Fire service backs Child Safety Week
Child Safety Week is the Child Accident Prevention Trust's (CAPT) annual community education campaign which aims to create a safer environment for children and young people.
This year’s theme is ‘Teatime Terrors’ which will involve alerting families to the risks of accidents more common at this time of day. For example, drowning and bath water scalds, road accidents caused by heavy traffic while rushing home from school and nursery, and burns and scalds caused by kitchen appliances.
CAPT say that child road injuries peak between 3pm and 7pm with more serious and fatal injuries to school-age pedestrians than at any other time. This is due to there being more cars on the road as adults pick up children from nurseries and child minders, drive home from work and ferry children to and from clubs and activities.
David Heycock, Home, Road and Community Safety Manager for Oxfordshire County Council Fire & Rescue Service said:
“This is an important campaign and we are very happy to lend our support to it. Tea-time is the time of day when parents’ and carers’ attention is spread more thinly – juggling housework with preparing meals and dealing with children home from school helping with homework and dealing with demands for attention from children who maybe haven’t seen them all day. There is then the baths and the bedtime routine. All of which can divert attention away from safety.
“However, there’s nothing more important than the safety of a child. Getting into the habit of taking a quick glance round the room for hazards is a simple step that will make safety an automatic reflex for any parent or carer and help give real peace of mind.
“You can help to make your family safer by making sure candles and matches are out of reach, or a quick glance down the hall to ensure an escape route is clear in case of a fire. These things take just seconds but can save lives.
“Fitting a smoke alarm and involving the children in weekly testing can help in keeping them fire-aware and give the vital seconds you may need to escape from a fire. It is really important that parents talk to their children about fire safety and what to do if the worst happens including making an escape plan with your family.
“Road safety is equally important. When out walking teach your child to stop, look and listen and find a clear place to cross where you can see all around. If you are going on a cycle ride make sure the whole family are wearing cycle helmets.
“The best place for children to learn about road safety is at the roadside. When you are out talk to you child about their journey, where they would cross the road, what route they would take, is it a safe to cross the road?”
“When you are in the car, whether you are a driver or passenger, always wear your seatbelt and make sure any child seats are fitted properly.
“Follow our Footsteps Guide for tips and guidance on how to help children learn pedestrian safety. Through Footsteps children to learn to think for themselves and gradually get better at dealing with roads and traffic. It could save their lives - so it's one of the most important things a child needs to learn. Free copies are available at your local school, or you can download a copy from 365alive.co.uk/footsteps.”
ends
Notes to editors:
- This advice is part of Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service’s 365alive initiative.
For more information about the initiative, please visit www.365alive.co.uk
Link to Child Safety Week website - www.childsafetyweek.org.uk/
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