Everyone encouraged to get involved with child safety week

by Gráinne Connolly

Starting today (Monday 5th), until Sunday 11th June, Derry City and Strabane District Council is asking parents, family members and anyone involved in working or caring for young children; to play their part to ensure children are kept safe. 

It's for this year's child safety campaign. 

The council's Home Safety Team will be providing advice and practical information on accident prevention in the home. 

With this year's theme being 'Safe Children: sharing is caring', the team is asking friends, families and communities to show how much they care by playing their part. 

They can share their experiences and knowledge - not just about the horrors of accidents, but also the really practical, simply things they do to prevent them.

Seamus Donaghy, Head of Health and Community and Wellbeing at Derry City and Strabane District Council said:

“There are lots of really simple, practical things everyone can do to make children safe. For example remember some 3-4 year olds can open child safety caps in seconds, ‘child-resistant’ doesn’t mean ‘child-proof’.

So keep medicines away from small hands too. Don’t forget the painkillers in your bag – painkillers are the most common cause of poisoning for small children.

The aim of Child Safety Week is to educate everyone on how to secure a safer environment for children of all ages, so they can live life to the full and be protected from serious injury or death.

“Accidents are a leading cause of death, serious injury and acquired disability for children and young people.

In Northern Ireland every year more than 70 people die in home accidents and almost 70,000 visit their local accident and emergency departments seeking help. Many of these accidents can be prevented and we encourage everyone to be aware of possible risk situations, especially those that are not obvious and happen around the home.”

Child Safety Week helps families understand these risks, as well as the consequences – but most importantly, the simple ways that accidents can be prevented. 

Child Safety Week is the flagship annual campaign run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, the UK'S leading charity committed to reducing the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in preventable accidents.

A range of free resources is available from the child safety week website www.childsafetyweek.org.uk or for further information on home safety, please contact Derry City and Strabane District Councils Home Safety Team on 028 7125 3253.