Most injuries that occur do not happen randomly or by chance, they are preventable.

Tuesday, July 5 is National Injury Prevention Day (NIPD), and to mark the initiative the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will be lighting up MacDonald Island Park and Saline Creek Pedestrian Bridge green, in support of NIPD.

In a press release, Minister of Health Jason Copping stated that every year in Alberta, there are more than 2,000 preventable injury-related deaths. “More than 40,000 Albertans will be hospitalized for serious injuries this year, and about 8,000 of them will go on to live with a permanent, partial or total disability,” said Copping.

According to Alberta Health Services (AHS), Alberta recorded 34,881 injury-related hospital admissions and 515,962 emergency department visits in 2019. In 2017, preventable injuries cost Albertans $7.1 billion in total economic costs.

AHS offers various reminders and techniques to help prevent injury in your day-to-day living:

Falls:

• For young children, falls can occur in common settings such as the home and playground and during recreational activities. 
• Proper supervision, removal of hazards, safe play practices, and proper clothing and equipment are all recommended for children to help prevent falls in the home and on the playground. 
• Learn how to keep your child safe by visiting: albertahealthservices.ca
• While the risk of falling does increase as people age, falls are not considered a normal part of aging. Staying active is important to reduce your risk of falling. Visit Finding Balance to learn more: findingbalancealberta.ca/

Driving:

• Wear your seat belt. If you travel with children, be a great role model. Make sure they’re riding in the correct car seat or booster seat for their age and size.
• Reduce distractions and focus only on driving. Do not use handheld devices of any kind when you are behind the wheel.
• Summer means more cyclists, runners, and pedestrians. Make sure you look out for them and be patient as they cross the road.
• Manage your speed – follow speed limits and be patient when you come to a 30 km/hour or 40 km/hour zone.

Poisonings:

• Common products in your home, such as perfumes, cosmetics, cleaning products, garden products and batteries can be dangerous. Carefully assess your home to identify any potential poisoning risks. A child could be permanently injured in seconds if exposed to some common household products.
• Use childproof latches on your cupboards. Be careful of what you store in your bedside table and other cupboards that are lower than your shoulder height.
• Keep products in their original labelled containers. Never store poisonous products in food containers.
• If you have a possible poisoning emergency, call 911 or Poison and Drug Information Services (PADIS) at 1-800-332-1414 immediately.
• Visit Preventing Poison in Young Children (MyHealth.Alberta.ca) and Healthy Homes and Preventing Injuries (Healthy Parents Healthy Children) for more information.

Everyone can help in preventing injuries.