[DiaryPoint = Reporter Park Bo-young] The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) is observing National Injury Prevention Week from Nov. 2 to 6. This year’s theme is “A healthy society free from injury, building the future of prevention together.” Five events are scheduled, including an injury prevention forum, fall prevention training for older adults, first-aid training for airline staff, education on medication misuse for teenagers, and a joint symposium on emergency room injury surveillance.
Injury Prevention Day is a statutory observance held each year on Nov. 1. This year’s commemorative event took place Nov. 2 at Osco in Cheongju, while the week’s educational programs are tailored to different groups, including older adults and teenagers, and their everyday environments. As this is the first year of the First Comprehensive Injury Management Plan (2026–2030), participants will also discuss ways to assess injury risks by region and develop prevention strategies suited to local needs.
Start by checking fall risks between the bedroom and bathroom
At home, a practical first step is to check the route between the bathroom and bedroom. The KDCA’s National Health Information Portal advises wiping up wet floors promptly, installing grab bars beside the toilet and on bathtub walls, and clearing away trip hazards such as cords, towels and boxes. Check that hallways and the bedroom and bathroom are well lit, and consider placing a light beside the bed that can be switched on without getting up.
Wipe up water or grease around the sink and stove right away, and consider using a nonslip mat. Some medications taken by parents, including sedatives, muscle relaxants and blood pressure drugs, can cause dizziness. Rather than stopping a medicine or changing the dose on your own, check the full medication list with a health care professional. Move slowly when getting up from a seated or lying position, and if your vision has changed, check your prescription and eyesight as well.
Check hot cookware and how medicines are stored
When cooking, arrange the kitchen so children cannot reach hot soup, pots or steam, and keep your face away when opening a pressure cooker or pot, the KDCA advises. If a burn occurs, remove jewelry first and cool the area under cool running water for at least 15 minutes. Do not apply ice directly or pop blisters, and avoid applying toothpaste, ointment or lotion on your own.
As a basic precaution, check each medicine’s ingredients and dosing intervals to avoid taking duplicate doses. If taking multiple cold medicines or pain relievers, ask a pharmacist or health care professional whether their ingredients overlap, and store them where children cannot reach them. At a program for teenagers on Nov. 5, the KDCA plans to cover the risks of overdose, checking ingredients and dosing intervals, and how to seek help if symptoms occur. The week’s final event, a joint symposium, will be held Nov. 6.