In December 2009, Janette Ferguson traveled to Corpus Christi, Texas, to participate in the Harbor Lights Festival boat parade. The day prior to the festival, Ferguson spent the night on her family's sailboat that was kept in a slip on the city marina's C pier. Upon waking the following morning, Ferguson walked to the marina's bathroom facility to…

In this article I review lessons to be learned from five commercial rafting participant fatalities in Northern Queensland between 2007 and 2009, and examine some implications of the coroner's recommendations from an outdoor education perspective. I aim both to help prevent future fatalities and to contribute to discussion about how best to achieve…

Head Start promotes school readiness by enhancing the physical, social, and cognitive development of children through educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services. Head Start centers are where services are provided in communities that are generally lacking infrastructures that support early learning. As a result, it is imperative…

A reversal design was used to evaluate the effects of vocal and written prompts as well as reinforcement on safe behavior (dismounting and walking bicycles or motorcycles on a sidewalk) on a university campus. Results indicated that an intervention that consisted of vocal and written prompts and reinforcement delivered by security guards was…

Background: There is little research on the safety of the various types of restraint commonly used with individuals with intellectual disabilities who exhibit severely aggressive or self-injurious behaviour. Method: This study analysed the use of restraint with 209 individuals with intellectual disabilities over a 12-month period. Results: Planned…

Background: A training package for staff working with clients presenting challenging behaviour was developed to (1) increase their knowledge regarding challenging behaviour, and (2) to improve the quality of physical intervention techniques. The latter aim was intended to reduce staff anxiety about dealing with incidents and limit physical risk of…

The authors assessed the effectiveness of a home visitation program in enhancing the early parenting history of infants born at medical risk--a population that is at risk for mistreatment. A randomized clinical trial design was used to compare the effects of a cognitively based extension of the Healthy Start home visitation program (HV+) with a…

This report was written to identify the safety problems confronting older persons and to educate readers about product and home hazards and appropriate preventive measures. It was written for older consumers, their families, policymakers, and manufacturers. Information on the incidence of home accidents and consumer product accidents among the…

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, playgrounds and their equipment are linked to more than 100,000 injuries requiring emergency care each year. National Safety Council guidelines are provided concerning playground surfaces, equipment, and design. Suggestions are also given for maintaining playgrounds and making them safer.…

Almost a quarter of disabling work injuries among school employees are caused by slips and falls. Outlines prevention steps and safety programs that can help lower the possibilities of accidents from falls in schools. (MD)

This series of articles on the sport of soccer considers such topics as: who can play the sport, safety and preventive measures, and tactics and training methods. (JN)

Of the 32,000 school-related accidents that occur annually, 5,000 are directly related to science classes. This article acquaints high school principals with their specific legal responsibilities for science laboratories. Areas of concern include laboratory security, appropriately furnished facilities, proper instruction, and protective gear.…

This paper examines access to bathtub grab bars in privately and publicly owned apartment buildings and explores the profile of seniors who have access to bathtub grab bars. Results indicate that bathtub grab bars were significantly more prevalent in apartments that were publicly owned (91.3%) as compared to privately owned (37.8%) (p lesser than…

Outlines basic considerations about playground safety and accessibility. Proposes playgrounds to be constructed for children in inner-city neighborhoods that would be carefully supervised, be easily accessible to the community, and provide children with a range of activities and experiences. (MLF)

Emphasizes the responsibility of eliminating unacceptable levels of safety risks in outdoor education programs, without destroying opportunities for challenging experiences that allow the spontaneity and freedom of movement necessary for the development of self-reliance and self-growth for students. (JD)