Unintentional Injuries are the top cause of death for ages 1 – 44. The injuries highlighted below represent the most common causes of unintentional injury death across all ages in the United States.
Prevention 1st has compiled this list of resources for use by families and child care professionals. We completed a comprehensive review of resources available and have provided those we feel will be helpful in preparing your family, your students, and yourself for safe and healthy living. Though some resources originate from state or regional organizations, the materials were chosen for their excellence and applicability on a national level.
Please contact us with any questions at: info AT prevention1st DOT org or 585-244-8400 x224.
Calling 911: What you need to tell the 911 operator
Choking and Suffocation Prevention Resources
- Kids Health Household Safety: Preventing Suffocation
- ChildSafe – Choking and Suffocation prevention
- Heimlich Maneuver
Drowning Prevention Resources
- Pool Safely, a national public education campaign of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Water Safety Checklist
Fall Prevention Resources
- Protect Your Family From Falls
- Proteja a su Familia de las Caídas
- CDC Preventing Falls Among Older Adults
- Health In Aging- Falls Prevention
Fire & Burn Safety Resources
For Kids:
- Mikey Makes a Mess – a children’s book by Fireproof Children
- Help Mikey Make It Out – an award-winning online teaching game
- Children’s Books About Fire and Fire Safety (see category later in this page)
For Teachers, Parents and Others:
- Home Fire Safety Checklist
- Kids in the Kitchen
- Cooking Matters: Modeling Kitchen Fire Safety
- Protect Your Family From Fire
- Protege a su Familia de un Incendio
- Protect Your Family From Scalds and Burns
- Protege a su Familia de Escaldaduras (Calentamiento) y Quemaduras
- Why Are Children Fascinated With Fire?
- 3 Things You Must Know Before the Alarm Goes Off
- Home Fire Drill a website about why and how to plan and practice a home fire drill
- Home Fire Drill: Does Your Family Know What to Do? this video gives a real-life demonstration of why families need to practice a home fire drill.
- Workplace Fire Drills
- Lista de Cotejo Seguridad contra Fuego en el Hogar
- Children’s Books On Fire Safety
- After the Fire: The Teachable Moment a free, downloadable classroom-ready program for teachers when a child has experienced a fire
- Easy Read Fire Safety Flyer: Plan and Practice a Home Fire Drill/Have Smoke Alarms That Work. Prevention 1st created this 4-color, 2-sided flyer specifically for people with developmental disabilities, using models from the Arc of Monroe County and Holy Childhood, with funding from the Golisano Foundation and NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.
- Safer Cooking: Frying
- Safer Home Heating: Wood Stoves and Pellet Stoves
- NFPA – National Fire Protection Association
- U.S. Fire Administration
- American Burn Association
- Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors – includes “The Journey Back” to assist with school re-entry for young burn survivors.
- NASFM National Association of State Fire Marshals
General Injury Prevention Resources
- 17 Quick, Easy, Inexpensive Ways to Stay Safe at Home
- 2-1-1 National Non-Emergency Resource Hotline
- 292-Baby features online educational videos including toy safety, lead poisoning, and fire safety.
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Protect the Ones You Love: Child Injuries Are Preventable
- Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Kids Health
- SAFE KIDS Worldwide
Gun Safety Resources
- KidsHealth Gun Safety Guidance for parents on Guns and Pretend Play, Talking to Kids About Gun Safety, If You Have a Gun in Your Home, Gun Safety Outside Your Home, and A Word About BB and Powder Guns.
Motor Vehicle Safety Resources
- Bike Safety Tips – includes bike helmet fit test in English and Spanish
- Kids And Cars – Resources, statistics, and current events on car safety
- Child Hot Car Dangers Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Guide to Car Seat Safety for Families- American Assoc. of Pediatrics
- Traffic Safety Kids Page – includes games and activities for children, as well as links and resources for older children and adults
- National Safety Council’s Tips for a Safe School Bus Ride
- Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA): Motor Vehicle Safety (occupational transportation incident data)
Natural Disaster Injury Prevention Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Natural Disasters & Severe Weather – multiple resources
- Ready Kids – games, activities, and resources about disaster preparation and injury prevention for children, teachers, and parents; developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Poison Control Resources
The number of unintentional drug overdose deaths in the U.S. more than doubled from 1999 to 2005. The rise was due to increasing deaths from prescription drugs, especially prescription painkillers, rather than illegal drugs. In 2002, drug overdose became the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in the nation, just behind motor-vehicle injuries. Read more from the CDC report.
The growing use of prescription medicines by both adults and children has a particularly serious side affect on children–a 22% surge in accidental drug poisonings of children. And 43 percent of children admitted to the hospital after accidentally ingesting a prescription drug ended up in intensive care.
- Protect Your Family From Poison 1 page fact sheet and checklist
- Also available in Spanish: Protege a su Familia de Envenenamientos
- POISON HELP 1-800-222-1222 – national poison hotline, as well as official website of the American Association of Poison Control Centers; multiple resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Topic: Poisoning U.S.
- Detergent Pods: A Poison Risk For Young Children
- The ABC’s of Poison Prevention: A Teacher’s Guide from the Upstate NY Poison Center
- Poisonous Plants
- The Partnership For a Drugfree America
- CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
- Mesothelioma – resources and information on asbestos exposure
- Sesame Street Lead Poisoning Video
Additional Resources:
- Call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-LEAD-FYI (1-800-532-3394). Materials are available in Spanish and English.