Media Release                                                                               31 March 2009

 

Kidsafe Victoria has launched a Speakers Bureau to take its child safety message on injury prevention directly to the community.
 
Ms Aleks Natora, Manager of Kidsafe Victoria said, the Speakers Bureau provides a unique and valuable opportunity for mothers with babies and toddlers to have direct discussions about safety in their own homes and share experiences.
 
"What many parents are surprised about is the amount of danger areas within the home that are often overlooked.  
 
"Parents are often shocked when we describe their own handbags as being highly dangerous as they usually contain poisons in the form of medicines and sharp objects such as nail files which can be deadly to young babies and toddlers."
 
The Kidsafe Speakers Bureau provides one hour sessions usually organised through local government, child care centres, district nurses or residents groups, to cover a range of areas of child injury prevention.
 
"The most common danger items found in the home are poisons, stairs, kitchens, blind cords, window and cabinet glass and doors, and backyard play equipment."

Ms Natora said, parents need to be determined to reduce the potential for injury in and outside their homes, which results in 140,000 Australian children attending hospitals every year.

The Kidsafe Top 10 Hit List of Danger Areas in Homes includes:

1.      Kitchens - Unimpeded access to sharp objects, poisons, detergents, plastic bags and stove tops could cause poisoning, suffocation or burns.

2.      Bathrooms - access to water, plugs, personal hygiene soaps and sharps and hairdryers that could cause drowning, hot water scalds, poisoning or electrocution.

3.      Laundries - access to water, washing detergents, irons, gardening chemicals or pest control products that could cause drowning, poisoning, or choking and contact burns

4.      Bedroom - ensure that cots and beds are not positioned near windows or blinds to prevent injury due to falls and possible strangulation, that babies are not left alone on change tables to prevent them falling, and that toys are regularly checked for damage and breakage and to be age-appropriate to prevent choking or cutting injury. 

5.      Stairs - No barriers at top and bottom of stairs, or having too widely spaced balusters, could cause a child to fall and sustain serious head or spinal injury.

6.      Blind cords - Blinds with looped or too long cords could strangle a child.

7.      Window glass - Most houses built before 1985 do not have safety glass in windows which could cause serious or fatal injuries if a child impacted the glass. Glass within furniture -such as within a TV cabinet or coffee table - could also cause serious injury.

8.      Doors - Children playing near or through doors could have their fingers severed if the door closes upon them.  Gaps between the door and jamb, particularly on the hinge side can cause serious crushing or even amputation.

9.      Pool gates and fencing- If pools or spas are not fenced, children may drown. Check the gate closes and locks securely and that the fence is in good order with no objects stored against it that could allow children to climb over it 

10.  Backyard play equipment - All play equipment should be appropriate to the age of child, ie under 1 metre high for children under 3 years and have appropriate soft fall under it to prevent serious injuries such as head and brain trauma, and serious injuries to major organs and limbs. 
 
About Kidsafe
Kidsafe is Australia's leading charitable and non-government organisation dedicated to making our world a safer place for kids. The Kidsafe mission is to prevent child injury related deaths and hospital admissions and to reduce the severity of unintentional injuries to children.

Each year in Australia:
 
People wanting to book the Kidsafe Speakers Bureau should contact Kidsafe on (03) 9251 7725, or email info@kidsafevic.com.au or visit the website www.kidsafevic.com.au 

 

Media Enquiries:
Aleks Natora, Manager Kidsafe Victoria, (03) 9251 7834, Mobile 0419 836 244
Ron Smith, Corporate Media Communications Kidsafe Victoria, Mobile: 0417 329 201