Working together to keep children safe

Release Date:  18-Jun-2009

Families and people who work with children from across Bristol will be coming together to promote Child Safety Week (22 - 26 June) 2009.

In Bristol, Avonsafe have organised a series of events to focus on reducing accidental poisoning, burns and scalds in children.  In 2007/8 17 children aged two or younger were admitted to hospital in Bristol for poisoning and 30 children aged two or younger admitted for burns and scalds.

Between them during 2007, Frenchay Accident and Emergency, The Children’s Hospital and Southmead Minor Injury Unit treated 55 children under 16 years every day (total 20,194 treatments) for unintentional injuries.

Many activities for the week are taking place at the Footprints Children's Centre, Knowle, where road safety, trading standards, public health and Avon Fire and Rescue Officers are advising families.

Preventing injury

Chair of Avonsafe, Angela Clarke, said: “Injuries in childhood are not just random events - they happen more to some children than to others. The only effective way to reduce the trauma and expense they cause is to work together, both families and organisations that work with children, to understand why they happen and prevent them.

“Footprints Children’s Centre and Avonsafe are doing a great job to raise awareness with parents, carers and children themselves of what they can do to reduce injuries. Although admissions have decreased we all want to keep children safe from harm and the aim of this campaign is to further reduce the numbers that get burnt and poisoned in Bristol.”

Other events to mark Child Safety Week are taking place at Children's Centres across Bristol, the Lifeskills Centre in Hotwells and at Hengrove Park.

Advice for families to avoid poisoning or burns and scalds is:

Accidental poisoning:

Most under two year-olds poison themselves by taking Paracetamol, Calpol and Aspirin. Parents and carers should store all hazardous medicines and household products in a locked cupboard or out of reach of little hands. Put medicines away immediately after shopping and immediately after use. Never pretend that medicines are sweets in order to encourage children to take them.

Burns and Scalds:

Most under two year olds who are scalded have come into contact with hot drinks - tea and coffee. Keep kids and hot drinks apart! A drink can still scald a child after it has been cooling for 15 minutes. At bath time, run the cold tap before the hot tap and check the temperature before children get in the bath.

Footprints Children's Centre Manager, Lil Bowers, said: “Children's Centres work really hard to help keep children healthy.  Children under the age of five are more likely to have accidents at home so for Child Safety Week we are raising awareness about the simple steps that families can take to help keep youngsters out of accident and emergency departments.”

Author:   Katharine de Lisle 0117 922 2732

For all media enquiries relating to this press release, please contact Corporate Communications on 0117 922 2650.

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