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In This Issue

• January is National Bath Safety Month
• A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: BE READY TO HANDLE PLUMBING EMERGENCIES

January is National Bath Safety Month

By Lindsey Jenkins

January is recognized as National Bath Safety Month. The Waterworks reminds everyone, 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.

According to a study by Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio: There are about 120 kids a day injured by slips and falls in bathtubs and showers, and that number is constant over the 18 years the researchers looked at…" The study was compiled by Dr Gary A. Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

From an article from U.S. News and World Report: "For the study, Smith’s team used data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from 1990 to 2007. The researchers looked at some 791,200 bathtub- and shower-related injuries in children aged 18 and younger treated in emergency departments." You can read the article here: http://bit.ly/A0D7GM

The elderly are also an at risk group for injuries in the bathroom. A study by University of Michigan researchers showed that the elderly had the most difficulty getting in and situated in the shower or bathtub. A majority of the injuries came from subjects losing their grip in transit to a seating device. The article states, "…one-third of the 89 participants "plopped" onto the bathtub seat, or hit the side of the bathtub or the shower threshold with their legs." You can read the rest of the article here: http://bit.ly/cwsRo0.

Here is a link to a report done by CBS News chronicling the potential dangers in the bathroom: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5155057n

Here are some bathroom safety tips for the elderly and those with small children:

 

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 settings 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)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsey_Jenkins

A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: BE READY TO HANDLE PLUMBING EMERGENCIES

Resolve to read this article and get prepared!

If a major plumbing disaster happens at home, water pouring in everywhere can do a great deal of damage before a plumber can get there. If you and your family know what to do in such an emergency, you can prevent much damage from occurring.

In any case, if you don’t already know them, make a list of emergency telephone numbers for the plumber or handyman services, the water board, as well as gas services if you require them.

The first and most important thing to do any emergency is to CUT OFF THE WATER SUPPLY. Once this is done, you can take time to locate the problem and do something about it. Now, before you really have to, make a tour of the house and locate the water cut-off valves. Make sure everyone in the family is familiar with them.

The main valve is the most important. It is usually located close to where the water supply enters your property. The meter may be attached to it or nearby. Other plumbing fixtures should ideally have their own cut-off valves but not all are that well equipped. Once you locate the cut-off points mark them clearly and make sure everyone knows which way to turn them to cut off the water supply quickly.

All valves, especially the main one, should be checked regularly to ensure they work effectively and do not leak. Valves which get little use tend to corrode and it is better to replace them in your own time than find out in an emergency that the valve does not turn. Penetrating oil can be applied to stubborn valves to get them turning again.

In the event of flooding, if there is any chance of water coming into contact with electrical components (a fatal combination), switch off the main power source to the house before attempting to deal with the water. In any case, always cut off the heating source to a water heater if the tank is to be drained. Refill the tank before turning the heater back on.

If pipes burst above a ceiling, the resulting body of water can cause the ceiling to collapse. Use a perforating tool to puncture the ceiling in several places and put saucepans and buckets underneath to catch the drips.

In rural and cold regions, pipes located close to outside walls and under ceilings can sometimes freeze if they are not lagged (wrapped in insulation). If a pipe freezes, use hot water, hot cloths or a heat source such as a hair dryer to heat the pipes. Always start from the point nearest the tap and work backwards. Be very careful using a blowtorch, especially on copper pipe, as this heats the water in the pipe and generates steam which could cause an explosion.

 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Billy_Soler

 

Looking for a local plumber to fix your plumbing problems? Then contact the plumbing experts at The Waterworks!