WASHINGTON, August 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As students return to the classroom this fall, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging parents, teachers and students to “Put Safety in Your Backpack” this school year. From backpacks to playgrounds, classroom chemistry experiments to college housing, consumers need to be aware of the hidden dangers students face every day.
Following these safety tips as students return to the classroom can help prevent injuries before they happen:
For primary and secondary school students:
*Backpack:
Make sure student backpacks are not too heavy.
From 2019 to 2021, there was an annual average of 1,200 backpack-related injuries among children under 19 treated in emergency rooms.
*Game corners:
Remove neck or waist cords from sweaters and jackets and remove collars to prevent choking hazards. Check for points or sharp edges on playground equipment. Do not play on slides or other surfaces that burn hot.
From 2019 to 2021, there was an estimated annual average of 155,900 playground-related injuries to children under the age of 16.
For high school students:
*Chemistry experiments in the classroom:
Minimize the risk of student injuries from open flames in chemistry experiments.
Parents: Attend back-to-school night or contact the teacher and ask about precautions to be taken during experiments using fuels and flames.
Schools and teachers: Carry out a risk analysis and take appropriate measures. Consider safer demonstrations, such as a flame test instead of a rainbow experiment. If you spill flammable liquids, use the smallest glasses possible and keep larger containers outside the classroom. Do not use balloons.
*Bicycles and E-scooters:
Watch the CPSC video on e-scooter safety.
Wear a helmet to help protect your head in falls and crashes. Knee and elbow pads can also help prevent injury.
Follow all manufacturer’s instructions and check the e-scooter’s safety information, such as weight and age limits.
Check for damage before riding the e-scooter, make sure the steering wheel, brakes, throttle, bell, lights, tires, cables and frame are in good condition. Damage to the e-scooter can cause loss of control and a crash.
Always test the brakes for as long as it takes to stop the e-scooter and prepare for emergency stops. Stopping distance can vary significantly, depending on the scooter.
See and be seen, wear reflective clothing! E-scooters are small, fast and silent, making it difficult for others to spot the operators. Expect drivers and pedestrians not to see you.
Use the bell/horn to warn others and do not make sudden and unpredictable movements.
Always be present and never let the e-scooter battery charge unattended. Use only the charger that came with the device.
Avoid overloading. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper charging.
For university students:
*Fire safety:
Check for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in the student’s residence and make sure the alarms are working.
The CPSC recommends having smoke alarms on every level of a home, inside every bedroom and outside sleeping areas.
Carbon monoxide alarms should be on every level and outside sleeping areas.
Make sure there are two exits from each room and a clear path to the outside from each exit.
Keep combustibles away from heat sources and do not overload electrical outlets, extension cords and power strips.
Report any unsafe products or product-related injuries at www.SaferProducts.gov.
Related links:
Safety poster for chemistry experiments
Checklist of Chemistry Experiments
About the US CPSC
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from the unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of consumer products. Deaths, injuries and property damage from incidents related to consumer products cost the nation more than 1 trillion dollars every year. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of consumer product-related injuries over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products that are subject to a recall ordered by the Commission or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
– Visit CPSC.Gov..
– Sign up to receive our e-mail the alarms.
– Follow us FacebookInstagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
– Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury www.SaferProducts.gov.
– Call me CPSCs Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
– Contact a media specialist.
Publication number: 22-203
SOURCE US Consumer Product Safety Commission
