Summer Safety Tips

                      Summer Safety Tips

Summer in Rochester is a beautiful and wonderful time of year. The weather is pleasant and there is so much to do - swimming, boating in one of the lakes, picnicking in the parks, or enjoying one of many outdoor sports. Enjoy this time of year even more by taking a few precautions to protect your child(ren) and yourself from some of the more dangerous aspects of this season.

Sun Safety

Sun safety should actually be practiced year-round, but we are more likely to experience the damaging effects of the sun in the summer simply due to the greater amount of time spent outdoors. The following are precautions that should be taken by children and adults to avoid sunburn, sun/heat stroke, and dehydration:

• Use Sunscreen: Wear sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Apply sunscreen all over the body (even in places covered by clothing) 30 minutes before going outside, and reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating. Sunscreen should be worn for any outdoor activity, even on overcast or cloudy days.
• Avoid the Heat: Avoid outdoor activity between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are the most intense.
• Get the Right Gear: Wear sunglasses with 100% UV (ultraviolet) protection. Everyone, especially very young or very fair-haired children, should wear a hat. Wear cotton clothing, preferably with a tight knit.
• Stay Hydrated: Be sure to consume enough water, and avoid sugary and/or caffeinated drinks such as soft drinks.
• For Babies: Dress your baby in lightweight clothing with long pants and long-sleeved shirts and a wide-brimmed hat. Keep baby's feet covered with a lightweight blanket. If necessary, small amounts of sunscreen can be applied to exposed areas. Use strollers with a large canopy.

Water Safety

Whether swimming in the neighborhood pool or boating in a local lake, the water provides many opportunities for fun days and happy memories. Keep your child safe by following a few simple guidelines:

• Swim under adult and/or lifeguard supervision only.
• Never be out of arm's reach of your baby or toddler in or near the pool or body of water.
• Follow all posted rules.
• Avoid use of inflatable swimming aids ("floaties"). These can provide a false sense of security.
• On a boat: all children must wear properly-fitting life jackets at all times.
• Do not consume alcohol when swimming or boating.
• Pay attention to the weather conditions and forecasts and take proper precautions.
• ....

            Home Safe Home

Each year, more than 28,000 deaths and nearly 7 million injuries occur as a result of accidents in the home, and around 60% of the victims are children. Whether or not you have children, and regardless of the age of your children, there are steps we can all take to make our homes safer places:

• Prevent scald burns by setting your water heater's thermostat to no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Install and maintain smoke alarms on every floor and outside of the bedrooms.
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors near all bedrooms.
• Cover all unused electrical outlets with plastic covers.
• Make sure your home does not contain lead-based paint. If your home was built before 1978, have a professional check this for you.
• Keep all appliances and their cords in good repair.
• Unplug all appliances when not in use.
• Plan a fire escape route and make sure the whole family is well informed. Plan and hold fire drills.
• Keep a list of all emergency numbers by the phone, and make sure children and babysitters know who to call in case of emergency.

Maintain a smoke free home. Learn facts about second hand smoke.

           Age-Specific Safety Tips

Whether your child is seven days old, seven years old, or 17 years old, as a parent you want to provide him or her with a safe and loving environment. This isn't always easy—just when you think you have it figured out, your child enters a new phase in life, achieves greater independence, and the steps necessary to keep him or her safe change. Check out your child's age group for tips on providing a safe and supportive home:

Infant Safety Tips

As you hold your new bundle of joy in the hospital, you promise to always love and keep your baby safe. You know he/she depends on you for everything, and you want to give your baby your best. Besides following general home safety tips and childproofing your home, below are safety tips especially for baby:

Bathing

• Bathe baby in a specially designed, slip-resistant infant bathtub.
• Fill tub with 2-3 inches of warm—not hot—water (check temperature with your wrist or tub thermometer. The water should be between 96-100 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Stay within arm's reach of your baby while he or she is in the tub.

Nursery

• Bassinet and/or crib should meet current safety standards.
• Keep items such as pillows, comforters, quilts, and stuffed toys out of the bed.
• Mattress should be firm and fit snugly within the bassinet/crib.
• Remove mobiles when baby can sit on his or her own.
• Remove bumper pads and shift crib mattress to lowest position when baby can pull to a standing position.
• Keep bassinet/crib positioned away from windows, heaters, lamps, and other furniture.
• Do not leave baby unattended on a changing table, and be sure to use the safety strap.
• Avoid walking away from baby by keeping all changing supplies within arm's reach of changing table.
• Always put your baby to sleep on his or her back.

Feeding

During the first year of life, eating is constantly an adventure. Baby can rapidly move from breast milk/formula to trying his/her first table foods. Plus, babies use their mouths to learn about their world, so many non-food items also find their way into little mouths. Due to all of the action these mouths see, choking is an inherent danger. Following are a few tips for keeping your baby safe:

• Until age 4, avoid foods that can block the airways such as: peanut butter, hot dogs, popcorn, whole grapes, raw carrots, raisins, nuts, hard candies or toffees and chewing gum.
• Provide safe finger foods such as bananas, well-cooked pasta and vegetables, o-shaped low-sugar cereals (such as Cheerios).
• Keep items such as coins, buttons, balloons, safety pins, barrettes, and rocks out of your child's reach.
• Follow age recommendations on toys, especially those with small parts, and make sure toys are in good repair.
• Be vigilant. Small children put many things in their mouths. A watchful adult is often the best defense.

If Your Child is Choking

Other

• Purchase and correctly install an infant car safety seat.
• Avoid burns by not holding your baby while cooking or holding hot food or beverages.
• Never leave baby unattended on beds, sofas, chairs, or any place where he or she may fall.
• Install baby gates at the top and bottom of stairways.
• Never leave baby alone with other young children or with pets.

Before baby begins crawling, childproof your home.

Toddler/Preschooler Safety Tips

Now the real fun begins! Once your child is up on his/her own two feet, he or she is ready to conquer the world, and every day is a new adventure. This is an exciting and fun stage of life, but certainly has its risks and dangers too. The following are things you need to know to keep your budding explorer safe.

Poisoning

Poisoning is a particular danger because children this age (1-4 years old) are curious about everything! Younger toddlers will be inclined to put things into their mouths, and preschoolers are curious about items found in drawers and cabinets. Protect your child from an accidental poisoning:

• Keep all medicines (and vitamins as well) out of the reach of children.
• Never refer to medicine as "candy."
• Store all cleaning products or other dangerous products out of the reach of children and/or in a locked cabinet.
• Keep the number for poison control 1(800) 222-1222 on or near your phone.

For more information, contact the Finger Lakes Regional Poison and Drug Information Center.

Burns

Little fingers want to touch everything, so you need to take extra precautions to keep your child from being burned:

• Keep your child in a safe place while you are cooking or ironing.
• Turn pot/pan handles inward on the stove.
• Never allow children to be unsupervised in the kitchen.
• Keep items such as matches, lighters, curling irons, candles, and hot foods and liquids out of a child's reach.

If Your Child Gets Burned

Falls

Children of this age fall often, either because they are still a little unsteady on their feet, or because they are enjoying the thrill of climbing. Some tips to keep your child "well grounded":

• Keep doorways leading to dangerous areas, such as basements or attics, locked.
• Keep safety gates at the top and bottom of each stairway.
• Keep window guards on all windows.
• Put skid-proof pads underneath all rugs.
• When grocery shopping, use the safety strap to buckle your child into the seat, and remain close to the cart at all times.
• Keep a close eye on your child when they are climbing on furniture or at the playground so you can react quickly in case of a fall.

If Your Child Falls

Choking

This age group is particularly susceptible to choking because so many things - both foods and non-foods - go into their mouths. The following are some key tips for preventing your child from choking:

• Until age 4 avoid foods that can block the airways such as: peanut butter, hot dogs, popcorn, whole grapes, raw carrots, raisins, nuts, hard candies or toffees, and chewing gum.
• Provide safe finger foods such as bananas, well-cooked pasta and vegetables, o-shaped low-sugar cereals (such as Cheerios).
• Keep items such as coins, buttons, balloons, safety pins, barrettes, and rocks out of your child's reach.
• Follow age recommendations on toys, especially those with small parts, and make sure toys are in good repair.
• Be vigilant. Small children put many things in their mouths. A watchful adult is often the best defense.

If Your Child is Choking

Other

• When riding in a vehicle, your child should be restrained in a safety seat appropriate for his/her size and age.
• Childproof your home and practice standard home safety tips.
• Never leave your child alone in or near water. Small children can drown even in very shallow water, such as the bathtub, wading pool or toilet.
• Children should wash their hands frequently, especially after playing outside. Kids this age still put their hands and other objects into their mouths often, and this is the chief way of transmitting colds and viruses.
• Outside play should always be supervised by an adult.
• School-Age Safety
•  TipsEver since he or she uttered that first "no!" and took his or her first clumsy step away from your loving arms, your child has been striving for independence. Heading off to school is a significant milestone in that pursuit. While your child no longer needs a parent's watchful eye over every movement, he or she is still depending on you to provide a safe environment and guidelines for his or her growing independence.
  Protect your school-age child (age 5-12):
  • Continue to follow car safety guidelines appropriate for your child's age and size.
  • Inform your child concerning school bus safety and bicycle safety.
  • Know the safe way to participate in organized sports. Learn how to play it safe.
  • Continue to follow general home safety guidelines.
  • Practice Internet safety.
  • Practice gun safety.
  • Teach your child to swim, and practice water safety.
  • Teach your child fire safety, and make sure the whole family knows what to do in case of a fire.
• Make sure your child is aware of "stranger danger" and knows the difference between "good touch" and "bad touch."
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• Teenage Safety Tips
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• 
  
• The teenage years are a wonderful, yet tumultuous time in every life–kids and parents included! Your son or daughter is on the brink of adulthood, but is still a child in many ways. While it seems that so many elements of his/her life are out of your control, the truth is, there are many things you can do to safely steer your teen through these years.
  The following is information and tips for keeping your teen safe through some of the more common dangers
• :Driving
• The facts are startling. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of injury and death among people aged 1-34 in the United States. While preventing an accident is not always possible, we can take measures to significantly decrease the chance and severity of injury to ourselves and our children.
  The following tips have proved invaluable in preventing serious injury and even death:
  • Always wear a seatbelt. Even in vehicles equipped with airbags, nothing can replace the effectiveness of wearing a seatbelt.
  • Make sure your child is restrained in a child safety seat, suitable to his or her size and age.
    • Choose a safety seat
  • Children under the age of 12 should always ride in the back seat.
  • Teenage/new drivers should be well-informed of safe driving practices.

Solar System

Age	4.568 billion years
Location	Local Interstellar Cloud, Local Bubble, Orion–Cygnus Arm, Milky Way
System mass	1.0014 Solar masses
Nearest star	Proxima Centauri  (4.22 ly) Alpha Centauri system (4.37 ly)
Nearest knownplanetary system	Alpha Centauri system  (4.37 ly)
Planetary system
Semi-major axis of outer planet (Neptune)	30.10 AU  (4.503 billion km)
Distance to Kuiper cliff	50 AU
Populations
Stars	1  (Sun)
Planets	8  (Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune)
Known dwarf planets	Possibly several hundred;[1] five currently recognized by the IAU (Ceres Pluto Haumea Makemake Eris)
Known natural satellites	443 (173 planetary[2] 270 minor planetary[3])
Known minor planets	681,203  (as of 2015-04-12)[4]
Known comets	3,336  (as of 2015-04-12)[4]
Identified rounded satellites	19
Orbit about Galactic Center
Invariable-to-galactic plane inclination	60.19°  (ecliptic)
Distance to Galactic Center	27,000 ± 1,000 ly
Orbital speed	220 km/s
Orbital period	225–250 Myr
Star-related properties
Spectral type	G2V
Frost line	≈5 AU[5]
Distance to heliopause	≈120 AU
Hill sphere radius	≈1–2 ly

The Solar System^[a] comprises the Sun and the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly.^[b] Of those objects that orbit the Sun directly, the largest eight are the planets^[c] that form the planetary system around it, while the remainder are significantly smaller objects, such as dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies (SSSBs) such ascomets and asteroids.^[d]

The Solar System formed 4.6 billion years ago from the gravitational collapse of a giant interstellar molecular cloud. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun, with most of the remaining mass contained in Jupiter. The four smaller inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, also called the terrestrial planets, are primarily composed of rock and metal. The four outer planets, the giant planets, are substantially more massive than the terrestrials. The two largest, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium; the two outermost planets, the ice giants Uranus and Neptune, are composed largely of substances with relatively high melting points compared with hydrogen and helium, called ices, such as water, ammonia and methane. All planets have almost circular orbits that lie within a nearly flat disc called the ecliptic.

The Solar System also contains smaller objects.^[d] The asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter, mostly contains objects composed, like the terrestrial planets, of rock and metal. Beyond Neptune's orbit lie the Kuiper beltand scattered disc, populations of trans-Neptunian objects composed mostly of ices, and beyond them a newly discovered population of sednoids. Within these populations are several dozen to possibly tens of thousands of objects large enough to have been rounded by their own gravity.^[10] Such objects are categorized as dwarf planets. Identified dwarf planets include the asteroid Ceres and the trans-Neptunian objects Pluto and Eris.^[d] In addition to these two regions, various other small-body populations, including comets, centaurs and interplanetary dust, freely travel between regions. Six of the planets, at least three of the dwarf planets, and many of the smaller bodies are orbited by natural satellites,^[e] usually termed "moons" after Earth's Moon. Each of the outer planets is encircled byplanetary rings of dust and other small objects.

The solar wind, plasma flowing outwards from the Sun, creates a bubble in the interstellar medium known as theheliosphere. The heliopause is the point at which pressure from the solar wind is equal to the opposing pressure ofinterstellar wind; it extends out to the edge of the scattered disc. The Oort cloud, which is believed to be the source for long-period comets, may also exist at a distance roughly a thousand times further than the heliosphere. The Solar System is located in the Orion Arm, 26,000 light years from the center of the Milky Way.

For many thousands of years, humanity, with a few notable exceptions, did not recognize the existence of the Solar System. People believed Earth to be stationary at the centre of the universe and categorically different from the divine or ethereal objects that moved through the sky. Although the Greek philosopher Aristarchus of Samos had speculated on a heliocentric reordering of the cosmos,Nicolaus Copernicus was the first to develop a mathematically predictive heliocentric system.^[11][12] In the 17th-century, Galileo Galilei,Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton, developed an understanding of physics that led to the gradual acceptance of the idea that Earth moves around the Sun and that the planets are governed by the same physical laws that governed Earth. The invention of the telescope led to the discovery of further planets and moons. Improvements in the telescope and the use of unmanned spacecraft have enabled the investigation of geological phenomena, such as mountains, craters, seasonal meteorological phenomena, such as clouds, dust stormsand ice caps on the other planets.

The principal component of the Solar System is the Sun, a G2 main-sequence star that contains 99.86% of the system's known mass and dominates it gravitationally.^[13] The Sun's four largest orbiting bodies, the giant planets, account for 99% of the remaining mass, with Jupiter and Saturn together comprising more than 90%. Hence, the solid objects of the Solar System (including the terrestrial planets, moons, asteroids, and comets) together comprise 0.0001% of the Solar System's total mass.^[f]

Most large objects in orbit around the Sun lie near the plane of Earth's orbit, known as the ecliptic. The planets are very close to the ecliptic, whereas comets and Kuiper belt objects are frequently at significantly greater angles to it.^[17][18] All the planets and most other objects orbit the Sun in the same direction that the Sun is rotating (counter-clockwise, as viewed from a long way above Earth's north pole).^[19] There areexceptions, such as Halley's Comet.

The overall structure of the charted regions of the Solar System consists of the Sun, four relatively small inner planets surrounded by a belt of rocky asteroids, and four giant planets surrounded by the Kuiper belt of icy objects. Astronomers sometimes informally divide this structure into separate regions. The inner Solar System includes the four terrestrial planets and the asteroid belt. The outer Solar System is beyond the asteroids, including the four giant planets.^[20] Since the discovery of the Kuiper belt, the outermost parts of the Solar System are considered a distinct region consisting of the objects beyond Neptune.^[21]

Most of the planets in the Solar System possess secondary systems of their own, being orbited by planetary objects called natural satellites, or moons (two of which are larger than the planet Mercury), and, in the case of the four giant planets, by planetary rings, thin bands of tiny particles that orbit them in unison. Most of the largest natural satellites are in synchronous rotation, with one face permanently turned toward their parent.

Kepler's laws of planetary motion describe the orbits of objects about the Sun. Following Kepler's laws, each object travels along an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. Objects closer to the Sun (with smaller semi-major axes) travel more quickly because they are more affected by the Sun's gravity. On an elliptical orbit, a body's distance from the Sun varies over the course of its year. A body's closest approach to the Sun is called its perihelion, whereas its most distant point from the Sun is called its aphelion. The orbits of the planets are nearly circular, but many comets, asteroids, and Kuiper belt objects follow highly elliptical orbits. The positions of the bodies in the Solar System can be predicted using numerical model.

Although the Sun dominates the system by mass, it accounts for only about 2% of the angular momentum^[22]due to the differential rotation within the gaseous Sun.^[23] The planets, dominated by Jupiter, account for most of the rest of the angular momentum due to the combination of their mass, orbit, and distance from the Sun, with a possibly significant contribution from comets.^[22]

The Sun, which comprises nearly all the matter in the Solar System, is composed of roughly 98% hydrogen and helium.^[24] Jupiter and Saturn, which comprise nearly all the remaining matter, possess atmospheres composed of roughly 99% of these elements.^[25][26] A composition gradient exists in the Solar System, created by heat and light pressure from the Sun; those objects closer to the Sun, which are more affected by heat and light pressure, are composed of elements with high melting points. Objects farther from the Sun are composed largely of materials with lower melting points.^[27] The boundary in the Solar System beyond which those volatile substances could condense is known as the frost line, and it lies at roughly 5 AU from the Sun.^[5]

The objects of the inner Solar System are composed mostly of rock,^[28] the collective name for compounds with high melting points, such as silicates, iron or nickel, that remained solid under almost all conditions in theprotoplanetary nebula.^[29] Jupiter and Saturn are composed mainly of gases, the astronomical term for materials with extremely low melting points and high vapour pressure, such as hydrogen, helium, and neon, which were always in the gaseous phase in the nebula.^[29] Ices, like water, methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide,^[28]have melting points up to a few hundred kelvins.^[29] They can be found as ices, liquids, or gases in various places in the Solar System, whereas in the nebula they were either in the solid or gaseous phase.^[29] Icy substances comprise the majority of the satellites of the giant planets, as well as most of Uranus and Neptune (the so-called "ice giants") and the numerous small objects that lie beyond Neptune's orbit.^[28][30] Together, gases and ices are referred to as volatiles.^[31]

                      Distances and scales

The distance from Earth to the Sun is 1 astronomical unit (150,000,000 km), or AU. For comparison, the radius of the Sun is 0.0047 AU (700,000 km). Thus, the Sun occupies 0.00001% (10⁻⁵ %) of the volume of a sphere with a radius the size of Earth's orbit, whereas Earth's volume is roughly one millionth (10⁻⁶) that of the Sun. Jupiter, the largest planet, is 5.2 astronomical units (780,000,000 km) from the Sun and has a radius of 71,000 km (0.00047 AU), whereas the most distant planet, Neptune, is 30 AU (4.5×10⁹ km) from the Sun.

With a few exceptions, the farther a planet or belt is from the Sun, the larger the distance between its orbit and the orbit of the next nearer object to the Sun. For example, Venus is approximately 0.33 AU farther out from the Sun than Mercury, whereas Saturn is 4.3 AU out from Jupiter, and Neptune lies 10.5 AU out from Uranus. Attempts have been made to determine a relationship between these orbital distances (for example, the Titius–Bode law),^[32] but no such theory has been accepted. The images at the beginning of this section show the orbits of the various constituents of the Solar System on different scales.

Some Solar System models attempt to convey the relative scales involved in the Solar System on human terms. Some are small in scale (and may be mechanical—called orreries)—whereas others extend across cities or regional areas.^[33] The largest such scale model, the Sweden Solar System, uses the 110-metre (361-ft) Ericsson Globe in Stockholm as its substitute Sun, and, following the scale, Jupiter is a 7.5-metre (25-foot) sphere at Arlanda International Airport, 40 km (25 mi) away, whereas the farthest current object, Sedna, is a 10-cm (4-in) sphere in Luleå, 912 km (567 mi) away.^[34][35]

If the Sun–Neptune distance is scaled to 100 metres, then the Sun would be about 3 cm in diameter (roughly two-thirds the diameter of a golf ball), the giant planets would be all smaller than about 3 mm, and Earth's diameter along with the that of the other terrestrial planets would be smaller than a flea (0.3 mm) at this scale.^[36]