Did You Know?

POPULAR TOY RECALLS:   Did you know the Disney Store recalled 54,000 Princess Ariel (Little Mermaid) costumes because they ignite easily and present a serious risk of burn injuries in violation of the Federal Flammable Fabrics Act?  Hundreds of toys are recalled each year that may still be on store shelves.  Even if the toys were pulled from major toy stores, some are bought by liquidators and end up in discount stores.  ATC keeps you informed and has data on hundreds of recalled toys including links to the photos and hazard descriptions.  Join Now to review the recalled toy list. 

CHILDREN AND FIRES:  Did you know that more Americans die each year in fires than were killed in the World Trade Center disaster?  Or that children of all ages set over 100,000 fires annually?  Approximately 20,000 fires set by children are set in homes.  Children make up 20% of all fire deaths. 30% of fires that kill children are set by children playing with fire in “secret” places.  ATC keeps you informed about fire safety, how to make a home fire plan, what kinds of secret places kids most often set fires in and much more. Join Now to stay informed.

CRIMES AGAINST ELDERLY:  Did you know that crimes against the elderly are up and that 75% of the victims are female?  ATC provides tips for elderly safety and is a resource to the elderly to become active as an ATC member in expanding ATC safety topics not only for themselves, but for all ages so that the ATC community can benefits from “the wise men and women who came before us.” Join now. 

ELDERLY WANDERING DUE TO DEMENTIA:  Did you know there are cost-effective devices that can help you keep your elderly at home in the early stages of dementia because the device sounds an alarm if your loved one leaves a safe zone?  ATC can share these choices with you and direct you to the most reputable manufacturers in the world.  And, ATC makes no money on referrals of products on our site thereby ensuring that we promote what’s safest, not what makes us money.  Join ATC and Ask Tara about your elderly wandering issues.

TODDLER DROWNINGS:  Did you know that “toddler wandering”, one cause for children lost from day care, residential drowning and opportunistic kidnappings, is NOT primarily due to supervision, but is a problem that is a natural part of the developmental stage of the toddler?  Did you know there are cost effective devices that will prevent toddler wandering?  ATC can share the choices available to you and direct you to the best product provider.  If the provider does not provide you with good service, let us know and ATC will intervene on your behalf to ensure you receive the customer service every ATC member deserves.  Join ATC and Ask Tara about what’s available to help protect your toddler from wandering into unsafe areas. 

SAFE ROOM OR SUICIDE CHAMBER?:   The popular recommendation to “shelter-in-place” or create “safe rooms” has, at best, been confusing as to how to do this safely and, at worst, left Americans with a good description of how to duct tape themselves into a suicide chamber (the duct tape and plastic sheeting “safe” rooms are, in fact, a popular suicide method in Japan.)  Join ATC and Ask Tara why a safe room may not be safe without an air supply and how you can plan for a safe and effective shelter. 

WHEN IT COMES TO BREATHING, ARE YOU SAFE OR STUPID?  WHICH DO YOU CHOOSE?    While the Department of Homeland Security has taken the position that the use of respiratory protection or use of air supply equipment in a terror situation poses a greater hazard to the public than not using it (such as suffocating in the alleged “safe room”)  ATC does not agree with this risk assessment.  The use of this equipment does have requirements and important instructions…but so does driving a car.  The safety professionals that own and operate this site are required by Federal law, as is all industry, to have millions of construction workers in this country trained to use the same products in an emergency.  This training is accomplished in a simple format, at a relatively small cost, and even laborers who do not speak English can safely use these products, so why can’t you and your family?  Learning to drive a car is much more complicated.  Could people die if they misuse air supply or respirator equipment?  Yes. But misuse is the key word.  Is that a reason to withhold knowledge from the millions of Americans who may use it safely and could save their own lives if they did?  The government should not decide to limit your choices to save your own life.  Every American should be fully informed as to their risks, choices, requirements, and costs and make their own decisions.  That’s what freedom, and free agency, is all about.  After all, in the United States alone, the use of automobiles is involved in over 6 million crashes per year (1999 statistics) and 30% of those result in injuries and over 35,000 result in deaths.  But our government hasn’t decided that using cars poses a greater hazard to the public than not using cars, now have they?  It’s about choice and accountability.  And when it comes to safety, Americans are finally taking charge.  Join ATC and Ask Tara about safe methods of respirator use or oxygen supply, whether your question is for work, home or an act of terror.

Click here to Join Now.