Welcome to the MHS Ezine

Brought to you by Sandy du Plessis

http://www.moms-home-safety.com

Issue: September 2007

IN THIS ISSUE

What’s new in moms-home-safety.com?

Mom, protect your DIY enthusiast!

A toddler’s diary - written by grandma - part 003

Granny's answers to your questions

Home and safety tips and tricks

Oooops! I am running late this month. My apologies, there were some circumstances beyond my control

What's new at Moms Home Safety?

Sorry everybody, there is nothing that is new on the site this month - because we have been renovating at home. Hubby likes to do things himself, (hence the topic for this months article). Of course, his faithful side-kick/dutiful partner/adoring assistant (that is me of course) is required to help. Naturally, a month down the line and my beautiful kitchen is not yet finished.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t yet updated yourself with regards to the possibility of poisoning accidents in your home and how to deal with any such incidents, I really do suggest that you read those pages. There is a chart on what to do in the event of your child swallowing something nasty, which you might like to copy, and place into your first aid kit. Believe me, when you are renovating, and have a toddler running around all those baby proofing and home safety rules keep clanging away in your brain, because you know that virtually every one of them is being violated.

Mom - Protect your DIY enthusiast!

Men are often just little boys in oversized bodies when it comes to DIY and their "toys". Just like children, they invariably forget where they last left the hammer, star pointed screw-driver or pliers. They also have a bad habit of over-estimating their capabilities, and safety rules often just fly out of the window.

There have been several DIY accidents in my home over the years. In one instance my husband, when working alone, did not seat the ladder he was using correctly. Needless to say, down he came, ladder and all and landed up in hospital with a perforated bowel.

More recently, my son-in-law decided to cut an old drum in half and use it to make a barbecue. With great gusto, he got cutting with an angle grinder. Unfortunately, there was old dried tar in the drum, which caught fire from the sparks. The pressure of the expanding heated air, caused the drum to explode, and he too landed up in hospital with painful burns.

It is for this reason that mothers and wives need to keep a close eye on their big boys when the DIY bug bites. Of course, the best way to do this is to get to know the safety rules even though you don't plan on wielding that drill, or climbing a ladder yourself.

Don't forget that the tool box and contents should be kept in a safe place, well away from inquisitive little hands and in, or on something that cannot be knocked over.

It is equally important to ensure the first aid kit is kept close by.

If you are unsure that your DIY enthusiast knows what he is doing, do your very best to persuade him to call in a competent and qualified person to handle the job, especially when it comes to gas or electricity. Make him aware that hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits every year are directly related to power tool accidents, lawn mowers, gardening tools, chain saws as well as ladders.

Safety gear

Depending on what is being done, try to ensure that your husband has, and makes use of the correct safety wear.

• Cloth, or leather gloves are suitable for sandingand scraping and will protect the knuckles from painful abrasions, not to mention finger tips and broken finger nails.
• Rubber gloves should be usedwhen painting with water soluble paints.
• Gloves that are solvent-resistant are needed for solvent-based products.
• Eye goggles are usually best when working with wood and doing sanding.
• A face mask such as the type welders wear is best for welding, cutting metals with a grinder and using a brush cutter in the garden.
• To protect the lungs, a dust mask is ideal whilst sanding wood.
• A respirator is best when working with solvent based products, especially when spray-painting. (Make sure there is good ventilation).
• Protective footwear is also important. If working with heavy equipment, it would be a good idea to wear a boot with steel toe caps. In the garden, a pair of sensible shoes will protect the feet as well (my daughter put a spade through her toe).
• Make sure that clothing is properly tucked in or secured. Anything that dangles could get caught up in moving parts of machinery. In fact, a cheap option to secure clothing at wrist and ankle is to use elastic bands.

Ladder safety

Ladders can be rather dangerous, especially if it is old and rickety, the wrong ladder for the job or is incorrect placed. Both men and women often climb ladders without considering the dangers.

Make sure that your ladder is in good condition and that every step is solid. If you can't repair it properly, get rid of it and hire one instead.

Be quite certain that you are using the correct ladder for the job. Is it long enough? Are you going to have to carry heavy equipment, tools, or paint and brushes up the ladder? Once you get up there, where are you going to put your equipment? Seriously consider using scaffolding instead, especially if you will be working high up.

Of course, you should never climb a ladder with bare feet, wearing sandals or worse (ladies!) whilst wearing high heels.

When placing a straight ladder up against a wall, make sure that the base is one measure away from the wall, against 4 measures up the wall, i.e. if your ladder is 4 meters long, then the foot of the ladder should be 1 meter away from the wall. This is the safest angle. Anything different and you are risking a serious fall, which could result in a broken neck or even death..

When using a long or extendable ladder NEVER stand on any of the top 3 rungs. There should always be at least one meter of ladder above the rung that you are standing on.

Make sure that both the top and bottom of the ladder are secured, preferably with ropes or straps tied to something solid. At the very least, ensure that somebody is standing by to help support the ladder.

My DIY "expert” never considered any of the above - he was alone, the angle of the ladder was wrong, and the base, not being secured, slipped away from the wall, which was why he landed up in hospital - and he really, really hates and fears hospitals.

If using a fold up ladder, most of us have one or two of different lengths at home, usually from two to seven steps, make sure that it is placed on a firm level surface, directly facing what you want to work on, and that it is correctly locked open. Don't try to reach too far sideways, or climb onto the highest step to reach higher. Either move the ladder or use a longer one.

Power tool and electrical safety

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure your tools and accessories are in good condition, and that the blades, drill bits and cutters are sharp. Damaged power tools should never be used. Please, please never carry your electrical tools by the cord and only ever use it for its specified job.

Always ensure that the power tools are switched off before plugging the cords into the mains.

Use a residual current device, also known as an RCD to protect yourself. If a power tool malfunctions, or for some reason you manage to cut, or drill into a power supply cable in the wall, floor or grounds, the RCD will respond immediately to the change in current and will disconnect the power supply to prevent electrocution.

Consider purchasing a stand alone RCD unit for fixed wire installations, which provides protection for the whole house, although portable adaptors are also available. It is important to bear in mind though, that these cannot offer or guarantee 100% protection.

Be careful not to overload a plug socket with too many plugs, and ensure that they are correctly wired with no loose bits and pieces. Never use cables that are kinked or frayed as the underlying wires may be damaged.

If you are doing your own electrical work, make quite sure that the power is switched off, and even then, double check that no power is getting through by using a circuit tester.

Don't forget, keep water away from electricity. Do not use power tools in wet or damp conditions.

Keep a wooden broom handle or something similar available to separate an electrocution victim from the source of electricity.

Working with Gas

Gas is dangerous! By law, your "I can do it" spouse may not repair gas leaks, or install gas appliances!

If you suspect there is a leak, switch the gas off at the meter and get out of the house. Do not smoke or use anything that could set off an explosion, not even a telephone or cell phone. If there are soot deposits, or a yellow, rather than a blue flame, or if you can actually smell the gas, then it means that the appliance is not working correctly. Please call a licensed gasfitter to deal with the problem immediately.

DIY Safety in the garden

When using a brush cutter, make sure that you use the type with heavy duty nylon line. Avoid those that use a metal blade. It is essential that goggles, gloves and boots be worn, as well as a pair of thick jeans. Small stones and twigs are often picked up and whipped into the body including the eyes.

Chainsaws are extremely dangerous, especially for someone who is inexperienced and untrained in their use. Many a person has had serious injuries to legs and face as a result of the chainsaw kicking back, especially if the timber being cut can move.
Full safety gear must always be worn. This includes face mask and helmet, ear muffs or ear plugs, leg and ankle protectors and boots with steel toecaps

Even lawnmowers have to be treated with respect. If using the electrical kind, make sure the cord is kept well away from the blade. Do not allow the cord to trail over the shoulders. Ensure that you use the type of lawnmower that automatically cuts out in the event of your hands slipping off the guide bar/handle

NB: Always keep children and pets well out of the way when your DIY enthusiast is performing his "magic".

A toddlers diary - written by Grandma

This past month, has been about getting Keane used to the fact that he will soon have a baby brother or sister. Mom has been keeping dead quiet about the baby’s gender, because Grandpa wants to be surprised.

Keane clearly knows that there is a "baba in mommy's tummy". When his moms says "give the baby a love" - he carefully wraps his tiny arms around his mother's belly and gives it a cuddle, and when asked to "give mommy a love", his arms go around moms neck.

He is also able to point to pictures of babies, and inform all and sundry "baba!" and then rub his mother's stomach and again announce "baba!”

At the same time, he has become very clingy and hates being parted from his mom for even a second. A local gynecologist commented that young children are clearly aware that an "intruder" is about to make his or her entrance into the world, as the same thing happened with his wife’s second and third pregnancies.

As usual, Keane is still cutting teeth and is drooling heavily, plus his nose is constantly streaming and he has developed a nasty cough from a continuous post nasal drip. Of course, this also causes him to sleep badly, which means mom also has a sleep problem at a time when she badly needs a little extra rest.

It is rather fortunate that Keane is in Day Care, because now that she has given up work, his mother can get some extra sleep during the day.

Keane is working hard at trying to feed himself. In fact he gets quite irritated if anybody tries to feed him, grabbing the spoon or fork away angrily. Recently, when his mom was trying to get him to eat more quickly by feeding him herself, he grabbed a nearby bunch of keys and stabbed one into a piece of sausage which he triumphantly placed into his mouth and gobbled down.

The most frustrating part of this last month (for Keane) has been the fact that his grandfather has been doing a major renovation in the kitchen (mainly during the early evening, and weekends). Everything that was in the kitchen has been spread on every available surface - and under some of them - throughout the house.

There were lots and lots of lovely things that could break and go crash bang! Electrical tools and screw drivers and other exciting things have been in reach, especially when he dragged a chair to whichever part of the house looked most interesting or caught his attention at the time.

His mother and I had to really keep on our toes in order to keep that child safe, while Grandpa blithely carried on with his renovating and even got Keane to help with small things. The child's little chest would puff up with pride at being asked to carry or pass something.


PS: Keane is now the very proud brother of a baby sister named Erin

PPS: From next month, Erin will be included in "A Toddler's Diary"

I recently came across a terrific parenting book for toddlers and thought that you might be interested.

Granny's answers to your questions

My question is about toddlers and possible bladder infections. I know that on
occasion my daughter will complain about her 'wee', and this morning I noticed her urine is very
yellow and there was loads of it in her potty. Should I be going off to the doctor
whenever this happens? Or can I do something about it myself, like giving her a daily dose
of probiotics and finding (fun) ways to get her to drink more water? ~ Nix, Gauteng

Hi Nix ,

If your daughter is having pain on urination, it is very possible that she has, or is developing a urinary tract infection which will require a course of antibiotics, so yes, I would encourage you to take her to your GP before trying to treat her yourself with probiotics.

The fact that her urine is very yellow is usually a sign of possible dehydration (unless she ate or drank something the previous day that could cause discoloration). An excess amount of urination is however contradictory. If this happens frequently, it might be worth having her sugar levels checked, but if it is a once off, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

It is important that toddlers get enough plain water to drink on a daily basis. Try having a water drinking race with her - preferably outside - you should provide the water in something very oversized - of course lots of it will go all over her face and clothes, but enough will go down her throat.. Try to avoid a reward system, because she is then likely to refuse to drink any at all unless she gets a "prize". Most people, and children are no exception often mistake thirst for hunger, so if you find that she is continually snacking, insist that she drinks some water first.

Home and safety tips and tricks

Protect your fingers from the hammer

To hold small nails steady and to make sure you don't hit your fingers with the hammer, push the nail through a thin piece of card and then tear it away once the nail has a firm grip.

Keep it tidy - collect the dust when drilling

Before drilling a hole into a wall, tape an envelope just below the marked spot and as you drill the cement and brick dust will fall into the pocket of the envelope.

Need a break from painting, but don't really want to clean the brush because it will be used again in a few minutes

Wrap the brush tightly in a polythene bag or aluminum foil. The brush will stay soft and usable until you need it again.

Family lost property

Place a "lost property" box in an unobtrusive spot. While you are cleaning, throw all bits and pieces that are not where they should be, such as clothing items, toys, single shoes, into the box. After a week or two collect, the unclaimed items and either throw them away, donate to a charity, or add to your jumble sale collection.

Keep butter soft even when it is in the refrigerator

Add a little olive oil to the butter, mix in well and transfer to a suitable container with lid. It really tastes good as well.

Do you have any home and safety tips to share? If so please send them to Moms Home and Safety Tips and Tricks.

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Until next month, look after yourself and be safe

Sandy
Moms Home Safety.
Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours ~ Les Brown