Which term best describes strategies to prevent injuries before they occur?

• A. Secondary prevention
• B. Pre-event phase
• C. Primary prevention
• D. Event phase

Answer: (C)

Focusing on preventing injuries before they happen is primary prevention. This approach aims to remove hazards and reduce risk factors in the environment or in people’s behavior so the injury never occurs. In fire and life safety, this includes things like installing smoke alarms and sprinklers, enforcing safe building designs and codes, educating the public about fire-safe practices, and using safety devices such as child seats or proper electrical safety measures. These actions stop the incident from occurring in the first place rather than waiting to react after exposure or after an injury has begun.

Secondary prevention, by contrast, targets what happens after exposure or after an injury has begun—early detection or reducing the severity to prevent further harm. The terms pre-event phase and event phase describe timing relative to a incident, but the preventive strategy that stops injuries before any incident takes place is primary prevention.