Glossary

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N
O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

[back to top]

ANSI - American National Standards Institute, an organization that evaluates and approves helmets.

ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials, an organization that evaluates and approves helmets.

air bags - safety devices installed in most newer vehicles that inflate to protect the driver and/or passenger in certain collisions.

asphyxiation - a medical term for suffocation, which leads to lack of oxygen in the blood.

B

[back to top]

booster seat - a seat to help raise a child in a vehicle so that the vehicle's seat belt fits properly.

C

[back to top]

cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) - the use of breathing and chest compressions to help save a person's life.

chemical burns - burns due to strong acids or alkaloids coming into contact with the skin and/or eyes.

child safety seat - special seats for infants and toddlers that are secured in a vehicle with seat belts or special anchors to increase the safety of the child in the event of a crash.

convertible safety seat - a child safety seat that can be a rear-facing infant seat at first, and then turned around to become a forward-facing, upright child safety seat for small children.

D

[back to top]

E

[back to top]

electrical burns - burns due to contact with an electrical current.

F

[back to top]

G

[back to top]

H

[back to top]

hyperthermia - a high body temperature that can cause heat stroke.

I

[back to top]

infant safety seat - smaller child safety seats that are rear-facing in vehicles, especially designed for infants up to age 1 and 20 pounds.

J

[back to top]

K

[back to top]

L

[back to top]

locking clip - a special device used when the vehicle's lap/shoulder belts do not lock. A locking clip will help secure a child safety seat tightly into a vehicle.

M

[back to top]

N

[back to top]

O

[back to top]

P

[back to top]

personal flotation device (PFD) - any type of item that keeps a person afloat in water. Only US Coast Guard-approved PFDs should be used on boats.

Q

[back to top]

R

[back to top]

radiation burns - burns due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun, or to other sources of radiation such as x-ray.

S

[back to top]

scald burn - a skin burn that results from contact with a hot liquid, food, or other item.

smoke alarms - devices that operate on batteries or electricity which can detect smoke from a fire within the home. A smoke alarm will begin to beep to alert people within the home that there is smoke.

T

[back to top]

tether anchors - a new standardized child safety seat system that uses special anchors in newer vehicles' seats, combined with tethers on the child safety seat, to secure a child safety seat tightly.

thermal burns - burns due to external heat sources which raise the temperature of the skin and tissues and cause tissue cell death or charring. Hot metals, scalding liquids, steam, and flames, when coming in contact with the skin, can cause thermal burns.

U

[back to top]

ultraviolet radiation (UV) - invisible rays that come from the sun. UV radiation can damage the skin and cause melanoma and other types of skin cancer.

underwriter's laboratories (UL) - most electrical appliances are approved by UL.

V

[back to top]

W

[back to top]

X

[back to top]

Y

[back to top]

Z

[back to top]

Click here to view the
Online Resources page of this Web.