PBIS: Safety

Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 1.01: Safety in the Home

 

Not all power cords are created equal. (Source)

In the olden days—a technical term that encompass all of human history until the year 1951—people's houses were more like fortresses. In order to keep strangers and enemies out, homeowners used moats, guards, and whichever wild animals were up to the task to protect their homelands from invaders.

(In case you were wondering, our grandparents preferred the "attack goat method.")

Today, there are strict zoning laws that make digging a moat not quite worth the effort, and that make creating a useful alligator pit almost impossible. Besides, living in the contemporary world means facing much different dangers than did our woods-dwelling, dragon-fighting foremothers.

Often, home safety today is less about protecting your home from outside dangers and more about ensuring that everything inside your casa is safe.

Take the following list, for example:

• Exposed wires
• Leaky pipes
• Damaged windows
• Walls
• Extension cords

All of these intensely boring objects have the potential to become serious problems. So, what can you do to protect yourself from Night of the Living Appliances? In this unit, we'll let you know.

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 1.1.01: Home Safety

You've seen at least one of the five Final Destination movies, right? If you haven't, don't. It will ruin your life.

For all those who did make the terribly regrettable decision to watch one or all of the Final Destination movies, we have one thing to tell you: chill out. You're okay. The elevator door will stay open for you. It will not crush you in half without your permission.

Okay, we won't say it'll never happen. Sure, it's possible, but statistically, it's very, very unlikely. Our point is that freak accidents are just that: freak.

Common household accidents, though? They're totally preventable, and they're the ones you should be worrying about. So stop hiding under your bed and pay attention; you do actually have a say in all this.

Clutter-Free Environment

The tricky thing about walking on two legs is that if one leg goes out, we're pretty much on the floor. We fall. It also doesn't help that we're so far away from the ground—relative to other animals, at least. Yep, we humans are quite susceptible to the tumbles.

Sure, sometimes taking a spill only leaves emotional/ego bruises, but other times, it can be dangerous. You can knock your noggin on something pointy. You can break a precious arm. You can scuff up your precious kicks.

Here's the thing: cleaning up after yourself can go a long way. If you've ever cleaned your room only to have it mysteriously unclean itself overnight, you know that this can be a tough habit to keep. Still, a clutter-free place comes with a bunch of benefits:

• Allows people to exit the room quickly in the event of an emergency.
• Your parents will not explode with rage.
• Eliminates tripping and falling hazards (according to our Shmoop scientists, these hazards increase by approximately a billion percent in the dark).

If you share your home with pets or small children, this step is especially important; both babies and puppies are known to chomp on small household items. Protect the cuteness.

Electrical Safety

Next up is electrical safety. There are entire college degree programs devoted to this topic, but if you keep in mind a few simple steps for avoiding electrical hazards, you'll actually be one step of ahead of Ben Franklin—who, for all of his accomplishments, still couldn't help electrocuting himself a couple times.

Part of maintaining a clutter-free home is making sure there are no exposed wires. Any busted-up cords need to be disposed of immediately. Why? Well, a little something called crazy fire magic flows through these cords when they're plugged in. (As we all know, crazy fire magic is what Pikachu is made of.) As such, they can spark, shock people, or start fires. We don't care who you are; you don't want that.

Additionally, it's important to turn off appliances when you're done using them. Curling irons, coffee makers, and ovens are all fire hazards when left on for extended periods of time, so it's best to get into the habit of switching them off or unplugging them as soon as you're done using them. (Not to mention it'll make your parents thrilled to see the electric bill go down a bit.)

Making a Plan

It's a good idea to have a general plan for disasters or emergencies. Meet with your family to discuss the most efficient way for everyone to leave the house in the event that they need to do so quickly.

Most disaster plans involve a few simple steps for exiting the premises as fast as possible, but some require certain roles for each person in the house. For example, if you have small children in the home, you or another family member might be designated to lead them out of the house.

Depending on where you live, it might also be a good idea to plan for specific disasters, like hurricanes if you're near the Gulf or an alien invasion if you're near crop circles. Talk with your family about what to do in case of emergency. It's important.

In the Real World

Never before has Nutella been so sad... or so unsafe.

• "'Nutella jar house blaze' kills Twickenham family's dog"

Sample Lesson - Activity