Accident Prevention Advice and Information.

Child Safety Week
Monday 20th June - Sunday 26th June 2011.

Child Safety Week is the Child Accident Prevention Trust’s flagship community education campaign, raising awareness of serious childhood accidents and how to prevent them.

Road Safety Week 2010
22nd - 28th November

For further information or email or call 01484 559909.

National Childhood Obesity Week 5th - 11th July 2011

The National Obesity Forum (NOF) and MEND will launch the inaugural National Childhood Obesity Week

“The Dangerously Big Bunny ” highlights issues of obesity.

International Noise Awareness Day.

Nearly one-in-four employees in the EU (60 million people) are exposed to such high, persistent noise levels at work that they have to raise their voices to make themselves heard for at least half their time at work. A minor inconvenience? Not when it leads to deafness, tinnitus and other problems. One of the stereotypes concerning noise at work is that it can only affect your hearing, and that only people working in traditionally 'loud' industries, such as construction or metalworks, are at risk.

DangerSpot Books are children's picture books helping to prevent accidents within the home and elsewhere.

Shoe laces tip.

Falls are a major cause of injuries in the home, more so than motor vehicle accidents. Children can easily trip over with untied shoe laces and toddlers love taking shoes on and off. If a large part of your day is spent putting shoes back on your toddler's feet then a simple trick could help. Tie a knot at each end of the shoe lace to prevent them from being pulled out. Also, if the ends become frayed wrap them in a small piece of sellotape and roll them tightly to create a new aglet.

Safety from Windows

Falls often occur when a child leans out of an open window, often caused by a natural curiosity. It is recommended that no more than five inches space should be left open because that's about the width an average 10 year old could fall through.

Pet Dangers

Figures recently issued in America claim that about 4.7 million people report dog bites per year. Each year, between 15 and 25 people die from dog bites and most of the victims are children. Children aged between 5 to 7, especially boys, are the most common victims.

In the UK 50% of homes include a pet of some description and 1600 children each year are admitted to hospital as a result of a dog bite.
Certain dog breeds, such as Alsatians and Rottweilers, account for over fifty percent of fatal cases.

When approaching an owner's dog consider the following:

Are there any other dogs in the vicinity that might cause a violent reaction from this dog?
Are there any other distractions that might cause a problem?
Are you sure the owner has control over the dog and would warn you of any violent tendencies?
Is the dog listening and obedient to its owner?
Does the dog look friendly, wagging its tail with a relaxed expression on its face?
Never allow a child with food or sweets to approach any animal.
Is the dog afraid or nervous? A dog might seem afraid if it holds its tail down, looks away and tries to hide, nervously licks its lips, growls or shakes. Even a yawn may express anxiety rather than boredom.

In addition, some further attention should be focused on other health hazards involving dogs. The estimated population in the UK is about six million. This produces approximately 1000 tons of faeces a day. Over 350,000 tons of dog excrement is deposited each year in children's playgrounds.
This unpleasant material very often contains a parasitic roundworm, Toxocara Canis, which can cause blindness in humans. Over 100 people each year are known to catch a disease resulting from this problem, and many of these victims are children. This is a particularly hazardous threat when very young children are on their hands and knees. Young children often put their hands in their mouths after exploring everything with their fingers, and of course, do not wash them. Even some adults can be neglectful in this way.
Another unpleasant organism which can be found in dog faeces and, in fact, all animals including humans, is Cryptosporidium Parvum. Cryptosporidiosis can be easily cured but can be very dangerous if left untreated.
Cats are the most popular pets in this country, more so than dogs, but can still create problems, such as Toxoplasmosis. This condition is caused by a single-celled protozoa called Toxoplasma Gondii, again found in the faeces. As long as normal, healthy procedures are maintained with a sensible attitude towards hygiene this condition should never occur, but people should be aware of these dangers where children are concerned.
As many of these diseases are to be found in soil very young children should be prevented from eating it or anything that may be in contact with soil. Children's hands should be washed before eating.

Even some pet reptiles, such as snakes, turtles, and lizards, can cause infections from salmonella, which is found in their faeces. This threat is becoming more serious as the interest in keeping these pets increases.
Keep reptiles away from children under five years old, and teach older children to wash their hands after handling them.
No child should be touching an animal whilst eating food, sweets, or ice creams.

All children should be closely supervised when in the presence of animals.

Burns and Scalds

Figures released from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents show that approximately 600 people are badly scalded every year and 20 of those die. Most of these are children or elderly people in care homes.
Always run cold water into a bath and then add hot. Remember a child's skin is far more sensitive than an adults and injuries from burns or scalds can be far more devastating. If in the event of a scalding immediately run cold water over the affected part of the body for at least 15 minutes. Then wrap the area in clingfilm followed by warm blankets until medical help arrives. Do not use ice cold water, which could increase the risk of hypothermia.

Choking Accidents

Choking is a constant danger for young children. Young children have a tendency to put small objects into their mouths. Some items can be easily swallowed and stuck in their windpipe. The following advice should be considered:

Always cut up food into small pieces.
Do not allow your child to play or run around while eating.
Avoid peanuts and small hard sweets.
Do not allow your younger children to play with coins, small items, safety pins, tacks or any sharp object. Even a pencil can stab or damage an eye.
Do not give young children very small parts of toys or objects that are smaller than 5 cms in diameter or 7 cms long.
Take the time to check for dangers in the areas where your children are playing.

Make your house safe

Some safety tips for child proofing your house:

Use covers on electrical sockets and locks on cabinets.
Set the temperature of your hot water heater to 60 degrees to prevent possible scalds.
Prevent poisoning by keeping household cleaners, chemicals and medicines completely out of reach and always store them in their original container.
Secure large pieces of furniture that might tip over.
Use stair gates and window guards.
Install smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in the house. Also, invest in a fire blanket, especially for fat fryers.
Buy flame retardant or flame resistant furniture.
Remove furniture with sharp edges or apply some soft padding.
Use nonskid backing on rugs and make sure carpets are secured.
Remove breakables and sharp objects from low tables and shelves.
Remove small toys and other choking hazards from around your child.
Tie blind and curtain cords out of reach.
Do not carry hot liquids near your child. Do not allow your child near stoves, heaters or other hot appliances. When cooking, use the back burners and turn pot handles inward. Never leave a hot drink balanced on the edge of a table or radiator. A hot drink remains potentially damaging up to 15 minutes until it has cooled down enough.
To prevent drowning, empty all water from baths and keep the door to the bathroom closed. Never leave your child alone near any container of water or garden pond.
Always keep your eye on young children near a swimming pool. A young child can drown in only a few inches of water.
Keep a list of emergency, doctors, police and ambulance numbers near your phone. Also keep a map reference code available to inform the emergency services of your address, especially if you live in an isolated spot in the country.
Do not allow your young children into an unsafe room.
Go on a local first aid course and learn what to do in an emergency.

Enjoy a safe Christmas

Never use hairspray or spray adhesive on a real Christmas tree to prevent the needles from dropping off to the floor. It is highly inflammable and therefore, a serious fire risk.
Never leave trees and decorations near an open fire or lit candles.
All electrical decorations and fairy lights should be checked and replaced if they are over 10 years old. New manufacturing standards have been enforced since 1992.
Ensure that all Christmas decorations used outside are designed for that purpose and do not create a fire hazard or electrical danger.