Safety tips - January is National Bath Safety Month
January is recognized as National Bath Safety Month. The Trauma Department wants to remind all of our employees, especially those with young children and loved ones who are elderly or have disabilities, that it only takes a few seconds for someone to become injured or drown from a bathroom related accident.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports, on an average, 370 people of all ages suffer bathtub or shower-related injuries each day in the United States. Drowning is the leading cause for unintentional injury deaths of children age 4 and younger, and in children 14 and younger, drowning is second leading cause for unintentional injury fatalities.
The National Center for Health Statistics in 1987 reported that about 10 percent of all people over the age of 65 have difficulty bathing and according to a 1985 national report, drowning deaths, for those over age 60, were primarily due to having fallen in the tub. Bath safety for people who are elderly or have disabilities is further complicated by issues such as medication side-effects, reduced physical ability, and diminished vision.
Injury Prevention Coordinator
EMS/Trauma Department
| Bathroom safety tips | |
| • | Keep bathroom doors closed and secure toilet lids with lid locks. |
| • | Never leave small children alone around any container of water. This includes toilets, tubs, wading pools, spas, aquariums, and buckets. |
| • | Safeguard bathtubs and sinks used for bathing by using faucet covers and nonskid mats or decals. |
| • | Before bathing children, gather the soap, shampoo, toys, towel, diaper, clothing, and any other needed items you might need before running the bath water. Place these items so you can easily reach them. |
| • | After running bath water, check the water temperature before placing the child in the bath water. |
| • | Some people who are elderly may have less sensation in their hands and therefore may misjudge water temperature. If you have a loved one who is elderly, check the water temperature in their home to avoid scalding injuries. |
| • | Once your child is in the bath, don’t leave for any reason. Children can drown in just a small amount of water. They can easily topple into the tub or toilet. It only takes a few seconds for a drowning to happen. |
| • | If you must leave the room for the telephone or door, take the child with you after taking the child out of the water and wrapping him in a towel. |
| • | To avoid falls and slipping under the water, always keep one hand firmly around the child when bathing him and keep the child sitting. |
| • | For people who are elderly or have disabilities, consider installing grab bars on walls around the tub and beside the toilet and a portable, hand-held shower head. (Safety tips courtesy of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services) |