Injury Prevention Program

Children's Hospital & Medical Center and Kohl's Department Stores Put Safety First

Children's Hospital & Medical Center, with support from Kohl's Department Stores, is dedicated to preventing accidental injury and educating families to put safety first through the Kohl's Keeps Kids Safe program. Kohl's Keeps Kids Safe is committed to education and injury prevention on a variety of safety issues including fall prevention, home safety, fire safety, child passenger safety, drowning prevention and bike safety education.

Children's is the proud leader of the Safe Kids Omaha Chapter which organizes activities and leverages resources in an effort to protect children in our community from accidental injury.

Back to School Safety Tips

As parents and children prepare to head back to school, they're busy buying new clothes, shoes and school supplies. However, it's just as important for parents and children to review a few back to school safety tips to keep children safe and healthy during the school year.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers tips on traveling to and from school, backpack safety, making the first day easier and many other topics.

This is also a good time of year to remind children about playground safety. School playgrounds are places where children can develop physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. To help your child have an entertaining and safe playground experience, follow this checklist provided by the National Program for Playground Safety.

KEEP YOUR CHILDREN S.A.F.E. ON THE PLAYGROUND

• Supervision is present, but strings and ropes aren't. Adult presence is needed to watch for potential hazards, observe, intercede and facilitate play when necessary. Strings on clothing or ropes used for play can cause accidental strangulation if caught on equipment.
• All children play on Age-appropriate equipment. Preschoolers, ages 2-5, and children ages 5-12, are developmentally different and need different equipment located in separate areas to keep the playground safe and fun for all.
• Falls to surface are cushioned. Nearly 70 percent of all playground injuries are related to falls to the surface. Acceptable surfaces include hardwood fiber/mulch, pea gravel, sand and synthetic materials such as poured-in-place, rubber mats or tiles. Playground surfaces should not be concrete, asphalt, grass, blacktop, packed dirt or rocks.
• Equipment is safe. Check to make sure the equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all equipment pieces are in good working order, S-hooks are entirely closed, bolts are not protruding, there are no exposed footings, etc.

Smart Steps to Safe Pedestrians

Pedestrian-related injury is one of the leading causes of death and injury for children ages 5-14. Yet many of these tragedies can be prevented. Review the following guidelines offered by Child Safety Solutions, Inc. to be sure you and your children understand the smart steps for walking safely to school:

• Always know the route your children are taking, and when they plan to arrive and return. Walk the route with them in advance.
• Younger children should be accompanied by a grown-up. Older children should walk with a buddy.
• Use sidewalks. If there is no sidewalk, children should walk on the far left, facing traffic.
• Children should always stop at the curb and never run into the street.
• Teach children to use crosswalks and only cross streets at corners.
• Remind children to look left, right and left again before entering or crossing a path, sidewalk, street or driveway. They should continue looking as they cross.
• Children need to make eye contact with each driver before they pass in front of him or her.

• Never cross the street from between parked cars.

Kids Need a Boost

We want every family to be aware of the importance of booster seat safety. If your child has a booster seat and uses it daily - congratulations! But if your child does not, you are not alone.

Many parents do not realize that a seat belt is designed for an adult passenger. For a child who is less than 4 feet 9 inches tall, wearing an adult seat belt alone can cause severe stomach, neck and head injuries or even be fatal. These children need a booster seat to lift them up so the seat belt fits properly.

Also remember that kids learn from your example. Make sure everyone in the car, including grandparents, friends, and older children, buckles up too.
To learn more, visit our Car Seat Safety page for instructional child passenger safety videos. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is another resource for information about booster seats.

Children's Hospital & Medical Center is grateful to Kohl's for its generous support of Kohl's Keeps Kids Safe.