Accidents are the main cause of death for children post-infancy, with many occurring in the home. During Child Safety Week (01- 07 June) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is supporting the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) by raising awareness of accidents that can happen in the home.
The focus for this year is on ‘tea-time terrors’ and the accidents that can happen at this time of day when pressures are at their peak.
Hilary Johnston, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager with the PHA, said: “Tea-time can be stressful for parents and guardians as their attention is spread across a multitude of tasks; there can be so many risks inside and outside the home it can be hard to keep track of them all.
“Some of the most common causes of child accidents include burns from cookers and scalds from spillages, poisonings from hazardous household products, road accidents occurring during the busy home-time chaos, risks of drowning in the bath and falls.
“Internal window blind cords and chains can also pose a risk to babies, small children and vulnerable people who could injure or even strangle themselves on looped operating cords and chains. It is important that parents, relatives and carers check their homes and proactively take steps to make sure that children are kept safe.”
Top tips:
* Examine every blind in your home. If they have a looped control chain or cord and do not have a safety device fitted then you can easily install one of the many devices available. * Ensure that all operating blind cords and chains cannot be reached by children. * When buying a new blind, always look for one that does not contain cords, has concealed cords or has an in-built safety device and that complies with the new European Standards. * Move cots, beds and any furniture away from windows and blinds – remember children love to climb. * For more information, and to download a free blind cord safety leaflet, visit www.rospa.com/blindcords
“Child Safety Week acts as a reminder to everyone to reduce the risk of preventable accidents. It needn’t be another thing to do – by incorporating small changes into your routine, accident prevention will become a habit without having to think about it. The CAPT website is packed full of tips and resources to help educate children of risks in the home and outside.”
For more information see:
Welcoming the Child Safety Week campaign, the Health Minister Simon Hamilton said: “My Department recently launched a new 10 year Home Accident Prevention Strategy which aims to minimise injuries and deaths particularly for those who are most at risk. It is important that we raise awareness of potential dangers in and around the home and think about ways in which these dangers can be mitigated.”
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride added: “In Northern Ireland in a typical week, two people die as a result of home accidents. Children are particularly vulnerable and can suffer devastating effects as a consequence of accidents in and around the home. Children are naturally curious about their environment – they like to climb, they like to put things in their mouths to see what they taste like. It is impossible to watch over our children 24 hours a day therefore we must take steps to make the home environment as safe as possible. Child Safety Week is a good opportunity for us to take stock and make the changes in our environments and routines that could make all the difference.”
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