A new safety campaign to help reduce the number of domestic accidents involving under-5s in Scotland has been launched by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
During lockdown many people are spending more time at home than ever before. However, more accidents happen in the home than anywhere else – every year in the UK, about 6,000 accidental deaths are caused by home accidents.
In Scotland, there are an average each year of 1,856 children under five years old injured so severely that they require hospital admission due to injuries in the home.
Evidence shows that falls, poisonings, burns and scalds – many of which happen in the home – are the most common injuries leading to A&E attendance and hospital admission for pre-school children.
Liz Lumsden, RoSPA’s community safety manager for Scotland, said: “Due to their inquisitive nature, children under the age of five are among the most likely to end up in A&E because of a home accident.
“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many of us have spent more time at home than we may otherwise have done which can increase the likelihood of little ones having a mishap.”
To help prevent home accidents among young children in Scotland, RoSPA will be coordinating an awareness-raising campaigning which promotes key home safety messages this week. The campaign is supported by Aberdeen Health and Social Care Partnership, Aberdeen City Council and the Scottish Government.
The campaign will include short videos which demonstrate how to avoid common accidents that occur in the kitchen, bedroom, living room and other parts of the home.
Commenting on the campaign Community Safety Minister, Ash Denham MSP, said: “I am pleased to see the launch of this campaign which looks to help prevent accidents in the home among young children.
“With children spending more time indoors at home, and the added factor of many parents having to juggle childcare with working from home, we know there is an increased risk of potential accidents.
“I would like to thank the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for their continued dedication to help keep our children and young people in Scotland safe during these unprecedented times.”
In addition to the campaign videos and graphics, you can find further home safety advice on the Keeping Kids Safe hub, at https://bit.ly/3iteczf