Why is this an issue for Oklahoma?

Safety and environment programs are dedicated to educating Oklahomans about home and community safety to reduce risk and create safe, healthy environments. Below are some statistics from Oklahomans that safety and environment programs can address: 

• In Oklahoma falls, burns, and poisonings account for the majority of unintentional home injury deaths among all age groups.
• Oklahoma is vulnerable to many natural disasters each year such as tornadoes, ice storms, foods, and wildfires. These disasters can cause significant financial loss by destroying homes and businesses.
• Among all age groups, older adults are most likely to die due to home injury. Over 13% of Oklahoma’s population is age 65 years and older, and of those 31.3% live alone. One out of three adults age 65 and older fall each year, costing Medicare between $9,000 and $13,500 per fall.
• It is estimated that between 15 and 30 percent of American farm operators and farm workers have physical disabilities, many of them sustained on the farm. In Oklahoma, there are more than 600 bodies of water impaired by pollutants and over 100 Public Water Supply Systems draw water from impaired lakes and streams.
• Oklahoma ranks 12th in the nation in total energy consumption per capita.
• In Oklahoma, just over 50% of our households have access to recycling programs.
• The average American produces 4.5 pounds of garbage every day, but only recycles 1 pound of that waste.

Safety & Environment Programs

• 40 Gallon Challenge - Encourages participants to safe a minimum of 40 gallons of water a day by adopting new water-saving techniques.
• Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program - A recreational group exercise program on land that includes a variety of exercises that can be preformed sitting, standing, or lying on the floor.
• Does Climate Change Your Plate? - Participants learn the impact climate variability can have on the food they purchase, how to adjust higher prices and how to reduce their own environmental impact by reducing food waste.
• Emergency Preparedness - Designed to help consumers understand the connection between being prepared and survival during and after an emergency. The content focuses on simple low and no-cost actions that individuals and families can take to be prepared. Health Homes
• Solutions Grab’n Go Toolkit - Provides information regarding the principles of healthy housing, issues affecting the health of home occupants, and home assessment.
• Home Energy Management - There are many simple no and low-cost actions which may be taken to reduce energy usage without sacrificing comfort; many take less than a minute.
• Integrated Pest Management - The integrated pest management (IPM) curriculum provides information about how to reduce pests risk. The IPM program focuses mainly on bed bugs. Bed bugs are a significant pest, can build up in large numbers before they are noticed, and are difficult to eliminate from the home environment.
• Safety Day - A day long educational program for children ages 8-13. The program delivers safety and health education in a modular format. Groups of children rotate from station to station where instructors provide information on topics including but not limited to ATV, electric, weather, and chemicals safety. The objective of the program is to make farm and ranch life safer and healthier for children and their communities.
• Tai Chi - Moving for Better Balance - A group program that focuses on improving functional ability, such as balance and physical function, to reduce fall-related risks and frequency.
• Walk With Ease - The Arthritis Foundation’s six week Walk with Ease program can teach you how to safely make physical activity part of your everyday life.