RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

October 3, 2003
HELPING BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN TO STAY SAFE AT HOME

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is to run home safety activity sessions for Birmingham children, aged 5-13, to help them become more aware of accidents in the home.

Figures show three children are killed in home accidents each week and more than a million go to hospital after being hurt at home each year in the UK.

Members of RoSPA’s safety education department will stage free sessions at Ladywood Arts and Leisure Centre on Saturday, October 18, between 9.00am and 5.30pm. They are part of ‘Breath of Life’ – a Birmingham Children’s Fund initiative in conjunction with Community Service Volunteers national Make a Difference Day. Those interested in attending the sessions should complete and return registration forms to Birmingham Children’s Fund by Monday, October 6.

The three sessions involve identifying hazards in the home and showing children how these dangers can be minimised. Children will be divided into groups and given a picture of a room in a house. They will identify the hazards in the room and present the dangers they have found. The children will also be asked to produce a list of rules to promote safety in each room of a house using posters. At the end of the sessions the work will be combined to make a home safety booklet that can be copied and distributed to the children after the event.

Juliet Brown, RoSPA Head of Education, said: “The activities are a good opportunity for children to learn about accidents in the home in an informal and fun way. We have enough spaces for around 100 children to attend, so it would be great to fill every place.

“Children are one of the groups in society that spend a large amount of time in the home. This means they are more likely to be involved in accidents in this environment. By helping children to become more home safety aware we hope it will have an influential effect on other people who live in their household.”

The largest number of accidents happens in the lounge and dining room, with the most serious accidents happening in the kitchen and on the stairs. Falls account for the majority of non-fatal accidents, but fire causes the highest number of deaths among children in the home.

For more further information about ‘Breath of Life’ and a registration form contact Birmingham Children's Fund on 0121 214 2020.