Safety

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Planning to head outside with a shovel after a snowfall? It’s important to pick the right one. According to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, the handle of your snow shovel should reach your chest “to reduce the amount of forward bending.” A D-shaped handle is ideal to avoid putting your wrist in awkward positions.

Have you ever taken a hot dog out of the package and eaten it without first cooking it? If so, you put yourself at risk for listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

If you have a tattoo, you’ll want to keep it looking its best. Bruce H. Thiers, MD, FAAD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology Association, has tips for keeping tattooed skin healthy and vibrant.

Cold weather safety precautions aren’t just for humans. Our four-legged friends need protection from frigid temperatures, too.

Sledding, ice skating and playing in the snow aren’t just fun – they’re good exercise and a great reason to head outdoors during the winter. But remember: Safety first.

Buffalo, NY — More than a third of U.S. adults 65 and older are prescribed medications that should be avoided by older people because the potential side effects outweigh the benefits, say researchers at the University at Buffalo.

Use of compact fluorescent lightbulbs can save money, conserve energy, reduce waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, CFLs contain mercury – a potent neurotoxin that, in small amounts, can cause serious health problems. At room temperature, mercury is a liquid and can readily evaporate into the air.

Columbus, OH — Nonfatal head and neck injuries related to all-terrain vehicles sent an average of 31 children – nearly half younger than 12 – to U.S. emergency rooms each day over a recent 25-year period, results of a recent Nationwide Children’s Hospital study show.

Newark, NJ — Stricter federal regulations could prevent millions of serious injuries – some life-threatening – associated with glass tables and tabletops, say researchers from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Arlington, VA — Exposures to household cleaning products among young children increased 10% over a recent four-month period compared with the same time frame a year ago, the American Association of Poison Control Centers is warning parents and caregivers.