Playgrounds Shouldn't Hurt
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- Published on Friday, 28 April 2017 10:51
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Seesaws, swings and slides! Now that springtime is here, playground season is in full swing. CPSC believes playgrounds should be safe! Far too often however, fun and games at the community playground or on the backyard play set can lead to injuries—and even death.
A new playground equipment report (pdf) was just issued by CPSC and it found that from 2009 to 2014, 19 of the 34 fatal playground incidents that we investigated were the result of hanging or asphyxiation. During that same time period, nearly 1.5 million injuries associated with playground equipment were treated nationally in emergency departments. Annually, that breaks down to about 243,000 ER treated injuries.
The report also finds:
- The two most common hazard patterns are falls and dangers posed by the equipment, which together account for 81 percent of the reported incidents.
- The most common diagnoses are fractures and contusions/abrasions.
- Monkey bars and swings account for the majority of the total injuries, although slides account for one-fifth of the injuries.
- More than half of the victims seen in ER’s were between ages five and nine.
As we observe National Playground Safety Week, we want to encourage everyone to follow some golden playground safety rules:
- Always supervise kids and make sure kids use playground equipment appropriate for their age.
- Never attach ropes, jump ropes, pet leashes or strings to playground equipment; children can strangle on these.
- Make sure children’s clothing does not have any drawstrings as they can catch on slides and other equipment.
- Make sure surfaces around playgrounds have 9-12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber.
- Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, be sure surfacing extends, in back and front, twice the height of the suspending bar.Look out for tripping hazards, like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, and rocks.
- Don’t let kids play on slides/surfaces that are burning hot. The weather does not have be 1000 in order for equipment to heat up and cause burns. If it feels hot to your hand, it may be too hot for a child’s bare skin!
If you believe your child's playground is not safe, report your concerns to the appropriate owner, park district or school. Kids just want to have fun and they should. CPSC wants to make sure they do it safely.
Playgrounds shouldn't hurt.
For more information about playground safety (pdf) visit our website at CPSC.gov.
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- Published on Tuesday, 25 April 2017 11:42
May is National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
With Spring upon us and summer just around the corner, the Andrew County Health Department would like to remind you skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. UV damage can also cause wrinkles and blotches or spots on your skin. The good news is that skin cancer can be prevented, and it can almost always be cured when it's found and treated early.
Take simple steps today to protect your skin:
- Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. Put on sunscreen every 2 hours and after you swim or sweat.
- Cover up with long sleeves and a hat.
- Check you skin regularly for changes.
This project is/was funded in part by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Maternal and Child Health Services Contract #DH150006012 and is/was supported by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant #B04MC28109, Maternal and Child Health Services for $9,095,311, of which $0 is from non-governmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
Financial Statements
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- Published on Wednesday, 12 April 2017 12:27
Andrew County Health Department
Summary Balance Sheet
| December 31, 2013 | December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2015 | December 31, 2016 | April 12, 2017 | |
| ASSETS | |||||
| Current Assets | |||||
| Checking/Savings | $373,357.17 | $459,008.47 | $546,067.98 | $610,368.29 | $571,091.07 |
| Other Current Assets | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 |
| Total Current Assets | $373,377.17 | $459,028.47 | $546,087.98 | $610,388.29 | $571,111.07 |
| Fixed Assets | $458,942.20 | $458,942.20 | $458,942.20 | $458,942.20 | $458,942.20 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $832,319.37 | $917,970.67 | $1,005,030.18 | $1,069,330.49 | $1,030,053.27 |
| LIABILITIES & EQUITY | |||||
| Current Liabilities | |||||
| Other Current Liabilities | $1,453.00 | ||||
| Total Liabilities | $1,453.00 | ||||
| Equity | $830,866.37 | $917,970.67 | $1,005,030.18 | $1,069,330.49 | $1,030,053.27 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY | $832,319.37 | $917,970.67 | $1,005,030.18 | $1,069,330.49 | $1,030,053.27 |
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
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- Published on Tuesday, 11 April 2017 16:05
Keep dangerous prescription drugs out of the hands of our youth and out of our water supply during the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Saturday, April 29th, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Turn in your unused or expired prescription medication for safe disposal.
Savannah Police Dept. will be at Brothers Market 402 E. Price.
Visit www.dea.gov or call 800-882-9539 for a collection site near you.