Top Causes of Accidents Involving Young Drivers
If you have a young driver in the home between the ages of 15 and 20, you need to have a serious talk about automobile safety. In 2016, 2,433 teens lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents. Sadly, the number of crashes resulting in injuries is more than 100 times higher. When it comes to the leading causes of teen deaths, motor vehicle accidents are at the top of the list. The number one reason car accidents become deadly is the failure to wear a seat belt. It’s important for parents to reinforce the need to wear seat belts. Also, talking with your teen about safety on the road and not being distracted while driving is vital. Operating a motor vehicle without concern for safety is dangerous and can impact more lives than just the driver. Keep reading for the top causes of accidents among young drivers. Texting While Driving We live in a world where people can’t seem to put down their phones. Even when driving, people continue to text and check social media. This can lead to distracted driving and fatal car crashes. Young drivers especially fail to see how dangerous this practice is. It places them and others in harm’s way. Bans on texting while driving are proving to be beneficial for road safety. States that have implemented laws that prohibit texting while driving are already seeing a decline in related accidents. Young Drivers are Easily Distracted If texting isn’t bad enough, there are other things that distract drivers and cause teen car crashes. Loud music, too many people in the car, and not paying attention...
Avoiding Injury During Hurricane Season
Hurricanes are deadly forces of nature that can cause massive damage when they strike. As you prepare for the next hurricane season, it’s important to know what you need to do to avoid injury when a hurricane or tropical storm strikes. Read on for important hurricane safety tips to help protect your property and your family. Remove Potential Flying Projectiles Even a Category 1 hurricane has winds that range between 74 and 95 mph, which can cause any loose objects around your home to become dangerous flying projectiles. Before the hurricane hits, walk around your property to find and put away anything that can become a flying object. This includes patio furniture, trash cans, and gardening tools. It’s also a good idea to trim back any dead or weak tree branches to prevent them from breaking off and becoming projectiles during the storm. Stock Up on Emergency Supplies If you’ll be riding out the storm in your home, you must make sure your emergency supply kit is fully stocked. You’ll want enough nonperishable food and bottled water for everyone in your house, a battery-powered radio, flashlights, extra batteries, and a first-aid kit. It’s a good idea to put together your emergency supply kit at the start of hurricane season. If a storm is heading your way, stores might start running low on supplies as people try to stock up at the last minute. Know Your Evacuation Route It’s important to make sure you know your evacuation route. As the storm approaches, pay attention to local weather reports, make a plan for where you’ll go if you have to evacuate,...
Facts about Anesthesia Mistakes & Personal Injury
When you’re undergoing surgery, an anesthesiologist will provide sedation or general anesthesia to ensure that you don’t feel the pain of the procedure. However, anesthesiologists are human beings, so they can make mistakes just like anyone else. Hospitals and clinics around the country implement protocols to protect patients, but mistakes can still happen. Frightening Statistics Close to 40 million procedures involving anesthesia are performed every year in the United States. According to a study performed at Johns Hopkins, more than a quarter of a million people die each year due to medical errors, making this the third-leading cause of death in the nation. While not all of these deaths are directly related to errors made by anesthesiologists, some of them are, so it’s certainly cause for concern. Dosing Errors One of the most common mistakes made in the process of administering anesthesia is an error in the dosing. Medications must be dosed carefully based on the age, height, and weight of the patient, along with other critical factors. Errors in dosing are often made by anesthesiologists who don’t have a lot of experience, as well as those who are using different types of equipment or devices than they are used to using. Carelessness, haste, and inattention account for over 5 percent of the dosing errors made, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Mistakes in Documentation When it comes to medicine, documentation is critical to ensure proper quality of care and transfer between the various staff members who might attend to a patient. Before, during, and after a surgery, a patient may interact with a number of medical professionals, so...
Tips to Avoid Construction Site Accidents
Construction site accidents are all too common, but they can have serious consequences. Not only can accidents impact the physical and emotional health of the workers, but these mishaps can also delay projects and make it difficult to get crews onsite to handle the critical tasks. By following a few tips, you can reduce the chances of having major incidents and keep your construction site safe. Concerning Statistics It’s no secret that construction sites are some of the most dangerous places to work. In fact, out of nearly 4,700 worker fatalities in 2016, 21.1 percent were in the construction industry, according to statistics from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The highest risks include falls, being struck by objects, electrocutions, and being caught in or between walls or other objects. OSHA Training One of the best ways to protect your construction site is to require every worker who will be on the site at any point to attend an OSHA training session. OSHA provides detailed training manuals and resources designed to help construction companies create their own training for their workers. It’s important to follow their guidelines and topics to ensure that every worker on the site receives training that applies to their job. Some of these topics include fall prevention, hazard communication standards, general requirements in scaffolding, respiratory protection, and ladders. Maintain Proper Signage On a construction site, it’s impossible to communicate updates to every worker when people are coming and going at all hours of the day. You could have the concrete team starting their pours early in the morning, while some crews could come in later...Have a question? Give us a call.
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