Give the Gift of Safety

By Pat Hlavka • November 29, 2018

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If you are in the process of figuring out the perfect holiday gift for your loved ones and friends, look no further because I have the perfect suggestion for you: give the gift of safety! But wait a minute. How can you do that? Keeping those special people in your life safe can be easy and rewarding. I did a little shopping and have a few suggestions on items you can provide for them to show how much you care:

First Aid:

• First aid kit (home, garage, car, camper, or boat)
• Tourniquet and how to use it
• CPR training

Fire Safety:

• Fire extinguishers (home, garage, car, camper, boat): how to choose and use
• Carbon monoxide detector

At Play:

• Helmets (biking, skate boarding, skating, skiing, sledding, roller blading, etc.): how to choose
• Life vests when near (or on) water: different types

At Home:

• Weather tools
• Flashlights
• Carbon monoxide detector
• Hearing protection
• Safety glasses
• Cut-resistant gloves
• Write a personal preparedness plan
• Create a personal preparedness kit

In the Car:

• Winter weather emergency kit
• Car emergency kits

At Work:

• Create a treat packet with safety slogans for your staff—sweet and safe! I put together a treat bag for our hard-working laboratory safety committee members. I am so thankful for their commitment to our safety program, and I hope that the goodies will remind them how much they are appreciated. I found some great safety slogans that I printed on labels and placed on the candies: (no longer available)

Now, I need to get busy with my holiday and birthday gift list. My adult son was cooking recently and had a nasty mishap with a chef’s knife that required a trip to the emergency room, so I am going to get cut-resistant gloves for his December birthday. My husband’s birthday is also in December, and he will be getting hearing protection for mowing and snow-blowing activities so that he can be sure to hear me for many years to come.

Give your loved ones the gift of safety, and they will love you for it. Spread the cheer and spread the safety. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season!

Note: These are not endorsements, only suggested resources.

Pat Hlavka

Pat Hlavka is a Safety Coordinator in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. She received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an M.S. degree in Safety from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers. Pat worked as a safety professional in the industrial setting (IBM and Benchmark Electronics) for over 15 years. Since joining the Mayo Clinic in 2008, her responsibilities have focused on laboratory safety including the safety audit program, developing and maintaining documentation, training, communications, awareness, incident investigation, laboratory safety committees, and emergency management.