General Safety Tips

Family Room

1. __Have a working smoke and CO detector, be sure the CO alarm is at least 15 feet away from any fuel-burning appliance.
2. __ Place space heaters at least 3 feet away from flammable materials.
3. __ Secure tall and heavy furniture to the walls with furniture straps/brackets.

Kitchen

1. __ Place space heaters at least 3 feet away from flammable materials.
2. __ Keep hot foods and liquids away from edges of counters or tables.
3. __ Cook with pots and pans on back burners and turn the handles to the back of the stove.
4. __ Never carry children and hot foods or liquids at the same time.
5. __ Store vitamins, medicines, and household products locked up or out of children's reach.
6. __ Avoid giving small, round, and hard foods to young children.
7. __ Store sharp objects safely out of reach.
8. __ Empty all buckets after use and store them upside down.
9. __ Make sure the highchair is sturdy and has a safety belt.

Bedrooms

1. __ Have a working smoke alarm and CO detector. Make sure the CO alarm is at least 15 feet away from any fuel-burning appliance.
2. __ Place space heaters at least 3 feet away from flammable materials.
3. __ Store vitamins, medicines, and household products locked or out of children's reach. Don't overlook poisonous items you may have in your nightstand.
4. __ Secure tall and heavy furniture to the walls using furniture straps/brackets.

Nursery/Child Bedroom

1. __ Have a working smoke alarm and CO detector. Make sure the CO alarm is at least 15 feet away from any fuel-burning appliance.
2. __ Eliminate openings more than 3 1/2 inches in headboards or furniture.
3. __ Use a small parts tester to determine if a small toy or toy part is a hazard for children ages 3 and under.
4. __ Lay your baby on his or her back to sleep and to keep him/her warm, use a sleep sack (wearable blankets).
5. __ Remove all stuffed animals, bumper pads, hanging mobiles, toys, pillows, extra sheets and blankets from the crib.
6. __ The sides of mesh playpens and portable cribs are always kept up in the locked position.
7. __ Keep all baby supplies, diapers, and toiletries within your reach, yet out of baby's reach.
8. __ Place all furniture, especially the crib, playpen, changing table, and chairs away from windows, draperies, heating sources, and electrical cords.
9. __ Remove any strings on baby's products, including pacifiers, bibs, and toys.
10. __ Give your child age-appropriate and well maintained toys.
11. __ Use toy chest with removable lids or spring-loaded supports.

Bathrooms

1. __ Consider putting anti-scald devices on faucets.
2. __ Seat your child facing away from the faucet so he/she won't try to turn it on.
3. __ Test the bathwater with your wrist or elbow before bathing your child.
4. __ Never leave your child unattended in the bathroom and always keep one hand on him/her during bath time.
5. __ Store vitamins, medicines, and personal care products locked up or out of children's reach.
6. __ Use toilet lock and close all doors to bathrooms.
7. __ Empty all buckets after use and store them upside down.
8. __ Use a non-skid rug on the floor and non-skid mat in the bathtub/shower floor.
9. __ Buy products with child-resistant caps.

Garage

1. __ Store all dangerous, poisonous, and flammable products such as gasoline, antifreeze, pesticides, and fertilizers locked up and out of children's reach.
2. __ Keep containers of flammable liquids such as paint and cleaning solvents stored tightly in their original containers away from ignition sources such as furnaces and water heaters.
3. __ Install an automatic garage door opener with an approved fail-safe mechanism.
4. __ Don't warm up your car inside the garage; do it outside instead.
5. __ Install a carbon monoxide detector in your garage.

Backyard

1. __ Make sure your pool has a four-sided fence and a self-closing, self-latching gate.
2. __ Cover and lock hot tubs when not in use.
3. __ Install protection to prevent entrapment if you own a pool or hot tub. For new pools or hot tubs, install multiple drains or use a no-drain circulation system. If you have drains, use protective measures like anti-entrapment drain covers and a safety vacuum release system.
4. __ Inflatable pools should be surrounded by a fence, just like any other pool, and emptied when not in use.
5. __ Have 12 inches of shock-absorbing materials such as sand, pea size gravel, wood chips, mulch, or shredded rubber extending at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment.

Fact: 
Hundreds of people die each year in the United States due to heat waves, hurricanes, lightning, flash floods, powerful thunderstorm winds, and winter storms or winter cold. Additionally, thousands of people are injured by these weather events each year. Will it happen to you?

Fact:
 If you are aware of what weather event is about to impact your area, you are more likely to survive such an event. To stay on top of the weather, utilize NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receiver units that can be purchased at most electronic stores. Make sure the model you purchase has a battery-backup. The programmable types allow you to selectively screen out those county warnings you are not interested in. Most homes have a smoke detector; shouldn'’t your home also have a weather radio?


You should also obtain the latest weather information from commercial TV/radio, cable TV, the internet/web, and newspapers. It’s your responsibility!


What You can do Before Severe Weather Strikes

1. Develop a disaster plan for you and your family at home, work, school, and when outdoors. The American Red Cross offers planning tips and information on a putting together a disaster supplies kit at: http://www.redcross.org
2. Identify a safe place to take shelter. Information on how to build a Safe Room in your home or school is available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency at: http://www.fema.gov/hazard/tornado/to_saferoom.shtm
3. Know the county/city in which you live or visit – and in what part of that county you are located. The National Weather Service issues severe weather warnings on a county/city basis, or for a portion of a county/city.
4. Keep a highway map nearby to follow storm movement from weather bulletins.
5. Have a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receiver unit with a warning alarm tone and battery back-up to receive warning bulletins.
6. National Weather Service (NWS) watches and warnings are also available on the Internet. Select your local NWS office at: http://www.weather.gov/organization.php …or go to the NWS Home Page at http://www.nws.noaa.gov
7. Listen to commercial radio or television/cable TV for weather information.
8. Check the weather forecast before leaving for extended periods outdoors. Watch for signs of approaching storms.
9. If severe weather threatens, check on people who are elderly, very young, or physically or mentally disabled. Don’t forget about pets and farm animals.

1. Seek shelter in a sturdy building, or a pre-designated shelter. Go to the lowest level of the building, preferably in a basement, and get under a heavy desk or workbench or sit next to the wall and cover your head with your arms/hands. Best bet – have a safe room in the basement.
2. If an underground shelter is not available, move to an interior room/hallway – put as many wall between you and the outside of the building, and stay away from windows. Other possibilities: get into a bathtub or under a bed or sofa.
3. Get out of vehicles – they can easily be tossed around – do not try to outrun a tornado.
4. If caught outside – lie flat on the ground and cover your head with your hands. Remember, in tornado situations debris likes to settle in roadside ditches or other low spots. If heavy rains are falling in the area, ditches and low spots may quickly flood. Therefore, lying down in a ditch may not be your best choice.
5. Be aware of flying debris – most deaths and injuries are caused by flying debris.
6. Manufactured homes (mobile trailers) offer little protection, even if tied down. Leave these for a sturdy shelter before the storm approaches.
7. Do not seek shelter under a highway overpass. Wind blows stronger under the overpass due to the wind-tunnel effect. Additionally, flying debris (glass, wood, metal) can pummel you, and the tornado winds may suck you out from under the overpass anyway.
8. Don’t waste time opening windows and doors to equalize air pressure differences – this is a waste of time and buildings have enough air leakage to equalize air pressure differences anyway. Buildings are more likely to explode after the wind gets inside.
9. The southwest side of the basement isn’t necessarily the safest place to be – vehicles can be pushed into basements – you can still be crushed no matter where you are in the basement. Even the bricks/stones of a fireplace can crash into the basement and crush you!
10. Remember – the tornado can occur before there is a visible funnel cloud. A tornado is nothing more than a violently rotating column of air extending from the ground to the cloud base. You may not be able to see the tornado (can’t see the rotating air) until enough debris and dirt get swept into the vortex, and/or the visible funnel cloud develops all the way to the ground.
11. No place is totally safe from tornadoes (except for a safe room) – if weather conditions come together properly, the tornado will go over or through mountains, lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, bogs, and through downtown areas that have 1000 foot skyscrapers!

1. Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent. Lightning can travel 5-10 miles away from the thunderstorm and strike the ground with blue sky overhead. The storm doesn’t have to be overhead in order for you to be struck.
2. Move to a sturdy shelter or vehicle. Do not take shelter in a small shed, under isolated trees, or in a convertible-top vehicle. Stay away from tall objects such as trees or towers or poles.
3. If in your vehicle when lightning strikes – don’t touch a metal surface. You are safer in a vehicle than being outdoors.
4. Remember that utility lines or pipes can carry the electrical current underground or through a building. Avoid electrical appliances, and use telephones or computers only in an emergency.
5. If you feel your hair standing on end – get down into a baseball catcher’s position and plug your ears with your finger tips so if lightning does hit it will not blow your ear drums out. Do not lie flat!
6. 30/30 rule – if the time between lighting and thunder is 30 seconds or less, go to a safe shelter. Stay there until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder.

1. Nearly half of all fatalities in a flash flood involve a person driving a vehicle. Do not drive into a flooded area – Turn Around Don’t Drown! It takes only 2 feet of water to float away most cars. It’s amazing how powerful we feel when we get behind the wheel – don’t do it!
2. It takes only 6 inches of fast-moving water to sweep a person off their feet – don’t walk through a flooded area!
3. If you are camping in a river valley, move to higher ground if thunderstorms with heavy rains are in the area. Do not attempt to drive away.
4. Don’t operate electrical tools in flooded areas.
5. Most flash flood deaths occur in the middle of the night when it is more difficult to see rising water levels judge the depth of water covering road surfaces.

1. Don’t underestimate the power of strong thunderstorm winds known as straight-line winds – they can reach speeds of 100 to 150 mph. Hurricane-force winds start at 74 mph. Wisconsin does experience these kinds of winds!
2. If a severe thunderstorm warning contains hurricane-force wind speeds seek shelter immediately (as you would for a tornado situation).
3. Stay away from windows and go to the basement or interior room/hallway. Do not use electrical appliances.
4. Be aware that tall trees near a building can be uprooted by straight-line winds – that tree can come crashing through the roof of a home and crush a person to death.
5. Powerful straight-line winds can overturn a vehicle or even make a person air-borne when they get up over 100 mph!
6. One type of a straight-line wind event is a downburst, which is a small area of rapidly descending rain-cooled air and rain beneath a thunderstorm. A downburst can cause damage equivalent to a strong tornado!

1. Although it is rare, people have been killed by large hail stones after sustaining head injuries. Additionally, several people are injured by large hail stones each year in the U.S.
2. Some thunderstorms can produce large hail stones that can reach the size of baseballs, softballs, or even as big as computer compact discs (CD) or DVDs! These large hail stones can fall at speeds over 100 mph! – That’s why they are dangerous! The largest hail stone in Wisconsin was over 7 inches in diameter!
3. If a severe storm is producing large hail stones, seek a sturdy shelter and stay away from windows that can easily be smashed.
4. If you are in your vehicle before the hail storm starts, get out of it and go to a sturdy shelter. Glass windows in vehicles can easily be smashed by the hail stones. If you can’t get out of your vehicle, then come to a stop and cover your head with your arms and hands.

Birth - 12 months
Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: Infant only seats can only be used rear facing. Convertible and 3 in 1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 - 3 years
Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It's the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat's manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4 - 7 years
Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat's manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it's time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 - 12 years
Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it's safer there.

Georgia Child Passenger Safety Law (Code 40-8-76)

Exemptions:

Best Practice Recommendations: