fire and smoke from entering?

• Are all appliances unplugged when not in use, and when in use, is there sufficient air space around them to prevent the igniting of nearby materials?

• Are all flammable rags stored in sealed metal cans?

• Are electrical cords removed from under rugs or over radiators? Are frayed cords repaired or replaced?

• Is all furniture, as well as draperies, at least three feet (1m) from fireplace or wood stove?

• Is the ironing-board cover of nonflammable material?

• Are flammable materials kept away from light bulbs in attic or closet?

• Is basement or attic off limits as storage bin for old newspapers and flammable odds and ends?

• Are chimneys and flues cleaned and inspected at least once a year?