(NC)—Spring and summer mean more than flowers, rain showers, vacation and relaxation.  The warm weather also brings a little known fact and an unwelcome reality:  more child-pedestrian injuries and deaths than any other time of year.  Walking is a child’s first means of independent transportation and often the most accessible, yet child-pedestrian incidents are a leading cause of injury-related death for Canadian children under the age of 14.  A staggering 2,412 child pedestrians are injured each year and approximately 30 are killed, usually crossing the street at an intersection within 5 kilometres of their home.

According to Safe Kids Canada, most parents report teaching their children pedestrian safety, but a study of more than 700 parents found that only 16 per cent of parents knew basic pedestrian safety facts.  In addition, if they have correct knowledge, parents and caregivers don’t always practice what they know.  It’s important to know the rules of the road, set a good example and reinforce safe behaviour with your child over and over again.

Bottom line: Walk with your children and teach them the pedestrian safety rules every single time.  Safety education should be repeated every time parents / caregivers and children are walking together and should start before the child reaches age nine and continue into their adolescence.

• Look left, look straight into the intersection, look right, and repeat before crossing the street.

• Cross at the intersection.

• Watch for drivers because parked cars can block them from a driver’s view.

• Practice making street-crossing decisions on their own, but with you there giving them much-needed practical experience.

• Weather conditions are different (i.e. snow, fog, sleet, rain).

• Taking a new route.

• In a variety of road situations.

• When it’s their first time walking alone.

These tips are part of the 2008 Safe Kids Week campaign – Safe Roads, Safe Kids – running from May 26 – June 1 and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.  More information on child-pedestrian safety is available from

Safe Kids Canada at 1-888-SAFE-TIPS (723-3847) or online at www.safekidscanada.ca.

-News Canada

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Fireplace experts, smart decorating could save your home

(ARA) – Frosty weather, flickering candles and glittering decorations create holiday ambiance. They also account for thousands of personal tragedies each year.

Home fires increase significantly between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and they’re often sparked by heating sources, candles and poorly placed decorations. To keep your home and family safe this holiday season, call your local furnace specialist or chimney sweep and be mindful with holiday decorations, especially candles.

Don’t Do It Yourself

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February, second only to cooking equipment as a cause of home fires year-round, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Cindy Woodford has experienced this firsthand. As vice president of homeowners business for Unigard and General Casualty insurance companies, Woodford has seen poorly maintained furnaces and fireplaces cause lots of heartbreak – and a few close calls – during this otherwise joyous time of year. She recalls a lucky Unigard policyholder who had his chimney inspected before firing it up for the season. The professional chimney sweep found two hairline cracks that would have caused a dangerous fire the next time the homeowner used the fireplace.

Woodford also cautions against trying to clean your chimney, which could damage the flue lining, create hairline cracks or push highly flammable creosote into dangerous places. She warned of even more disastrous results when trying to check your furnace – remembering a policyholder who caused a propane explosion while checking for leaks. He was lucky to survive. His home did not.

“Bottom line, have your furnace and fireplace or wood-burning stove checked every year. And leave it to the professionals,” Woodford says. She also recommends checking out the home maintenance checklist at www.unigard.com under Claims & Insurance Info and Safety Tips.

Candle with care

In December, nearly twice as many home fires start with candles than in an average month, according to the NFPA. And from 2000 to 2004 Christmas Day was the peak day for home candle fires, Christmas Eve ranked second, and New Year’s Day was third.

If you think you’re already careful with candles, consider this: A Unigard homeowner recently suffered significant damage after two playful cats swatted over a burning candle. One General Casualty policyholder went to meet the pizza guy on his front porch. During that short time, a candle ignited the home, and it burned to the ground.

Unigard and General Casualty experts offer the following reminders:

* Never leave a burning candle unattended.
* Keep candles where pets and children can’t reach.
* Put candles in fireproof, sturdy holders.
* Opt for flashlights during a blackout.
* Deck the halls with caution.

Home fires during the holiday season are more expensive and dangerous than the rest of the year, largely because of seasonal decorations (Christmas trees, strings of lights, wrapping paper, etc.).

The U.S. Fire Administration reports the average Christmas tree/decoration fire costs $27,259 compared to the average fire loss of $6,245. Even worse, the average fatality rate per 1,000 in a Christmas tree/decoration fire is 21.3, compared to the overall average of 2.5 (2001 – 2002).

To avoid becoming a statistic this season, consider these tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

* Look for artificial trees that are fire-resistant.
* Real trees should be green and fresh. Keep them well watered.
* Keep trees and other flammable decorations away from fireplaces, radiators, candles and other heat sources.
* Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

“Also, think about how long you’ve had those Christmas lights,” adds Jonathan Farris, assistant vice president at General Casualty. “If you’re using older lights, carefully inspect the wires for any signs of weakening and throw away problem strands.” He also notes that newer lights emit significantly less heat, making them much safer.

“The best advice is to use common sense. Don’t put ashes in a paper bag or leave spray paint cans near the fireplace or thaw your pipes with a blow torch,” Woodford says, citing more examples from the claims files. “It just takes one careless moment to cause a devastating house fire.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Shopping for the Change of Seasons? How to Stay Safe at the Mall

(ARA) – With the colder weather just around the corner, lots of shoppers are taking advantage of seasonal sales and flocking to the malls in search of a new, warmer wardrobe. Before you head out to a busy shopping center, it’s a good idea to review some building transportation safety tips.

Riding in an elevator has become so commonplace that few of us give much thought to our safety when stepping through those automatic doors. Nevertheless, it is crucial to take preventive measures and be proactive about elevator safety. Familiarizing oneself with common safety practices and taking extra caution is especially important in well-populated buildings such as offices, libraries, malls and amusement parks.

Safety guidelines every elevator passenger should follow:

* Be aware of health conditions that could contribute to falls or accidents. Be extra careful if you wear prescription glasses, have an illness or take medications that affect your eyesight, mobility or balance.

* Accompany children in elevators at all times.

* Watch your step — the elevator car may not be perfectly level with the floor.

* Always stand clear of the elevator doors, keeping belongings away from the opening. Stand aside for exiting passengers and hold children by the hand.

* Never try to stop a closing door with hands or feet. Instead, wait for the next elevator.

* If the arriving elevator is full, do not attempt to cram in and fit. Rather, wait for the next car.

Industry experts estimate that Americans and Canadians ride 750,000 elevators about 210 billion times per year, totaling a whopping 100 million miles annually. Considered one of the safest forms of transportation in the world, elevators move an estimated 325 million passengers daily. However, because riding them has become so routine, rules and vital safety precautions can be neglected. “Focusing on proper elevator conduct is imperative to preventing an injury or accident from occurring,” says Edward A. Donoghue, spokesperson, administrator and secretary of the National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII). “Most elevator accidents can be prevented simply by being aware of surroundings and by following simple safety rules.”

The National Elevator Industry Inc. (NEII) is a leading trade association dedicated to educating both the general public and industry professionals about escalator and elevator safety. For more information about elevators and escalators, log onto www.neii.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

What to do if you are in a stalled elevator:

1. Push the “Door Open” Button
If you are near the landing, the door will open. Slowly and carefully step out of the elevator. Be sure to watch your step as the elevator floor may or may not be level with the landing.

2. Remain Calm
If the door does not open, you are still safe. Do not try to exit the elevator. Wait for trained emergency personnel to arrive. Even if the air temperature feels warm, there is plenty of air circulating in the elevator and its shaft way.

3. Press the Alarm or Help Button, and Use Any Available Communication Systems
Push the alarm button and wait for someone to respond to you.

In newer elevators, there will be a HELP button instead of an alarm button. This will place a call to a party that is trained to take action (i.e. elevator company, alarm company, etc.). It will give the exact location of the building and elevator you are in. Trained emergency personnel will answer the call for service within several minutes.

Some elevators have a two-way speaker system or telephone that will allow for communication between you and the building or rescue personnel. Do not be alarmed if you cannot be heard or if the phone does not work. Some phones are designed to only receive calls. Trained personnel should call when they arrive at the building.

4. Relax, and DO NOT Try to Extract Yourself from the Elevator
Never try to exit a stalled elevator car. It is extremely dangerous. Always wait for trained emergency personnel.

* Your best course of action is to relax, get comfortable and wait for professional assistance.
* You may be inconvenienced, but remember that you are SAFE!

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Visiting Nurse Associations of America, Families Fighting Flu and The Clorox Company Team Up to Vaccinate Thousands of Children in October to Make Flu Season Less Scary

(ARA) – Ghouls and goblins are not the only things to be afraid of this Halloween; October is also the start of flu season. Influenza is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths for children, but according to a recent survey more than 75 percent of moms are still not vaccinating their entire families against the flu.

For the second year, the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA), Families Fighting Flu (FFF) and The Clorox Company joined forces for the national Say “Boo!” to the Flu program to raise awareness of the importance of flu prevention and vaccinate children starting in October, before flu season peaks. Nationwide Say “Boo!” to the Flu events will take the ouch out of flu prevention with games and free giveaways — like T-shirts, trick-or-treat bags and Clorox Disinfecting products — and families will also learn other tips to help prevent the spread of the flu virus all fall and winter.

“Nearly 100 American children under five years of age die every year from influenza — the goal of this program is to give parents the tools to help protect their families,” says Richard Kanowitz, president of Families Fighting Flu. “We know families have a lot going on during this time of year, so this program makes it easy to get a vaccination and the activities add some fun for the kids, too.”

Many Moms Need Flu Fact Check-Up
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that all children six months to five years old get vaccinated against the flu. They also recommend the vaccine for anyone in frequent contact with this group — meaning moms, dads and child care providers. A recent survey from the VNAA found moms of children in this age group need help fighting the flu. Say “Boo!” to the Flu will make flu prevention so easy, it’s almost scary!

Survey says…
* More than 75 percent of moms of children under five don’t get their whole family vaccinated against the flu. Many moms nix the needle because they don’t have time or their children are too afraid.
* The majority of moms say they are not very concerned about their child developing serious flu complications.
* Only two percent of moms are concerned about a member of their family catching the flu at home.
* 43 percent of moms say their approach to the flu season is to “let nature take its course.”

BOO Answers…
* Say “Boo!” to the Flu events make it easy and fun to vaccinate the whole family, all in one place.
* The CDC says children are at high risk of serious flu complications.
* With just one sick family member at home, more than 60 percent of household surfaces can harbor the flu virus, making it important to disinfect germ hot spots.
* Vaccination is the first step in flu prevention, but parents should also take these simple steps at home:

Sing & Scrub: Make sure kids wash their hands the right way. They should wash frequently with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).

Disinfect Hot Spots: Kids can touch up to 300 surfaces in 30 minutes, so be sure to disinfect the surfaces kids touch most frequently — like doorknobs, light switches, faucets or toys. Use a disinfectant designed to kill cold and flu viruses, like Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.

Do the Elbow Cough: Teach kids to cough into elbows, not hands where they’re more likely to spread bacteria and viruses through touch.

Follow Good Health Guidelines: Eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep to help boost your body’s ability to fight the effects of colds and flu.

SayBooToTheFlu.com
Say “Boo!” to the Flu hits the road October 1 in Boston, MA, and will travel across the country, ending in the San Francisco, CA, area on October 31. Visit www.sayboototheflu.com for the complete tour schedule and for other free, interactive tools and games to help families learn how to make the flu virus too scared to hang around their house, such as:

* Flu vaccination locator
* Hand washing reward chart
* “Cinnamon Magic” hand washing game
* “Yummy Bug Cakes” recipe
* “Spooky Soap” instructions

Scare Away the Flu
It is estimated that each year in the United States, more than 20,000 children less than five years old are hospitalized due to the flu, and children less than two years old are even more likely to be hospitalized by the flu. Among children who died from the flu in the 2003-2004 flu season, 44 percent were healthy and had no underlying conditions.

Influenza, or “the flu,” is an easy-to-spread viral infection. The symptoms include high fever, chills, cough, aches and fatigue. A simple cough or sneeze can quickly spread the flu virus from person to person. The flu virus can live on household surfaces, too.

For more information visit www.sayboototheflu.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) – Halloween is a season that brings jack-o-lanterns to front porches and spiders, super heroes and princesses to the streets. This year add to the ghoulish atmosphere with a few safe and healthy tricks that will make your book of spells the most popular on the block.

Lanterns Lead the ‘Spooky’ Way:

Safety comes first on Halloween when you are welcoming trick-or-treaters to your haunted mansion. Always maintain a well-lit area to prevent accidents and to monitor ghosts and goblins as they approach. Use pumpkin-inspired paper lanterns to do the trick. Have the kids draw jack-o-lanterns on paper lunch bags, cut out the eyes, nose and mouth and add several inches of sand to the bottom of each bag. Place a small votive candle in a glass jar, position on the sand and light for an eerie trick-or-treat experience.

Fright Light:

Whether your costume is scary or sweet, always wear lightweight and lightly colored clothing and remember to carry a flashlight to navigate through the dark night. Try adding a recognizable patch or reflector to a child’s costume to make sure they are easily spotted.

‘Boo’ in Your Basket:

According to the National Confectioners Association (www.CandyUSA.org), 93 percent of children go ”trick-or-treating,” making candy the focus of the door-to-door Halloween ritual. So why not give some special attention to the way you pass out your candy selection? Make your treat bowl the most memorable in the neighborhood and give it a costume of its own. Decorate your treat basket with a witch’s broom and hat or create a ghostly silhouette with a white cloth covering a round table. Costumes are no longer just for kids.

Gummy Mummy:

Choosing which candy to pass out is a tough decision. NCA surveys reveal that kids’ favorite treats are candy and gum. Give trick-or-treaters what they want this year and fill your bowl with Life Savers Halloween Gummies. Kids love them for their adventurous flavors and gummy texture and parents like the lower calorie, fat-free treat option. You can also use gummies to top seasonal cupcakes, cookies and cakes.

Carry in Style:

Making a one-of-a-kind trick-or-treating bag with inexpensive materials is a fun way to involve kids in Halloween preparation. Grab an old pillowcase or bag and let kids decorate it to match their costume or favorite Halloween creature. Adding designs is easy with fabric paints, ribbon and buttons.

Cook before they Collect:

In addition to choosing a guilt-free treat for trick-or-treaters cook a wholesome meal before sending your goblins and ghosts into the night. Serve a Halloween themed meal like grilled cheese sandwiches cut into tombstone shapes with an enchanted forest of broccoli. Add ”Boo” and ”R.I.P” in ketchup to make them smile. Sending your trick-or-treaters out on a full stomach will prevent them from over eating their Halloween goodies.

“Chews” Gum:

After the kids sample their basket treats, suggest they chew gum. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), chewing sugar-free gum, like Eclipse, Orbit or Extra, helps reduce tooth decay. Let the kids indulge a little during the special holiday, but don’t forget the importance of oral hygiene and brushing and flossing your teeth before bed and after every meal. They’ll need those fangs again next year.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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From softball to skateboarding, sport participation can lead to injury. For many sports, protective gear and safety lessons are the first steps to ensure an injury-free school year.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) stresses the importance of protective gear while engaging in a particularly new phenomenon … heeling. Heelys — also known as roller shoes or street gliders — are shoes that have a wheel on the heel. These types of shoes fall into the category of inline skates which qualifies them as a sport, and carries warnings for their use including wearing protective gear such as wrist guards and helmets to avoid injuries.

According to James H. Beaty, MD, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and president of AAOS, “Orthopaedic surgeons are in fact seeing children come into their practices with injuries due to Heeleys, mostly of a fracture-type within the hand, wrist or elbow.”

For a child to maneuver in roller shoes, they merely shift their body weight backward over the heels, the wheels then engage and cause a change from walking to rolling. “As these shoes are sold in department stores, parents buying them may develop a false sense of security — that they are like any other shoe,” says Beaty.

“Roller shoes are very similar to being on roller blades or inline skates and protective gear should be worn at all times. If children are to ‘heel,’ it should not be done while going down a hill, over a curb or over rocky areas,” continues Beaty.

Once kids have mastered safe heeling, they may want to wear them to school. Some schools have banned Heelys from being worn on school grounds during the school day, but if school is within walking distance, and they’re used with the proper safety precautions, Heelys can be a great way for kids to get to school. Just be sure they bring another pair of shoes to change into.

Injuries can be avoided if safety precautions are remembered. Below are a few safety tips for those that take up wheeled-shoe sports:

* Learn the basic skills of the sport; particularly how to stop properly, before venturing out.
* Wear a helmet, wrist protectors and knee and elbow pads.
* Avoid rolling in crowded walkways.
* Avoid rolling in traffic. If you come to a cross walk, obey traffic signals, stay to the right side of the sidewalk and don’t weave in and out of crowds.
* Heel on smooth surfaces, away from traffic.
* Do not let a young child heel unsupervised.

Before heading out to buy wheeled shoes, keep the following in mind:

* Do not buy roller shoes that put too much pressure on any area of your foot; the pressure can cause blisters.
* Choose the shoe size at the end of the day when feet will be their largest.
* When selecting the size of the roller shoe, wear the same type of sock that will be worn when heeling.

For more information about preventing injuries, visit www.orthinfo.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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“My daughter’s happiness and safety is paramount, including when she’s using our home PC and the Internet,” says Robin Mason, the parent of a 12-year-old. “My life is very busy, and I don’t have time to deal with complicated safety settings on our computer or watch my daughter every minute she’s online. I need a technology that will make it easier for me to be a responsible parent.”

Here are five tips to help parents such as Mason get a grip on home PC and Internet management:

* Place your family PC in an open, visible location. Kids computing and surfing the Web behind closed doors takes you, the parent, out of the supervising role.

* Get hip to your Web browser’s access settings to block out objectionable Web sites. Windows Internet Explorer, for example, has a Content Advisor option that allows you to block sites with sexual content, violence and other categories.

* Preset your search engine to be kid friendly. Search engines usually have filter settings to block sexually explicit text and image results. Lists of pre-screened kid-safe research sites are also available online.

* If you’re in the market for a new PC, go for one with the new Windows Vista operating system. Windows Vista includes a one-stop Parental Controls feature with a suite of tools to allow parents to do the following:

Control what days of the week and what hours in each day your child may have access to your home computer and the Internet.

Set Web site access restrictions (the Medium level, for example, blocks Web sites that do not use an age-appropriate rating).

Block game playing, specific game titles or access to games with a mature age rating.

Get an activity report showing the top 10 Web sites your child has visited, most recent sites blocked and other useful information, including file downloads, downloads blocked, programs run, games played and e-mail and instant messaging activity.

* Talk to your children about cybersafety. Have them sign a pledge with rules for what is and is not OK to do.

For more about Windows Vista and the new Parental Controls and other security enhancements, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista. At the site you can download the Upgrade Advisor program to identify your PC’s upgrade needs.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 3,000 Americans died in home fires in 2005 and nearly 18,000 were injured. Every 80 seconds, a home catches fire, and winter is the most common time of year for home fires. There’s no time like the present to make sure homes and families are prepared.

“No one wants to think about having a fire at home. But thinking about it and being ready for it can and does save lives,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council.

There are several common-sense precautions one can take to prevent fires, Appy says:

* Smoking is the number one cause of fatal fires. Proper disposal of ashes and cigarette butts is essential — douse them with water before disposing. It’s safest to smoke outside.

* More home fires start in the kitchen than any other room of the home. Stay with the range when cooking. Keep anything that can burn, including potholders and food wrappers, at least three feet away from the stovetop while cooking.

* When burning candles make sure they are well away from combustible materials (such as decorations and papers), out of reach of children, and cannot be knocked over by pets. Blow them out when leaving a room or if you get sleepy. Don’t permit children to keep candles in their rooms and supervise them if you permit them to light candles for the family.

* Portable heaters need their space. Keep anything combustible at least three feet away. Turn portable heaters off when you are ready to sleep or if you leave the room.

* Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children. If young children live in or visit your home, keep all matches and lighters out of sight and reach, preferably in a locked cabinet. Teach young children not to touch them, and adolescents to resist peer pressure and not to play with fire if curious or bored.

* Hire a professional to inspect chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves and central furnaces once a year. Clean them when necessary.

Should a fire break out, smoke alarms are the first line of defense. Make sure to have one outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your home — and inside sleeping areas if doors are kept closed when sleeping. Test each smoke alarm once a month. When necessary, replace batteries immediately.

Another option that is becoming increasingly popular with homeowners is home fire sprinkler systems. Fire sprinklers help save lives by putting a small amount of water on the flames when the fire starts. Sprinklers extinguish the fire completely or contain it until firefighters arrive — providing the ultimate protection from fire for both lives and property. Fire sprinklers can also save money on insurance premiums. It’s an important option to discuss with builders during the home construction process.

“Installing a home fire sprinkler system when building a home typically costs less than $2 per square foot — a small price to pay for protecting family and property,” says Darren Palmieri of Tyco Fire & Building Products, manufacturer of the Rapid Response home fire sprinkler system. He also points out that homeowners have a growing choice of looks and finishes for sprinkler systems to blend with décor.

While smoke alarms activate based on smoke levels, fire sprinklers activate only in response to the high temperature of a fire; smoke cannot cause a sprinkler to operate. There are other misconceptions about fire sprinklers. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire source operates. Typically, only one sprinkler is needed to extinguish a home fire. Contrary to what has been shown in the movies, sprinklers do not activate all at once, and a sprinkler will not activate if a piece of toast is burnt.

For more information on fire safety, contact your local fire department, or use the Internet: www.homesafetycouncil.org, www.homefiresprinkler.org and www.nfpa.org.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Every Family Needs an Escape Plan

Having a family escape plan in place is an important part of fire safety. Here’s how to put one together.

* Talk with family members about the best ways to get outside quickly. Each person should know two ways to get out of every room. If you live in a large building, know all of the ways to get out fast. Consider purchasing escape ladders for bedrooms on the second and third stories.

* Choose a meeting place that is outside and in front of the home. Make sure everyone knows to head there in case of a fire.

* Small children, older adults, and people with disabilities will need help to escape a fire. As part of your plan, assign an adult to be assist those who are not able to wake up and escape quickly on their own.

* Practice what to do if there is smoke: Crouch or crawl below the smoke and follow the escape route.

* Once a plan is in place, practice a family fire drill frequently.

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“Food preparation can be potentially dangerous,” says Linda Golodner, NCL President. “Our goal is to make cooking as easy and as safe as possible.”

NCL has created a new brochure, “Good Cooking Starts with Safe Cooking,” that offers busy, time-starved cooks helpful tips to prevent accidents in the kitchen. The brochure is available to consumers who visit www.nclnet.org or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to NCL at 1701 K Street NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC. 20006.

Some of the brochure’s helpful tips include:

* Heat with care: Learn how to tell whether your pan is properly preheated. If you are using a non-stick or empty pan, flick a few drops of water onto the pan. Once the water droplets begin to sizzle in the pan, it is hot enough. (Never flick water into hot oil – the spattering oil can cause serious burns!)

* Stay in the kitchen: Don’t leave any cookware on a hot stovetop unattended. Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires across America, and unattended cooking is the No. 1 contributor to cooking fires.

* Play matchmaker: Use a stove burner that matches the size of the pan bottom. Once you have selected a pan that is appropriate for your recipe, use the burner that matches the size of the pan bottom. Using too small of a burner will result in uneven heating and long cooking times. Using too large of a burner is inefficient and exposes hot coils or flames.

* Keep it clean: Wash cooking surfaces to remove grease — and prevent fires.

* Look for healthy habits: Consider using non-stick cookware to prepare meals with less oil. The American Heart Association recommends using non-stick cookware to “create a healthier diet without losing out on flavor.”

The “Good Cooking Starts with Safe Cooking” brochure has been endorsed by the American Personal Chef Association, the Home Safety Council and the Cookware Manufacturers Association, and was made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from DuPont. For more information, visit http://www.nclnet.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

About the National Consumers League (NCL)

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. The National Consumers League is a private, nonprofit advocacy group representing consumers on marketplace and workplace issues.

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