On the Safe Side

“Ring Around the Rosie” is a well-known nursery rhyme and singing game in the U.S. and around the world. The rhyme first appeared in print in Kate Greenaway’s 1881 “Old Nursery Rhymes” (Mother Goose) book. Some have suggested that “Ring Around the Rosie” is a metaphor for the plague and the death it inflicted – an urban legend that has been debunked! When debating one’s favorite version of  “Ring Around the Rosie,” this version is often cited:

Ring-a-round the Rosie,
A pocket full of posies.
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down!

Unlike in “Ring Around the Rosie,” falls are not always fun and games. According to Injury Facts, falls account for nearly one-third of all non-fatal emergency department visits. Falls may result in a scrape or two, or merely a bit of embarrassment – as perhaps felt by President Biden yesterday after tripping over a sandbag on stage.

Falls at work and home can be fatal. In the construction industry, falls are the top cause of fatalities and account for one-third of on-the-job injury deaths. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults aged 65 and older – and this rate is increasing.

The good news is that most falls are preventable! June is National Safety Month, an observance that was established in 1996 by the National Safety Council (NSC). The goal of National Safety Month is to increase awareness of the many preventable safety and health risks at home, not just falls, at workplaces, and the community. Check out the CDC’s National Safety Month site for educational resources to use at work and home and Safety First in this edition of The Download!

Happy Reading!

Suzanne Daniels