Editorial: Safety is no accident

The article, from Health Alliance of Hood River County, provides a helpful set of suggestions for improving safety all week - at work, at home, in the community, on the move and at play.

Selected statistics point to some good and bad safety news:

Recreational Boating Accident Report Database: Injuries from boating accidents rose from 4,967 in 2006 to 5,223 in 2007, and then dropped to 4,789 in 2008. There were 3,358 injuries reported in 2009.

Department of Labor: The incidence of injuries among private industry workers fell from 3.7 to 3.4 cases per 100 workers between 2008 and 2009.

National Traffic Safety Board: In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in the U.S. because of accidents that involved distracted driving. Another 448,000 were injured.

Disasters around the world serve as reminders of dangers that are beyond our grasp, but safety in daily life is usually something we can control.

The American Public Health Association breaks it down (no pun intended) to looking each day at one different area of our lives, and finding ways to improve our safety. They include:

Make a plan for how you would evacuate your home in an emergency.

Wear a helmet and other protective gear.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Work with school leaders to start school programs that prevent violence and bullying.

Avoid texting, eating or using the phone while driving.

Budget cuts at local, state and federal levels will only continue to challenge our health inspectors, police officers, social workers, educators and others involved in the health and safety of ourselves and our children and loved ones.

Take some time to think about taking safety into your own hands.