New campaign to help keep children safe at home

A new safety campaign to help reduce the number of domestic accidents involving under-fives in Scotland has been launched by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
The campaign highlights some of the dangers to children around the home.The campaign highlights some of the dangers to children around the home.
The campaign highlights some of the dangers to children around the home.

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.

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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 received 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.”

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To help prevent home accidents among young children, RoSPA is coordinating an awareness-raising campaigning which promotes a range of key home safety messages.

The campaign includes short videos which demonstrate how to avoid common accidents that occur in the kitchen, bedroom, living room and other parts of the home.

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.

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“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 RoSPA Keeping Children Safe

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