Watching the Weights
It was just this week that Stafon Johnson, former running back for the University of Southern California and NFL free agent, sued his former alma mater for injuries stemming from a weight room accident in 2009.
And while the suit and decision remain to be seen, it brings up a great opportunity to highlight the potential dangers of the everyday weight room.
Whether the casual gym rat or a school-sponsored or professional athlete, the weight room can do wonders for your physique, but can also cause undue harm if used carelessly or haphazardly.
So if you’re beginning a weight-training regime, we recommend playing it safe. For instance, find a trainer or instructor if you’re new to the gym. A trainer will teach you proper form and give you definite guidelines regarding weight limits to maximize your results and prevent injury.
Additionally, you should make sure you’re ready to begin lifting weights. If you’re younger than 15 or have any physical conditions or injuries, talk to a doctor regarding your workout regime. Weightlifting before you’re ready can be both counterproductive and dangerous.
If you are ready, prepare for your workout by warming up. Warming up your muscles prepares them for strenuous activity and keeps them pliable – thus preventing injury. It’s also important to cool down after a workout.
And if you’ve ensured that you are properly prepared, you’ll want to do the same with your equipment. Check your benches, bars, weights and machines for damage or instability. The equipment is there to build you up, not cause injury.
Driving… Distracted?
Americans may be the ultimate multi-taskers, but that may not be such a positive label when you’re in the car. In fact, distracted driving – driving while focused on something other than the road – is to blame for nearly 20 percent of collisions.
States throughout the nation have already banned the use of cell phones – whether texting or talking on a handheld phone – while on the road. And it looks like Nevada may not be too far behind. In fact, the 2011 legislative session will see four bills targeted to eliminate distracted driving. All four would ban texting and driving, while two specifically ban talking on mobile handsets.
Whether on the bill or not, distracted driving isn’t limited to cell phone activity. In fact, many accidents are caused by drivers fumbling with the radio or navigation system, reading a map, eating, applying makeup or grooming.
There are three main types of distracted driving: Visual distraction happens when the driver is focusing his or her eyes on something other than the road. Manual distraction means that the driver is using his or her hands for something other than steering. Cognitive distraction is a driver whose mind is focused on something other than the task at hand – driving.
While it may be too soon to tell whether Nevada will join the many cell-phone free roads in America, it’s as good a time as any to eliminate our own distracted driving – and help decrease that 20 percent.
See more: http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2011/Jan/250567.html
Eye – DO’s
January is a time for new beginnings; especially if those include your eyes. After all, January is also national eye health awareness month. And if you frequently neglect your baby blues, just remember – we only get two.
In fact, several everyday and recreational activities can cause injury to the eyes. Many workplaces expose employees to chemicals, airborne particles and toxic substances. Read up on OSHA guidelines to ensure that your workplace is safe, and use eye and face protection whenever working with hazardous substances.
And if you’re driving to work, your eyes are again at risk. Those air bags that save so many lives can also damage your eyes. Avoid corneal abrasions by sitting at least 10 inches from the steering wheel and adjusting your headrest for proper support.
Think your household is safe from potentially eye-closing dangers? Not so. Laser pointers, common around the home, classroom or office, can cause temporary vision loss and/or permanent retinal damage. Keep laser pointers out of children’s reach and never look directly into the light.
If you’re popping the bubbly, be careful. Those champagne corks can “pop” with a force strong enough to rupture an eye or detach a retina. And if your celebration includes fireworks as well, take double caution; 25 percent of firework-related injuries involved the eyes. Never let children play with fireworks, and make sure you’re viewing them from at least 500 feet away.
Here’s to your blues – and keeping them safe this January, and throughout the year.
See more: http://www.allaboutvision.com/safety/eye-injury-prevent.htm
Air Bags: More than Hot Air
Sure, you did your research; you purchased the car with the best safety ratings, complete with dual and side airbags. And while those bags may a lifesaver in a collision, they still require their own set of safety rules. Since their inception in the late 1980’s, air bags have helped reduce the fatality rate of serious crashes significantly. It may seem a bit ironic, but those very air bags can pose a potential risk to drivers and passengers who don’t know proper air bag safety.
As emergency-room personnel can attest, air bags are responsible for a number of injuries and even fatalities each year. However, those can be greatly reduced by respecting the proper use of the bags. Here are a few:
- Air bags should be used in conjunction with, not as a replacement for, seatbelts. Each passenger should utilize both the lap and shoulder strap of the belt.
- Children under 12 should never sit in a seat equipped with an airbag. Children should be restrained in the back seat.
- Sit at least 10 inches from the steering wheel when driving.
- Use the 10 and 2 o’clock hand positioning when driving.
- Children under 1 or less than 20 pounds should be restrained in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat.
- Follow basic driving safety, as air bags are a last-resort safety feature, and will not prevent all injuries.
When it comes to your safety, it’s more than hot air.
Bringing Up Bow-Wow
You may have brought that furry bundle of joy home to entertain the kids, provide companionship or serve as a neighborhood watch, but that four-legged friend could become your own liability when you haven’t taken the proper safety precautions necessary when owning a dog.
In fact, dogs bite more than 4.7 million Americans each year – half of them children. And there’s no easier way to say goodbye to your canine companion than allowing them rein over your home and street. So if this year will bring your family a new pooch, take heed to the following tips – your neighborhood and the courts may thank you.
Pick the right dog for your family – Some that are generally safe with children are collies and Labradors, but check with a veterinarian or trainer to gauge the specific behaviors of various breeds.
Socialize – Make sure your puppy learns to interact with people – especially children – when very young.
Train – Obedience school can do wonders for a stubborn dog.
Neuter – Since hormones affect a dog’s aggression, neutering them can curb their desire to bite.
Watch – Never leave a dog alone with a child.
Teach the kids – Teach kids when to leave a dog alone – like when he/she is sleeping or caring for puppies.
Let’s keep man’s best friend your best friend this year.
Herbal Recall
Watch those herbs: it looks like the recall on cilantro, parsley and sprouts throughout the United States and Canada is expanding.
In actuality, there are currently two unrelated cases of Salmonella outbreaks that have now affected more than 100 people, and resulted in more than 7,000 cases of cilantro and parsley to be recalled, along with thousands of cases of alfalfa sprouts.
Tiny Greens Organic Farm distributed alfalfa sprouts to a variety of grocery stores and farmer’s markets as well as Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich restaurants.. The outbreak has resulted in 94 cases of salmonella illness throughout 16 states and the District of Columbia.
The products involved include Parsley, cilantro and sprouts packaged in the month of December. Many of the products have an up-to two-week expiration date.
While more than 40,000 cases of Salmonella are reported each year, the pathogen can be serious, and sometimes fatal. This is especially true when ingested by children, the elderly or weak/frail. See your doctor if you experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea or fever after eating. And make sure those herbs are safe before purchasing.