Accident Prevention Awareness Program

By Janis Rafael

This program will help you to 1) understand the causes that lead to serious and life threatening accidents; 2) learn how to survey for dangers in advance; 3) devise methods to stay alert in potentially dangerous situations; 4) create strategies to safeguard against serious risks; 5) develop sound safety habits to last a lifetime ... and much much more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Safeworld Publishing Company
• Release date: Mar 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9780965560450

Janis Rafael

Janis Rafael is a University of Maryland graduate and has a Bachelor of Science degree in special education. She has done extensive research on safety and has developed a comprehensive program to help children have a better understanding of the nature of risk and what it means to be careful. From her research she has discovered there is a gap in knowledge between the ages of 6 and 12 years old. Children are taught to use their helmets and call 911 in an emergency but have very little training on how to identify serious risks in their environment, or what they can do to avoid them. Her program is aimed at filling that gap by taking a proactive approach which helps children understand the root causes of accidents. This program also emphasizes assertiveness training to encourage children to become independent thinkers. Her goal is to help children distinguish between risks that are worth taking and those that have the potential for tragedy. She believes that the more information we share with our youth, the safer our society will be since they will be basing their decisions on genuine understanding. Based on her observations, it isn't knowledge of potential dangers that can harm our youth, it is the lack of it. We cannot afford leaving to chance crucial safety information that our children must have in order to make informed choices. The price may be far too high.Discussions on ethics and the moral imperative are an integral part of her program. She believes this is a necessary ingredient which has been missing in many safety programs today. Without these discussions children will continue to put emphasis on the legality, not the morality, of their behavior. They may have difficulty understanding the moral obligation to be as careful as possible in situations where their actions have a direct impact on others. Unfortunately, young people often think only in terms of whether there is a risk to themselves. In her program she hopes to address this issue as well as the many factors that often lead children down a negative path of irresponsibility.Janis Rafael is also the co-author of the nonfiction book, This Is An Urgent Message To A Visitor Of Your Planet. The visitor reveals a scientific discovery based on the knowledge that lies locked behind the door of determinism. This knowledge provides a new understanding of man's nature which has never been understood before, and has the potential to eliminate many of the ills plaguing our planet.Mrs. Rafael has four children and eleven grandchildren. She resides in Baltimore, Maryland.

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DEDICATION

There are a few individuals who have helped me in this endeavor that deserve a special debt of gratitude.  First, I would like to thank my mother, Madeline Lessans, for being understanding and supportive in every way, and for offering me encouragement when I needed it most.  I also want to take a moment to thank my sister, Linda Seidel, and my good friend, Estelle Meister, for the brainstorming sessions that gave me ideas for the character and illustrations.   

A special thanks goes out to my husband, Shaul Rafael, for allowing me to give this project my undivided attention even though it took time away from our family life.  At this time, I want to give a big hug to each of my four children:  Elan, Justin, Shoshana, and Adam, for their patience with me when I no longer had any for them. 

I am extremely grateful for my formatter, Delene Carlee, who has been working with me for over 20 years. I could not have finished this book, and my many others, without her expertise and her eye for detail.

I cannot forget to give thanks to my illustrator, Michael Goldman, who was there whenever I needed him and who deserves credit for a wonderful job on all of the graphics.

Most of all, I want to give thanks to my father, Seymour Lessans, who passed away on January 29, 1991.  It was his knowledge, inspiration, wisdom, and vision of a better world that enabled me to write this book.  Thanks, dad, from the bottom of my heart.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication

Introduction

Accident Statistics

A Message to Parents and Teachers

Manual Instructions

Guideline 1  Think Danger First, Don’t Act on Impulse

Guideline 2  Don’t Assume Anything

Guideline 3  Learn the Possibilities and Know the Risks

Guideline 4  Survey for Danger

Guideline 5  Stay Aware at All Times

Guideline 6  Set Up a Safeguard System

Guideline 7  Be an Informed Consumer

Guideline 8  Practice Your Safety Program

Guideline 9  Be Responsible

Bibliography

Index

Helpful Resources

Back Cover

INTRODUCTION

If you have opened this manual, you are probably interested in information that could help you to lead a safer life.  This is an important first step because many people believe that knowing how to be careful is just plain common sense and does not require instructions.  It is true that the prevention of accidents does involve good common sense, but without a clear plan on how to put that commonsense knowledge into practice, it may not be enough to prevent tragedy.  Many serious accidents have occurred when those involved had every intention of being careful.  Why is this so?  Most of us are not trying to be a daredevil, yet many of us are acting like one.  We may, one day, end up in a serious accident when we were not choosing to take the risk.  Could it be that we did not believe an accident could happen to us?  For surely if we knew we would never have taken the chance.  Many of us have been playing a game of Russian Roulette with our lives, and the lives of others, because we have been allowing a great number of risks to be present — just waiting for us to make that one fatal mistake.

It is obvious that we cannot eliminate every risk in life.  There may even be times that certain risks are worth taking such as in a game of sports, or when reaching for a dream.  The risks being referred to are those that are not worth taking because of the severe nature of the consequences which we want to avoid at all costs.  These are the risks we can control because it will be our very own behavior, our decision whether to take the risk or not, that will determine if an accident will or will not take place.  This is not to say that we have total control over the risks imposed by others due to their carelessness.  The risks caused by others have created a pervasive fear in society, along with feelings of helplessness, resignation, and the long held belief that accidents cannot be prevented and are here to stay.  This belief has so permeated our way of thinking that many of us have become convinced we have no control, even in situations where we do.  This may prevent us from taking positive action. Some expressions we use in our everyday language point to this fact and may be keeping us from doing everything we can to be as careful as possible.  Here are just a few: What will be will be.  It was unintentional. It was not my fault. The fact that there seems to be no sense or order as to who gets hurt after one exposure to a risk, while others may be exposed to the same risk year after year and never get hurt, adds to the feeling of helplessness and the belief that whatever happens is fate ordained.  However true this may be, it may also prevent us from taking important steps to change our fate for the better.  It is true that we cannot reverse time and undo what has already been done, but should this stop us from preventing a potential tragedy before it has a chance of becoming reality?

It is often after a serious accident occurs that those involved can’t understand how it happened.  The unconscious belief that accidents only happen to others may allow us to become complacent.  Unfortunately, an accident can happen to you just as easily as someone else, if the risk is present.  You may be lucky for a while which may convince you that you are as careful as you need to be.  After all, you’ve never had a car accident in 30 years.  Isn’t that proof that you’re an expert driver?  Not necessarily.  You may have been taking dangerous risks all along but have been very lucky up until now.  There is still a possibility that in spite of your luck up to this point, an accident may occur sooner or later... and your luck will run out.  After a serious accident you may then try to shift the blame away from yourself in order to absolve yourself of any responsibility.  If this is not possible, your efforts might be directed toward giving a reasonable excuse as to why the accident was unavoidable.  Of course, if the accident was truly unavoidable, there would be no reason to offer excuses.  If an accident was minor, you could justify what happened by saying to yourself, After all, accidents will happen or What do you expect, I’m only human. These expressions are an effort to make you feel better about what took place.  This is not to imply that minor mishaps will not occur from time to time or that you should make an issue over every mistake.  Quite the contrary, mistakes teach us how to improve and come closer to success with each try...but when it comes to serious or life-threatening accidents, there is no room for even one mistake.  If someone was seriously injured or killed as a result of your carelessness, it would be extremely difficult to convince yourself that you were not to blame.  To be in an unfortunate situation as this would cause you to be extremely remorseful.  All the apologies in the world would be unable to change the outcome of a tragedy that could have been prevented with enough forethought. 

Another problem that often clouds our thinking is the fact that accidents are elusive since they haven’t happened yet.  Many people would rather not think about something that has not occurred...and may never.  They may be superstitious and feel it would be a jinx to imagine the possibility, or even have it enter their minds.  They may feel it is a waste of precious time that could be used in more constructive ways.  There are those who don’t want to think of themselves as worriers and will do everything they can to stay away from this negative image. Unfortunately, this will not help if a tragedy occurs. 

This is why it is imperative to know if you are taking any unnecessary risks, and if you are, find ways to eliminate them.  If you should desire to take risks with your own safety, this is your business, but is it fair to risk other people’s safety, which they never asked to be a part of?  If you sincerely believe that it isn’t, then what choice do you have but to do everything in your power to prevent yourself from ever having to say, I’m so very sorry.  I don’t know how it happened...because then it will be too late.  You are the only one that can determine which risks are too serious to chance.  No one can make this decision for you, but please understand that it will also be you who will have to live with the burden of responsibility if you were not careful enough.  Some people feel that in order to be that vigilant, they would have to sacrifice their carefree lifestyle and lose their spontaneity.  They would rather take their chances freely than be bound by rigorous restraints.  This is a decision that only they can make.  They will need to assess whether their lifestyle may be posing a serious risk to others.  If they would never want to be responsible for a serious accident, they may desire to improve their safety standards which, in the final analysis, will only add to their freedom.

To give you an understanding of my background, I have been doing research for many years using my own life as a research tool.  I felt that I could not live with the pain of knowing that I hurt someone due to my carelessness, and I imagined other people felt the same way.  I began to realize that even though most conscientious people would never want to be responsible for an accident, they often are.  After many years of experiencing my own close calls, and being very fortunate, I began to backtrack to figure out how to prevent the same situation from ever happening again.  This research culminated into a 9-step safety manual.  The purpose of these guidelines is to give you a framework upon which to remember important safety strategies and develop sound safety habits.  Wherever you may be on the awareness scale, these guidelines will assist you in making your personal safety program as strong and accident resistant as possible.  There may be a lot of information you already know, in which case it will be a good review, or there may be new information which can be added to your present knowledge.  In either case, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by reading this manual.  The greatest satisfaction of all will come from the knowledge that the world is a little safer because you took that extra time and care.  To rephrase what Mark Twain said many years ago and still holds true today:  It is better to be careful a hundred times than to be killed, or to kill, only once.  Let us never forget that a safe environment is no accident.

ACCIDENT STATISTICS

The following statistics give the reader an overview of the extent to which careless accidents have been responsible for death and permanent disability.  The most recent statistics have been attained from the National Safety Council Injury Facts, the National Coalition to Prevent Childhood Injury, also known as the National Safe Kids Campaign, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Statista Research Department.  Various articles featured in Consumer Magazine have also contributed to the statistical research.  Because these statistics were taken from different sources, they may reflect some variation in their estimates.  However, the message remains clear:  there are too many injuries and deaths from accidents which have become a public health hazard.

It has been documented that accidents are the leading cause of death in the United States today, along with heart disease, cancer, and stroke.  Even though major disasters are front page news, the lives lost are relatively few when compared to the day-to-day life losses from ordinary accidents.  While you make a 10-minute safety speech, 2 persons will be killed and about 500 will suffer a disabling injury.  Accidents have become a leading killer and take lives from all ages and walks of life.  According to the NSC, our complacency has resulted in 552 deaths each day, on average, every one of them preventable.  We know what to do to save lives, but collectively we have failed to prioritize safety.  Studies from the National Safety Council indicate that $1,158.4 billion dollars have been spent on accidents and their aftermath.     Work accident injuries cost $163.9 billion, home accidents $396.9 billion, and public accidents $166.2 billion.  Each area involves losses of wages, medical expenses, insurance administration costs, property damage, public agency costs such as police and fire departments, courts, indirect losses to employers of off-the-job accidents to employees, the value of cargo losses in commercial vehicles, and damages awarded in excess of direct losses.  The cost of wage loss in 2020 was $163.9 billion, medical expenses $34.9 billion, insurance administration costs $28.7 billion, fire loss $8.4 billion, and indirect loss from work accidents $44.8 billion. (National Safety Council)  More important than the money paid out as compensation are the actual injuries and premature deaths that continue to occur. 

In 2020, with 140.8 million homes, an estimated 156,300 preventable injury-related deaths occurred in homes and communities (i.e., home and community include the home and public sector combined), or about 78% of all preventable injury-related deaths that year.  The number of deaths was up 18.9% from the 2019 total of 131,400.  An additional 46,800,000 people suffered nonfatal medically consulted injuries.  The death rate per 100,000 population was 474 – about 18.4% higher than the 2019 rate.   Falls accounted for 41,300 accidents, poisoning by solids or liquids 87,000, poisoning by gasses and vapors 600, fires 2,900, drowning 4,200, mechanical suffocation 1,700, and all other home accidents 14,200.  In 2020, the most recent year for which complete data is available for unintentional firearm fatalities, 45,222 people died in the U.S., according to the CDC.

An average of 358,500 homes experience a structural fire each year.  Nearly 4000 Americans died from house fires in 2019 and cost $1 billion in direct property damage.  Kitchen fires account for 48 percent of all causes, or about 173,200 house fires annually.  As a result, it ranks top of the list of the most common causes of house fires. They most frequently occur due to overcooking or spilling food and grease during food preparation.  Cooking equipment and electrical distribution were the next most common causes of fires with 20 percent and 9 percent respectively of the total.   Heating equipment was associated with 150,000 (26 percent) of the 581,5000 residential fires in one year.  Space heaters (44%) are the biggest culprit for home heater fires, followed by fireplaces (32%). In addition, space heaters cause unnecessary deaths in this category: a whopping 86% of all deaths from heating equipment started with space heaters. Although heating equipment is associated with a great number of residential fires, cigarettes accounted for the greatest number of residential fire deaths.  One in 20 home (5%) home structure fires were started by smoking materials. These fires caused almost one in four (23%) home fire deaths, and one in 10 (10%) home fire injuries. Smoking was the leading cause of home fire deaths for the five-year period of 2012-2016. Overall, one of every 31 home smoking material fires resulted in death.   The following is an estimate of the number of fires that occur each year in the home: Cooking accidents (173,200), heaters (52,050), intentionally lit (31,305), cigarettes (18,100), washing machines and clothes dryers (15,970), flammable chemicals (12,000), barbecue grills (8,700), candles (8,200), overloaded power boards (5,300), power tools (2,000), Christmas trees (160) (Source:  NFPA)

Although use of smoke detectors in residences has represented the greatest advance in fire safety (96% of all U.S. homes are now installed), nonoperational smoke detectors are also a growing problem, since about 1/4 of all U.S. homes now have nonoperational detectors.  This means that only about 55 percent of all U.S. residences have at least one working detector.  Dead or missing batteries was the main reason cited by researchers for nonoperational detectors, representing about 61 percent of the non-working ones.  About 36 percent were attributable to incorrect installation, most often from placement in an incorrect location.  There is growing evidence which indicates that those households most at risk of fires are also those which are least likely to have detectors.  U.S. fire statistics for home structure fires from years 2000-2004 reveal that 34% of civilian deaths occurred in homes with operating smoke alarms, 22% of civilian deaths occurred in homes with smoke alarms present, but that failed to operate, and 43% of civilian deaths occurred in homes with no smoke alarms. It is estimated that if every home had working smoke alarms, U.S. residential fire deaths could drop by 36% (~1100 lives saved per year).

The selected consumer products that have contributed to injuries in 2005 are home maintenance products.  When consumers buy commercial cleaning products, we expect them to do one thing:  clean!  We use a wide array of scents soaps, detergents bleaching agents, softeners scourers, polishes, and specialized cleaners for bathrooms, glass, drains, and ovens to keep our homes sparkling and sweet-smelling.  But while the chemicals in cleaners, foam, bleach, and disinfectant to make our dishes, bathtubs, and countertops gleaming and germ-free, many also contribute to indoor air pollution and are poisonous if ingested, and can be toxic if inhaled or touched.  In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls.  Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home. Exposures to cleaners and disinfectants reported to NPDS increased substantially in early March 2020. Associated with increased use of cleaners and disinfectants is the possibility of improper use, such as using more than directed on the label, mixing multiple chemical products together, not wearing protective gear, and applying in poorly ventilated. To reduce improper use and prevent unnecessary chemical exposures, users should always read and follow directions on the label, only use water at room temperature for dilution (unless stated otherwise on the label), avoid mixing chemical products, wear eye and skin protection, ensure adequate ventilation, and store chemicals out of the reach of children.  Next were home workshop equipment including power home workshop saws injured 60,845, yard and garden equipment including lawn mowers of all types injured 56,019, household packaging materials including cans and other containers 171,602 injuries, home furnishings 289,878 injuries, home structures and construction 1,464,224 injuries, housewares 353,542 injuries, general household appliances, 38,367 injuries, home communication equipment 30,731 injuries, sports and recreation equipment 561,765 injuries.  These are the statistics for the largest number of injuries in these categories, although there were other serious injuries in these categories of equal concern.

The most recent workplace injury and death statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) show that there were 5,333 fatal occupational injuries in the United States in 2019, the largest number since 2007.  Every 99 minutes, a worker in the United States died as a result of a work-related injury.  The largest share of workplace fatalities was attributed to transportation incidents (roughly 40%), falls, slips, trips (17%), violence (16%), contact with objects and equipment (14%), exposure to harmful substances (12%), fires and explosions (2%).  Of the major industry sectors, manufacturing had the highest overall rate for total cases in 2007, 50.5 per 10,000 full-time workers.  Utilities had the second highest incidence rate, 38.9, followed by agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had the highest illness rates for skin diseases and disorders while workers in education and health services had the highest rate for respiratory conditions.  Workers in utilities had the highest rate for poisoning, while manufacturing had the highest rates in the hearing loss and all other illnesses categories (127,900 cases).  Manufacturing accounted for about 34% of new illness cases in 2007.  Skin diseases or disorders were the most common illness with 35,300 new cases, followed by hearing loss with 23,000, respiratory conditions with 16,700, and poisonings with 3,400.  Over 190,000 occupational illnesses were recognized or diagnosed in 2007 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Disorders associated with repeated trauma were the most common illnesses with 72,900 cases, followed by skin diseases and disorders (54,200), and respiratory conditions due to toxic agents (14,300).  The overall incidence rate of occupational illness for all workers was 26.1 per 10,000 full-time workers.  Of the major industry divisions, manufacturing had the highest rate in 2006, 67.6 per 10,000 full-time workers.  Workers in manufacturing also had the highest rates for disorders associated with repeated trauma and disorders due to physical agents.  Agriculture had the second highest incidence rate of 61.7 per 10,000, although agricultural workers had the highest incidence of all industry divisions for skin diseases and respiratory conditions due to toxic agents and poisoning.

Noise-induced hearing loss has been recognized by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as one of the ten leading work-related diseases and injuries.  Recent estimates show that between 7 and 10 million persons work at sites where the noise level presents an increased risk of hearing loss.  Of those workers exposed, about 1.6 million may have measurable hearing loss and 0.5 million may have moderate to severe hearing loss.  For those with heavy exposure (over 24 percent exposed to 85 dBA or higher), hearing loss ranged from about 3 percent for 170 persons aged 44 to more than 12 percent for those 55 and over.  In 2007 an estimated 10,436 persons exposed to 85 dBA or higher, 3.2% reported hearing loss.  (The Bureau of Labor Statistics and other organizations track workplace fatalities across the country to offer insight into potential hazards and what can be done to improve working conditions for employees in every industry). 

Amputation of limbs is a serious problem in industry, especially involving fingers.  According to a recent study, if you lined up all the fingers that have been accidentally amputated in industry alone, they would reach across America.  Workplace amputation accidents may happen quickly, but the consequences last a lifetime. Initially, victims deal with the shock of an injury that seems unreal yet is profound enough to change their lives forever. Physical and financial limitations control everything they do. They heal, but endure debilitating pain, costly medical treatment, an indefinite loss of income, and a questionable future, while workers in education and health services had the highest rate for respiratory conditions.

In 2007, with a population tripled, and travel and recreational activity greatly increased, 30,500 persons died of public unintentional injuries and 10,200,000 suffered disabling injuries.  Public statistics exclude deaths and injuries involving motor vehicles and persons at work or at home.  The number of public unintentional-injury deaths was up 25% from the revised 2006 figure of 24,300.  The death rate per 100,000 population increased from 8.1 to 10.1, or 25%.  Total deaths in public accidents involving transport and non-transport accidents involved 30,000 people.  In 2005 falls accounted for 9,000, drownings 3,400, fires/burns 200, firearms (including hunting accidents) 200,  suffocation by ingesting and poisoning by solid or liquid 200, air transport 500, not including crews and person traveling in the course of employment, water transport 600, railroad 600, other transport deaths such as pedal-cycles, animal-drawn vehicles, street cars, etc. 200, and all other public deaths such as medical complications, mechanical suffocation, excessive heat or cold, and machinery accounted for 8,700 deaths.  Fatal injuries accounted for 2,300,000 deaths, a 7.3 death rate per 100,000 population, and the cost amounting to $10.9 billion.

Accidental injuries continue to be the leading killer of children in the United States and are a major source of childhood emergency department and hospital admissions.  While accidents are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., the victims tend to be much younger than the other three leading causes of death accounting for about 2.3 million years lost in each 12-month period.  More children die from injuries each year than from all childhood diseases combined.  According to C. Everett Koop, M.D., former U.S. Surgeon General:  If a disease were killing our children in the proportions that accidents are, people would be outraged and demand that this killer be stopped.

Each year more than 4.5 million children are treated in emergency rooms for injuries incurred in the home and nearly 120,000 children are permanently disabled annually, reports the National Safe Kids Campaign.  One child in four will suffer an injury serious enough to require medical attention. The leading causes of death of 1- to 4-year-olds are (in descending order) motor vehicles, fire/burns, drownings, choking/poisoning and falls.  Despite recent advances, unintentional injury of children takes more lives than disease, violence and suicide.  In 2001 alone, nearly 6,300 children died from unintentional injuries and each year more than 14 million children — a staggering one out of four — are injured seriously enough to require emergency care.

For infants under 1 year of age, accidents are the fifth leading cause of death following certain physical conditions such as congenital anomalies, sudden infant death syndrome and heart disease.  The number of accidental deaths for this age is greater than that for any other age from 2 through 14.  By single year ages, accidental deaths increase markedly during the teen years, from under 2,000 for those age 13 to over 4,100 for those age 19.  Motor-vehicle accidents account for most of this rise, although drownings, falls, and poisonings also contribute.  A study was done in a nationwide survey of 708 parents.  It was discovered that most underestimate the danger their children face from accidents.  In 2021 pedestrian fatalities have increased by 13% since 2020 (NHTSA), 3,400 children died in motor vehicle accidents, 1,170 died from fires or burns, and 1,200 drowned.  

Motor vehicle crashes are responsible for the majority of accidental deaths in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that car accidents cost the U.S. $871 per year in economic and societal harms.  Over 42,000 crash fatalities occur every year, which is almost 1 death every 12 minutes. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury death for children ages 1-14, and the second leading cause of injury death for children ages 0-1.  Head and face injuries are the most common injury to children involved in a crash.  In 2004, 1,638 child occupants ages 14 and under died in motor vehicle crashes and an estimated 214,000 children ages 14 and under were injured as occupants in motor vehicle-related crashes.  In 2004, 50 percent of child occupants who were fatally injured in crashes were unrestrained.  Since 1990, there