Are You Safe At Home?
Did you know that in Northern Ireland every year over 70 people die in accidents at home and approximately 70,000 attend hospital because of a home accident? Most deaths in the home are caused by falls, fire and poisoning. The under fives, the elderly and the socially disadvantaged are the most at risk.
The Northern Investing for Health Partnership, Home Accident Prevention Strategy (2004 – 2009) aims to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from accidents at home.
The Ballymoney Home Accident Prevention (HAP) Group works within the local community to raise awareness of home accidents. They have organised many successful activities targeting all age groups on all areas of home safety, including providing Child and Elderly Home Safety Equipment, Streetwise for Primary Seven Children, Fireworks Seminar, Barbeque Safety Float and lots more.
The most successful project has been the development of Hazard House, a Home Safety Education and Resource Centre. This project has shown an excellent partnership between the three Home Accident Prevention Groups in Ballymoney, Coleraine and Moyle. The house was opened in Autumn 2004, in Hamilton Park in Ballymoney and since then many groups from over the province have visited to experience potential dangers in the home.
Guided tours around the house move from room to room and visitors will find hazards such as clothes drying in front of a fire in the living room, sharp knives left lying in the kitchen and poisonous bath oils and cleaning materials in the bathroom. (see link to Hazard House Headlines)
Ballymoney HAP Group meet monthly and has representatives from local Council, Enviromental Health, Fire and Rescue Service, St John’s Ambulance, Health Visitors, PSNI and other interested volunteers.
If you would like to find out more about Ballymoney HAP or are interested in joining please contact Borough Services Tel. (028) 2766 0257 or email homesafety@ballymoney.gov.uk
The Under Fives
What?
• Young children are more prone to fall related accidents, burns and scalds from hot drinks and poisoning incidents from household cleaners, medicines and gardening chemicals
Where?
• The largest number of accidents, happen in the living room and the most serious in the kitchen and on the stairs.
When?
• Late afternoon and early evening is the peak time for accidents and also during the Summer, holidays and weekends
What Can Parents Do?
• Use suitable safety equipment – get advice from your Health Visitor or Home Safety Officer about what is appropriate for your child – keep stair gates closed, install a nursery fireguard and use a three point harness to strap your child into their highchair
• Be a good role model – tidy up toys and get children to help, leave hot drinks out of reach, wipe up spills immediately
• Introduce basic safety rules from a young age – don’t play on the stairs!
• Ensure your child is adequately supervised inside and out
• Don’t forget about safety outside – keep the garden safe with grass or bark chips to run on, store garden chemicals in a lockable shed and securely cover garden ponds
Safe Homes For Older People
What?
• The older you get the more likely you are to have an accident in your home and the more severe are your injuries. Females are more prone to accidents than males.
• Older people are more prone to falls, fire related accidents and accidental poisoning. One older person is killed by an accidental fall in their home every five hours.
Where?
• The most serious accidents happen on the stairs or in the kitchen
Make Simple Safety Changes
• Change your light bulb to a brighter bulb in the kitchen and stairs to make hazards easier to see
• Use non slip mats and rugs and wear suitable shoes with non slip soles to prevent falls
• Have your electric blanket checked and fitted regularly
• Make sure you take prescribed drug doses
• Have a smoke alarm fitted and test it every week
• Exercise regularly to increase general strength and balance – try something new like tai chi!
• Keep your mind alert with crosswords, reading and bingo
Trampoline Safety
Please download this leaflet for more information on Trampoline safety or telephone 028 2766 0277 or 028 2766 0257 to request a copy. Trampoline safety leaflet page 1. Trampoline safety leaflet page 2.
Useful Links
www.capt.org.uk - Child Accident Prevention Trust
www.rospa-ni.co.uk - Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Northern Ireland (link to Home Accident Prevention Northern Ireland)
www.saferfireworks.com - find out more about Fireworks Safety, buying a licence and different types of fireworks
If you would like to find out more about Home Safety please Email: homesafety@ballymoney.gov.uk
