‘It Only Takes a Split Second’
Raising awareness of child injury prevention this National Kidsafe Day
National Kidsafe Week is a special week each year where across Australia we bring extra focus on raising awareness of child injury prevention.
Kidsafe have issued a reminder that all it takes is a split second for a child to be seriously injured, with an average of 3 children dying every week from preventable injuries in Australia.
The call comes as part of National Kidsafe Day, with Kidsafe highlighting key injury causes – the majority of which can happen in a split second – and key steps to reduce the risk of injury and death.
A cup of hot tea or coffee left in reach of a child; backyard swimming pool gates propped open; unstable furniture not secured to the wall; household cleaners accessible under the sink; a car reversing out of the driveway; and accessible button batteries are just some of the hazards that can change the life of a family in the blink of an eye.
While the number of Australian children killed by unintentional injury has more than halved since Kidsafe’s establishment in 1979, Kidsafe urges that there is still much more work to be done.
The leading causes of child injury in Australia include transport incidents, drowning, and choking and suffocation, with children aged under 5 years old at the highest risk of injuries.
Kidsafe Tasmania CEO, Jenny Branch-Allen, highlighted that small children’s curiosity and lack of awareness of danger places them at increased risk of injury.
“Children are naturally inquisitive and common household items can look very different and interesting from a toddler’s perspective”, said Mrs Branch-Allen.
“Keeping safety front of mind and ensuring there are a number of key safety measures in place – including active adult supervision – can help to prevent a child from losing their life or suffering a serious injury”.
As part of National Kidsafe Day, Kidsafe is highlighting just how quickly incidents can occur and encouraging parents and carers to take action to reduce the risk of injuries.
A number of initiatives will highlight key injury causes and prevention.
National Kidsafe Day 2020 is Tuesday 27th October.
National Kidsafe Week runs from 26 October 2020 to 1 November 2020.
