I've always believed that health and safety go hand in hand. That is why I declared June as Safety Month here at Healthy Moms. Earlier this month I was fortunate to have spoken to two wonderful safety experts from Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. I am honored to be able to share their tips and expertise in this four part series.

John Drengenberg is the Director of Consumer Safety for Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

In 2007, John conducted more than 300 interviews. He was also named the PR News 2007 Spokesperson of the Year and recognized as runner-up in 2005. He has conducted numerous print and broadcast interviews including on-camera appearances on Good Morning America, Dateline NBC, Ask This Old House, AP Radio, CNN Radio, Consumer Reports and various radio and TV programs in major markets across the country, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and more.

John has long been involved in issues affecting consumers, representing the United States as the technical advisor at International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) meetings related to the safety of household appliances. He also represents UL at the American National Standards Institute's Consumer Interest Council and at the International Consumer Products Health and Safety Organization. Other responsibilities include chairing UL's Consumer Advisory Council and co-chairing the Chicago Consumer Sounding Board.

A 40-year veteran of UL, John began his career as an assistant engineer. His extensive engineering background in the area of consumer products, combined with years of media training, has given Drengenberg the opportunity of serving as a corporate spokesman in matters regarding the safe use of consumer products.

Betsy Titus
Business Development Manager, Global Building Materials and Life Safety & Security Industries
Underwriters Laboratories

With more than 25 years at Underwriters Laboratories (UL), safety is a second language for business development manager Betsy Titus. Betsy works within the independent safety organization’s Global Building Materials and Life Safety & Security Industries, which includes passive fire resistance and containment, fire detection and security, fire suppression systems, building materials and contents, personal protective equipment and fire equipment services.

Add “mother of three” to her resume, and it’s “safe” to say that Betsy understands the important role safety plays in keeping families happy and healthy. With one child off to college, one in high school and the youngest in grade school, UL has helped Betsy understand the unique set of safety considerations parents must know about for every age.

When not managing her family’s safety routine, she works alongside the nation’s fire community to develop new services at UL. In any given day she interacts with fire marshals, fire chiefs, architects, insurance companies, fire protection engineers, consultants and industry trade associations – all in the interest of safety.

Betsy graduated from Valparaiso University with a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering and began her career in 1981 with UL as a fire protection engineer. Throughout her tenure, Betsy has enjoyed multiple careers at UL, including strategic planning, marketing and management of a business development team, development of strategic and tactical business plans and implementation of plans through partnerships with testing and certification organizations worldwide.

As a result of her role at UL, Betsy has a safety savvy skill set that any mother can apply in every stage of her life.

The Importance of Water Safety

Now that the warm summer months are among us a lot of families have already set up their pools, wading pools or are planning on taking their children to the local community pool to cool off. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, drowning is the second leading cause of death among children under the age of five with more than 280 reports each year. The main reason for these deaths is that these young children are left near a pool unsupervised.

"Contrary to what you might think, children drown silently," said John Drengenberg, Consumer Affairs Manager for Underwriters Laboratories (UL). "There's not a lot of splashing or crying for help, and every second counts when preventing a drowning accident."

Kids need to be watched at all times when around standing water. Watching your child swim in a wading pool through a window will not prevent him from drowning. Only a few inches of water can send your child to the emergency room. UL recommends following the 10/20 rule, which states that the supervising adult needs to position themselves to be able to scan the pool within 10 seconds and reach the water within 20 seconds.

If you have a large pool in your backyard make sure you have a safety fence at least four feet tall with a handle that is beyond your children's reach. Wading pools should be emptied after each use. Flip your wading pool upside down overnight to prevent rain water from accumulating. Always remember that swimmies are not life savers!
If your child is wearing these small floatation devices on her arms make sure you are outside near the pool with her at all times!

For more information on pool safety and preventing drowning listen to these audio messages from Underwriters Laberatories.

• Pool safety tips
• Prevent drowning

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