As part of the campaign, the Home Safety Council has expanded its offering of resources and educational opportunities to help families take a hands-on approach to home safety.
"The 'Hands-on Home Safety' campaign urges families to take simple actions to create a safer home environment," Home Safety Council President Meri-K Appy said. "Taking a few simple actions to make home safety a priority right now can protect loved ones against some of the most common safety hazards falls, fires and burns and poisonings and prevent an injury that could have life-long consequences."
The Home Safety Council's "Hands-on Home Safety" theme underscores the message that while the public is responsible for actively practicing home safety on a regular basis, safety doesn't have to be very costly or time-consuming.
The national campaign aims to not only inform the public about key home safety issues but also to promote the simple actions people can take to reduce serious injury risks. The theme will be threaded throughout all Home Safety Month activities and materials to reinforce the message and encourage the public to take action.
Initiatives Include Corporate Outreach Program
During Home Safety Month, the Home Safety Council will launch a number of home safety initiatives, including:
- Corporate outreach program The organization will offer Home Safety Month resource kits to corporations, in an effort to facilitate home safety education in the workplace. The resource kits include posters, brochures, newsletter articles, kids' activities, buttons, stickers, lesson plans and a variety of Spanish-language materials.
- Community outreach Home Safety Council's Expert Network, a community of fire and life safety experts from across the country, will disseminate home safety materials and information in their respective communities during the month of June. These home safety ambassadors are vital to reaching local communities and engaging support on a grassroots level.
- New home injury research The organization will release new survey findings revealing home safety perceptions and practices and addressing key home safety issues specific to older adults.
- Public policy program The council will reach out to Congressional staff by conducting a health briefing on Capitol Hill about the importance of home injury prevention.
- Salute to Home Safety Awards Dinner The council will host its annual Salute to Home Safety Awards Dinner in Washington on June 8. Selected companies, researchers and public officials will be honored during the dinner for their extraordinary commitment to home safety.
"This year's Home Safety Month program will spread safety messages on a national and local level, underscoring the importance of a safe home and guiding the way with new resources and tools to engage the public and key decision-makers," Appy said. "Through our efforts and the support of dedicated corporations, legislators and safety professionals, we hope every American family takes a few moments to find and fix home dangers in June."
To learn more about the "Hands-on Home Safety" campaign and ways to stay safe in and around your home, visit http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/homesafetymonth.