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www.starlightbi.com

A Monthly Newsletter Replacing Your Helmet

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How Hard Hats Protect You

www.hardhats.

4ursafety.com-hardhats

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“Invisible” Helmet For Cyclists Invented

www.breakingnewsengl ish.com

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Issue No 20 - May 2014

The Reality

Bike Safety

www.fastfreds.com/ helmetlawmap/azhelmet -law

www.kidshealth.org/kid/ watch/out/bike_safety

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What A Helmet Does For You

Know The Facts

www.msf-usa.org

www.helmetsonheads.

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Football Helmet Research Aimed At Reducing Concussion Injury

www.ors.org

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Replacing Your Helmet Replace your helmet if it was involved in a crash; it probably absorbed some impact shock. Some helmet manufacturers will inspect and, when possible, repair a damaged helmet. If you drop your helmet and think it might be damaged, take advantage of this service.

Most helmet manufacturers recommend replacing your helmet every few years. If you notice any signs of damage before then, replace it sooner.

Precaution is better than cure.

Edward Coke Starlight Brain Integration, llc

Why replace your helmet every few years if it doesn't appear damaged? Its protective qualities may deteriorate with time and wear. The chin strap may fray or loosen at its attaching points; the shell could be chipped or damaged.

The best reason is that helmets keep improving. Chances are that the helmet you buy in a couple of years will be better – stronger, lighter, and more comfortable – than the one you own now. It might even cost less!

Can't remember when you bought your present helmet? Check the chin strap or permanent labeling. New helmets must have the month and date of production stamped on it. If there's no date at all, you should definitely replace your helmet – now!

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How Hard Hats Protect You

Hard hats protect you by providing the following features: • • • •

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A rigid shell that resists and deflects blows to the head.

A suspension system inside the hat that acts as a shock absorber.

Some hats serve as an insulator against electrical shocks.

Shields your scalp, face, neck, and shoulders against splashes, spills, and drips.

Some hard hats can be modified so you can add face shields, goggles, hoods, or hearing protection to them.

Hard Hat Safety Information Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1983, employers have a "duty of care" to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of employees and others.

There is no excuse for not wearing a hard hat on a job where one is required and failure to comply with the "duty of care" is an offense.

"Invisible" helmet for cyclists invented Two Swedish design students have invented a totally new kind of bicycle helmet. People are saying it's invisible because you cannot see it on a cyclist's head. The "invisible" helmet is really a kind of airbag. It is inside a large collar. People wear it around their neck like a scarf.

When the cyclist falls off his/her bike, the collar quickly fills with gas and an airbag surrounds the head. The two students, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, wanted to change the way people cycle. They said: "Bicycle helmets have always been the same. They're so bulky, like a hard mushroom on your head." They called their new invention the Hövding. The pair said it looks so fashionable that "people would be happy to wear it".

The inventors started research and development on the Hövding in 2005. They examined thousands of cycling accidents. They wanted to find out how to make the safest helmet. They then teamed up with a Swedish airbag company called Alva.

Today, the Hövding company has a staff of 17 employees. They hope their helmet will change how people all over the world cycle. In their video, Haupt and Alstin said: "Cars are so yesterday. Bikes are the future."

They also said their invention would make them millionaires. People can only buy the Hövding helmet online in Europe. It sells for around $530. The company did not say when it would be available in the rest of the world.

Starlight Brain Integration, llc

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The

 Reality

Preventing serious injuries and deaths from motorcycle crashes is a major and growing public health concern.

Consider that: Motorcycle crashes killed 4,502 people in 2010. • •

Motorcycle-related deaths have increased by 55% since 2000.

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Motorcycle crash-related injuries and deaths totaled $12 billion in one year, in medical care costs and productivity losses.

The good news is that riders’—and their passengers’—can protect themselves by wearing helmets. Helmets are estimated to prevent 37 percent of crash deaths among motorcycle riders and 41 percent of crash deaths for motorcycle passengers. Universal Helmet Laws Increase Helmet Use, Save Money. The most effective way to get people to wear helmets is the universal helmet law. Universal helmet laws, which require that every motorcycle rider and passenger wear a helmet whenever they ride, can increase helmet use and save money, according to a new CDC study.

In one year, cost savings in states with universal motorcycle helmet laws were nearly four times greater (per registered motorcycle) than in states without these comprehensive laws. In 2010, annual costs saved from helmet use, in terms of medical, Â productivity, and other costs, ranged from a high of $394 million in California (which has a universal helmet law) to a low of $2.6 million in New Mexico (which has a partial law). Partial helmet laws require only certain riders, such as those under age 21, to wear a helmet.

Universal helmet laws result in cost savings by increasing helmet use among riders and passengers, which reduces crash-related injuries and deaths. According to a CDC analysis of fatal crash data from 2008 to 2010, 12 percent of motorcyclists in states with universal helmet laws were not wearing helmets. In comparison, 64 percent of riders were not wearing helmets in states with partial helmet laws, and 79 percent of riders were not wearing helmets in states with no helmet laws.

What A Helmet Does For You First, it is the most important protective gear you can wear while riding a motorcycle. Think of it at the same time you think of your ignition key: Pick up the key; pick up the helmet. They go together. Helmet use is not a “cure-all� for motorcyclist safety, but in a crash, a helmet can help protect your brain, your face, and your life.

Combined with other motorcycle-specific protective gear, rider- education courses, proper licensing and public awareness, the use of helmets is one way to reduce injury.

You hope your helmet never has an impact. But crashes do happen. We can't predict when or what kind they will be.

You should not say to yourself, “I'm just running down to the store,� and not wear your helmet.

Second, a good helmet makes riding a motorcycle more fun, due to the comfort factor: another truth. It cuts down on wind noise roaring by your ears on wind blast on your face and eyes, and deflects bugs and other objects flying through the air. It even contributes to comfort from changing weather conditions and reduces rider fatigue.

Third, wearing a helmet shows that motorcyclists are responsible people; we take ourselves and motorcycling seriously.

Wearing a helmet, no matter what the law says, is a projection of your attitude toward riding. And that attitude is plain to see by other riders and non-riders alike.

Starlight Brain Integration, llc

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BIKE SAFETY Why Is Bicycle Safety So Important?

Bike riding is a lot of fun, but accidents happen. The safest way to use your bike is for transportation, not play. Every year, about 300,000 kids go to the emergency department because of bike injuries, and at least 10,000 kids have injuries that require a few days in the hospital. Some of these injuries are so serious that children die, usually from head injuries. A head injury can mean brain injury. That's why it's so important to wear your bike helmet. Wearing one doesn't mean you can be reckless, but a helmet will provide some protection for your face, head, and brain in case you fall down.

A Helmet How-To Bike helmets are so important that the U.S. government has created safety standards for them. Your helmet should have a sticker that says it meets standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If your helmet doesn't have a CPSC sticker, ask your mom or dad to get you one that does. Wear a bike helmet EVERY TIME YOU RIDE, even if you are going for a short ride.

Your bike helmet should fit you properly. You don't want it too small or too big. Never wear a hat under your bike helmet. If you're unsure if your helmet fits you well, ask someone at a bike store. Once you have the right helmet, you need to wear it the right way so it will protect you. It should be worn level and cover your forehead. Don't tip it back so your forehead is showing. The straps should always be fastened. If the straps are flying, it's likely to

KNOW THE FACTS Riding a bicycle is about much more than getting from point A to point B. It’s about the open road, the wind in your hair and the smell of freedom. But with great freedom comes great responsibility, especially for the safety of you, your kids and those around you. Before you grip the handlebars on your next ride, take a moment to Think First…

ThinkFirst and ask yourself… …is not wearing a helmet really worth the risk? No matter if you’re in the bike lane, on a dirt trail or a beach path, a crash or fall can happen in a split-second. A helmet can absorb the impact, rather than Starlight Brain Integration, llc

fall off your head when you need it most. Make sure the straps are adjusted so they're snug enough that you can't pull or twist the helmet around on your head.

Take care of your bike helmet and don't throw it around.

That could damage the helmet and it won't protect you as well when you really need it. If you do fall down and put your helmet to the test, be sure to get a new one. They don't work as well after a major crash.

Many bike helmets today are lightweight and come in cool colors. If you don't love yours as it is, personalize it with some of your favorite stickers. Reflective stickers are a great choice because they look cool and make you more visible to people driving cars.

For safety is not a gadget but a state of mind ~ Eleanor Everet

your head and brain. A helmet can decrease the severity of a brain injury and even save your life.

The Facts: In 2010, 618 bicyclists and other cyclists were killed and 52,000 were injured in traffic crashes.

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In 2009, there were an estimated 418,700 emergency room visits and nearly 28,000 inpatient hospital stays for bicyclerelated injuries.

• Over the past several years, roughly 9 in 10 bicyclists killed were not wearing helmets.

• Nearly 70% of all fatal bicycle crashes involve head injuries.

• Bicycle helmets have been estimated to reduce the risk for head injuries by 85%.

• Despite these facts, only 20-25% of all bicyclists wear bicycle helmets.

Helmets are not just for children; helmets are important at any age!

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Football Helmet Research Aimed at Reducing Concussion Injury

As warm summer days give way to cooler temperatures, thoughts turn to fall. Kids are back in school, leaves are turning brilliant colors of red and gold, and football season is just getting started. NFL pre-season games are already in full swing and soon all across the country, college and high schools stands will be filled with cheering fans.

Although football has been a favorite fall pastime for years, growing concerns over the number of concussion injuries suffered by players have overshadowed what was once a fun, family sport. Recently, the NFL reached a tentative settlement for $765 million over concussion-related brain injuries.

The CDC defines a concussion as “a type of traumatic brain injury that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. Concussions can also occur from a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth – literally causing the brain to bounce around and twist within the skull.” This type of injury can have a traumatic effect on the brain. According to the CDC, “this sudden movement of the brain causes stretching, damaging the cells and creating chemical changes in the brain. Once these changes occur, the brain is more vulnerable to further injury and sensitive to any increased stress until it fully recovers.”

Given the definition, it’s no wonder that football players suffer concussions on a regular basis. In fact, most players probably suffer several without even realizing it. “One of the few things we know about concussions is that you are more likely to have a repeat concussion after you have had one concussion,” explains Professor Joseph “Trey” Crisco of Brown University.

Crisco, a member of the Orthopaedic Research Society, and his team are seeking to not only understand concussions, but prevent them more effectively. However, many questions about these types of injuries remain. “We don’t know if athletes suffer repeated concussions because something changes in the brain or if it’s your style of play,” Crisco explains. “We don’t know if you are more susceptible to one big head impact or lots of medium impacts. We don’t know if females are more or less sensitive to head impacts than males.”

Answering these questions is difficult since many athletes and coaches don’t always recognize when a concussion has occurred. That’s where the HIT system comes into play. Developed with Crisco’s team and Rick Greenwald at Simbex, the Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) system is able to measure how hard, how often and where on the helmet an impact occurs. The HIT system consists of six accelerometers that are located within a special liner inside the helmet. This special liner elastically couples the accelerometers to the head’ isolating it from shell vibrations. With every hit, the acceleration of the head is recorded and automatically transmitted to a computer on the sideline. If desired, a beeper can notify the medical professional of especially hard hits that they might not have seen. Armed with these tools, scientists are able to measure head impact exposure for the first time. Professors Greenwald’s, Duma’s of Virginia Tech and Crisco’s NIH/ NICHD funded research studies have already shed new light on head impact exposures, concussion mechanism and the role gender plays in concussion injury.

“It is our hope,” Crisco explains, “that our research will ultimately lead to positive changes in football rules and practice at the collegiate and youth level, improved helmet designs and testing and hopefully a reduction of concussion injuries.” Preventing concussions remains a top priority since there are currently no treatments for those who suffer these types of injuries. With continued research, perhaps all athletes – youth and professional – will be able to play the game without worrying about the effects it will have on the rest of their lives.

Starlight Brain Integration, llc

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