Katie Helfand generally follows all the rules when she's horseback riding. But three summers ago, at riding camp, she got a little lax. Helfand, 15, was lying on her horse's neck, the reins drooped at the sides, when the horse in front of her suddenly took off at a canter.
"Then my horse started to canter," she says. "He ran off and I lost control."
The Toronto teen tumbled off her horse. She wasn't too hurt, more shaken than anything, but she learned a valuable lesson about paying attention to the rules.
The approach of warmer weather can put all sorts of wild, risk-taking ideas into a young person's head, pushing all thoughts of safety right out of it. But it is in these hot summer months that teens should take the most care. Hazards abound and some can be deadly. Injuries kill an estimated 3,000 young people in Canada each year, according to Statistics Canada, and more accidents happen during the summer than at any other time.
"Summer is known as the trauma season," said Laveena Sethia of Safe Kids Canada, the national injury prevention program at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. "Looking at a sample of emergency rooms, one-third of all injuries happen in June, July and August."
From slicing her foot to spraining her ankle, Michelle Landy, 19, of Toronto, said she absolutely hurts herself more in the summer. "There are more body parts uncovered," she said. "And I'm way more active in the summer."
Typical summer activities like biking, in-line skating and skateboarding contribute to the spike in injury statistics for one reason -- too many young people don't wear a helmet. Last summer, Safe Kids Canada did a survey of 10- to 14-year-olds and found that while young people know helmets can save their lives, the majority simply forget to put one on when they are out biking, skating or boarding.
While helmets might mess up a stylish summer hairdo, they can prevent almost all fatalities and serious injuries from a fall. They can reduce the risk of head or brain injury by more than 80 per cent.
All helmets aren't created equal. Two different types should be used for biking and skateboarding; people tend to fall forward off a bike and backwards off a skateboard.
Most provinces legally require people to wear helmets when they skate or cycle. Forgetting to slap one on can result in a fine -- anywhere from $21 to $100.
Summer work provides the bulk of many teens' income for the year, but safety officials caution teens not to put their savings accounts ahead of their safety.
"Seven to 10 dollars an hour isn't worth losing a limb or dying," said Paul Kells, the founder of the Passport to Safety program, which provides safety training for student workers across Canada.
Four days after starting a summer job at an industrial warehouse, Kells's 19-year-old son Sean died from severe burns after a barrel of highly flammable material exploded in his hands. He hadn't known he was handling hazardous goods.
Sean was only one of the hundreds of teens killed at their summer jobs in the last 10 years. More teens get injured in their first month on the job than any time after that.
"There is no such thing as an accident in the workplace," said Don Hall, prevention co-ordinator at the Ontario Ministry of Labour. "The word 'accident' implies they were not avoidable. These things are avoidable."
On-the-job training should be the first thing teens get when they walk into a job. New workers should know how to operate all the equipment, read hazardous material labels, know first-aid procedures and have the proper gear.
"Often a young person won't know what they don't know about hazards in the workplace," said Cathi Carr of the Workplace Insurance and Safety Board in Ontario.
"Young people and their parents worry more about getting to work safely than being at work safely."
Most teens might not know they can refuse to work in an environment they consider unsafe. If unsure about approaching a supervisor for fear of losing their job, they can phone complaints or concerns anonymously to the Labour Ministry and someone will come and check out the work site.
"Young people need to understand that they have rights if they are injured on the job," said Hall, "And . . . they have responsibilities as well."
Since preventable accidents make up the bulk of injuries over the summer, all it takes is a teen not crossing the "stupid line," said Kathy Blair of Smartrisk Canada, a non-profit organization focused on preventing injuries and saving lives.
"We all think of ourselves as invincible," said Anita Kaiser, who became a quadriplegic after a 1996 car accident. She and her sister had ignored warnings that their car may not have been safe to drive.
"It never occurs to you that something you are going to do will injure you permanently or kill you."
SAFETY TIPS
"It never occurs to you that something you are going to do will injure you permanently or kill you."
- Wear a protective helmet when you are biking, in-line skating or boarding.
- Make sure your gear fits properly. Skate laces should be tucked inside the shoes. Measure your bike's fit by straddling the seat; -- both your feet should touch the ground.
- Avoid biking or skating at dusk, after dark or in rainy conditions if possible. And never wear a Walkman while biking; you won't be able to hear traffic coming from behind you.
- Wear sunscreen, even when it's cloudy. Skin cancer is the fourth-highest cause of cancer among teenagers.
TOP SIX CAUSES
Accidental deaths among children and adolescents are, in order:
1. Road accidents
2. Drownings
3. Burns
4. Asphyxia (choking)
5. Falls
6. Poisonings
DID YOU KNOW:
An average of 3,000 children and adolescents die in accidents in Canada each year. This figure outnumbers all deaths from cancer, birth defects, pneumonia, cardiac diseases and meningitis, according to Statistics Canada.
