Tragedies a grim reminder to keep safety a priority
The tragic events reported in last week’s Southern Standard are a painful reminder to the importance of making safety a constant priority.
Just as people throughout the community hate to read about a small boy drowning or an elderly woman dying from injuries she sustained in a fire, the newspaper doesn’t enjoy reporting such stories. Our employees are also saddened when such misfortune strikes and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of these victims.
It brings to the fore the need to always keep safety in mind. Even if it’s just at the periphery of our thinking, we can’t forget about such vital safety precautions a smoke detectors and keeping a close eye on children especially when they are around water.
It is an unfortunate fact that each year more than 4,000 Americans die as a result of fire. What’s even more unfortunate to report is 60 percent of those deaths will occur in homes that don’t have a smoke detector.
The need to have a working smoke detector in your home cannot be understated. It can save your life or the life of your loved ones.
And smoke detectors are hardly expensive. Even the most expensive models only cost around $20, which is an insignificant price as far as life is concerned.
When talking about drowning, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports over 100 children die each year in home drowning deaths that don’t involve swimming pools.
The bathtub, five-gallon buckets filled with water, and even the toilet are often overlooked as drowning hazards in the home although they shouldn’t be.
The safety commission warns parents to never leave a child unattended in a bathtub and to always empty household containers after use. The commission says keeping a close watch on your toddler is the best idea anytime there is standing water nearby because children are naturally attracted to water.
The safety commission also warns people to pay careful attention to landscaping ponds which are becoming popular. While people are usually careful to have a fence around their pools, they don’t usually think place a fence around their small ponds which present a definite drowning hazard.
Keeping safety in mind is in the best interest of everyone in this community. Just as the community doesn’t enjoy reading about tragedies, the Standard doesn’t enjoy reporting them. And the worst tragedies of all are the ones which could have been easily avoided if safety precautions had been followed.