safety - PA Requirements Blog

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Category - safety

Seatbelts and Sippy Cups: Child Safety in Cars

Posted by Julia Tortorice

With car crashes being the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 54, child safety in vehicles is a subject that can never be discussed enough. Although no parent, guardian, or transportation driver wants to be involved in an accident, it happens more often than we'd like, and it's critical to take all possible measures to ensure our youngest passengers are as safe as possible. As technology has advanced and more regulations have been established, safety has become a top priority – especially in developing car seats and other safety equipment that keeps children safe. Whether you are a new parent or have a job that requires you to be around children, it's essential to learn the rules of the road and understand the best practices for ensuring child safety in vehicles. By staying educated and vigilant, you can play a crucial role in reducing the likelihood of accidents and injuries while safeguarding the well-being of the youngest members of our ...

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Ready to Dive In? It’s Never Too Late to Learn How to Swim

Posted by Julia Tortorice

In many states where the sun isn't shining year-round and swimming pools are emptied during the winter, it's more common to find adults that never took the time to learn how to swim. Swimming is often seen as a quintessential life skill, an activity for fun, fitness, or even survival. Yet, according to a survey by the Red Cross, while 80% percent of Americans can swim, only 56% of them can perform basic skills needed to save their life in the water. For many, learning to swim can feel daunting or even impossible. However, regardless of your age or experience level, it's important to remember: it's never too late to learn how to swim. Swimming is an essential skill due to its significant safety implications, as it can protect individuals from drowning, a leading cause of accidental death worldwide. Furthermore, swimming offers numerous health benefits, serving as a comprehensive, low-impact workout that enhances cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and endur...

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The Impact of Social Media on Young Minds

Posted by Julia Tortorice

With social media being so readily accessible these days, it’s hard to set limits and boundaries for children wanting to dive deep into the world of social networks. After much deliberation, as parents try to find the right balance of how much or even if our young teenagers should be on social media, new research has surfaced that indicates growing concerns for any social media engagement for people under the age of 13. In fact, in May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory about the usage of social media and its risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. The advisory came after research unveiled that roughly 95% of young people ages 13-17 reported using social media “almost constantly.” The press release published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services came with the Surgeon General’s warning that explained how social media exposes children to various detrimental content, encompassing vi...

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Trick or Treat: Halloween Safety Edition

Posted by Emily Pazel

It’s time to dust off those Halloween decorations and put them on display because the annual spooky holiday is right around the corner. Dressing up as your favorite character or costume is always a must, and something people plan out months ahead of time. And for some, trick-or-treating might not even be a part of the tradition any more. Maybe it’s just watching scary movies with a big bowl of candy corn in front of you. But for the hundreds of thousands of trick-or-treaters that still make their rounds in the neighborhood for candy, what could go wrong? Well, to start, trick-or-treating during a pandemic has not been as easy as it seems. For many, trick-or-treating was canceled last year and – depending on where you live – could see restrictions again this year. However, if trick-or-treating is allowed in your area, you should always try to follow the CDC’s guidelines to ensure your holiday traditions are safe. So once you have read the guidelines and ...

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The World of Fostering

Posted by Emily Pazel

Have you ever considered becoming a foster care parent, but didn’t know where to start or how much it would entail? Many times, taking care of a child in the foster care system is easier said than done. It involves finding the right fostering program, becoming certified into the foster care system, staying up-to-date on your inspections and certifications and preparing your home for taking care of a child that may be staying with you for an extended period of time. Nationwide, according to the Foundation for Foster Children, there are roughly 500,000 children and youth in the foster care system. Unfortunately, children in the foster care system typically “change families, schools and communities with appalling frequency,” and roughly two-thirds of children end up moving seven or more times while in foster care. Typically, children are placed into a state-run foster care system set up to provide alternative living situations for children whose parents...

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Why is it Important to Childproof your Home? And What Do You Need?

Posted by Mary Thompson

As we all know, safety is important and your child’s safety is a top priority. It's easy for babies and toddlers to get in trouble because they don't know what danger is, which is why they need constant supervision. And even though your baby is not in the crawling stage yet, there’s still a lot of things you have to prepare for and tools you are going to need to keep them away from danger as they grow. Before your little one starts to curiously wander around the house you must know the places they shouldn't be allowed in, so take your time and look around your home and make sure it is free of any hazards before your baby is born. Because before you know it they will be walking and climbing things. Young kids have the highest risk of being injured at home because they spend most of their time there. Therefore, as parents we must prepare and prevent any accidents from happening. If you’re a first time parent, don’t worry, here are a couple of tip...

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How much is Social Media Influencing Our Youth?

Posted by Emily Pazel

Nowadays, social media is everywhere. And when we say everywhere, that’s exactly what we mean. Not only is it used by billions of people to connect with friends, family and neighbors, it’s also used by thousands of businesses as a digital marketing strategy to collect data, influence shopping trends and ultimately, make a buck or two from you, the consumer. But what makes it so addicting? Why can’t we seem to put down our phones? And how exactly is it influencing the people around us? In particular – how is it affecting the people most at risk: our younger population? Reports have shown that 75 percent of American teenagers have social media profiles, and that using social media has become a huge part of a teenager’s normal daily life. Of those using social media, reports have shown that 51 percent of teens visit social networking sites on a daily basis, and that more than a third of teens re-visit their main social networking site several times a da...

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When Pennsylvania Schools Open, How will COVID-19 Change the Landscape?

Posted by Sandy Thompson

The Pennsylvania Department of Education states they are “committed to offering guidance and resources to support and help protect school communities during this pandemic.” Although the plans for how and when schools reopen is still a moving target, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has provided a Preliminary Guidance for the Phased Reopening of Pre-K to 12 Schools. The reopening of schools depends on the public health conditions and will vary by county. Additionally, the phased reopening will be designated by Governor Wolf’s Process to Reopen Pennsylvania. Since the reopening phases may be adjusted due to the current public health, schools have been tasked with maintaining flexibility in relation to reopenings. With the increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania, the state is encouraging residents to continue social distancing, increased hygiene practices and to wear face coverings in public. Additionally, many stores and social meeting...

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Recognizing People on the Autism Spectrum

Posted by Emily Pazel

Autism spectrum disorder is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears in children before the age of 3, and can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. And believe it or not, autism is generally more common than you think, affecting nearly 1 in 59 children. If you happen to work with children or are around children more often than not, there is a good chance that you know or will encounter someone living with autism. And it’s important to know how to approach teaching them or having them in your office while keeping them comfortable and at ease. With April being National Autism Awareness Month, we are taking the opportunity to dive into learning more about this disability that affects many different people on many different levels. What is Autism? Autism, according to the National Autism Association, is a developmental disability that impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of socia...

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