Accidents are a leading cause of death, serious injury and acquired disability for children and young people in the UK. They account for three deaths every week and over 2,000 hospital admissions.

Accidents happen when they are least expected and many accidents happen when parents are taken by surprise by the next stage of their child’s development such as a baby grabbing their mug of coffee.

Many of these accidents can be prevented but it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the demands that come with family life and keeping those that you love safe, can feel very challenging.

Below are some useful tables describing common accidents and some of the simple steps that can be taken to avoid them. Whilst the majority of these are aimed at accidents involving children, really they could happen to anyone it is just that often the consequences are more severe for children and vunerable people.

Burns/scalds

(6 toddlers are admitted to hospital every day because they’ve been badly burned)

Choking (This can be silent!)

Strangulation (At least 2 young children die from strangulation each year after getting caught in a blind cord).

Posioning (Some 3-4 year olds can open child safety caps in seconds)

Falls (Falls down stairs can damage babies’ and children’s brains as well as their bodies)

Road Safety (Child road injuries peak between 3pm and 7pm)

Deep Water (most babies and small children that drown, do so at home in the bath or garden. Babies can drown in just 5cm of water and children drown silently)

Fire (you’re 7 times more likely to die in a house fire if there’s no working smoke alarm)

A rather frightening post but an important reminder of just some of the ways you can improve safety in your home and out and about for your young family.

For further information please visit:

https://www.rospa.com/campaigns-fundraising/family-safety-week/

https://www.capt.org.uk/child-safety-week

The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.