Transcript Safety Promotion & Injury Prevention: For Child Care Students

Safety Promotion & Injury Prevention:
For Child Care Students
The Royal Children’s Hospital Safety Centre
The Safety Centre
• Established in 1979 aims to reduce the unintentional
injury in children through:
• Information and advice including a telephone
advisory line
• Education programs and services
• The promotion and sale of safety products
• Media campaigns
• Support for legislative reform
• Support for improved product and environmental
design
Presentation Overview
• Morbidity and Mortality Statistics
• Who’s at a higher risk
• Strategies to Prevent Injuries
• The Injury Priorities in Child Care Centres
• Health Promotion
Child Injury Pyramid
2011:
22: Deaths
1 : Death
650 : Hospital Admissions
3,404 : ED Presentations
14,301: Hospital Admissions
67, 649: ED Presentations
Child Injury Deaths – Victoria
Injury Type
1970
1990
2003
2005
2006
Transport
81
45
25
13
12
Drowning
31
25
3
7
5
Choking/Suffocation/
Strangulation
14
5
7
2
5
Falls
3
2
2
1
0
Other unintentional
6
4
4
3
8
144
86
43
30
30
TOTAL
Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit, 2014. Ages 0-14
Child Unintentional Injuries and
Hospital Admissions
Injury Type
2003
2004
2005
2009
Falls
6,032
6,004
6,230
5,589
Transport
1,663
1,624
1,672
1,352
Hit/Struck/Crash
1,598
1,578
1,802
1,912
Poisoning
706
560
614
337
Cut/Piercing
598
628
627
485
Natural/Environmental
/Animal
412
418
476
389
Fire/Burns/Scalds
319
256
271
290
1,489
1,515
1,477
2,802
12,795
12,589
13,169
13,151
Other
TOTAL
Hazard, Edition 65 VISU 2011 Aged 0-14
Further risks
• Stress and fatigue
• Thursday compared to Monday
• Boys or girls
• Low socio-economic backgrounds
• Culturally diverse backgrounds
• Play environments
Basic Injury Prevention Strategies
1. Identify the risk
2. Remove the hazard
3. Reduce injury
Injury Priorities in a Child Care
Setting
• Falls Prevention - Outdoor and Playground Safety
• Road Safety (car drop off and pick up)
• Scalds, Fire Safety & Electrical Safety
• Choking Prevention
• Poisoning Prevention
• Water Safety
Falls Prevention
Outdoor
• Supervision is essential
• Adequate shade cover
• Soft landing surface
• Equipment regularly checked
• Fencing around play areas
Indoor
• Safe furniture
• No sharp edges
• Supervised play
Road Safety
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Transport injury is the highest-ranked cause of
unintentional injury deaths
Picking up and dropping off in and around the child care
setting is a common risk
Ensuring siblings are not left in the car even if they are
asleep
Adequate car parking arrangements: park legally, no
double parking
Parents remove children from car on the kerbside, not
the driver’s side
Gates fitted with top-locking mechanisms
Display signage to alert parents
and educators to any dangers
Poisoning Prevention
• There is only one place for medicines, cleaners and
toiletries, that’s in a child resistant cupboard.
• Return products as soon as you have finished
using them
• The child resistant cupboard can only be opened by
an adult sized finger
• In the kitchen always keep the dishwasher door
closed
If you think a child has been poisoned,
ring the Poisons Information Centre
on
13 11 26
Choking Prevention
• Kids learn about the world by putting
things in their mouth
• Balloons and small objects like nuts or
coins can choke young children
• Age appropriate toys – nothing smaller
than a D cell battery for children under 3
years old
Scald Prevention
• Hot drinks should not be consumed near
children
• Drinks should be prepared and consumed in
the kitchen
• Hot Water Burns Like Fire
FIRST AID FOR BURNS
• Run it under cold water straight away for at
least 20 minutes, then seek medical advice
• In an emergency immediately phone 000 for
the fire brigade, ambulance or police
Fire & Electrical Safety
• Smoke alarms are mandatory; check batteries weekly
• Fire exit plan established and practiced regularly
• These child resistant covers are available at the local
hardware or supermarket.
• Safety switches can cut power off quickly.
Water Safety
• Drowning is the major cause of death for <5 years old
• They can drown in as little as 5cms of water
• It only takes a moment for a child to drown, toddlers
should always be within arms reach and young children
within sight
Injury Scenarios in a Child Care
Centre
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fell off monkey bars
fell against table in centre
bitten on face by another child
laceration to chin after fall from climbing equipment
pushed over by another child and hit head
on concrete floor
• hit by car outside child care centre
• left middle finger caught in door
• slipped on a wet floor
Injury register
• Injury reports to be investigated
• Keep an accurate record of all incidents; analyse these
regularly
• Conduct regular safety audits
Strategies to Prevent Injuries
• Follow-up injury incidents - take preventative action
• Determine the degree of risk associated with each
problem.
• Seek expert advice when choosing and installing new
equipment in your centre, especially play equipment
Your role in Safety
• Help minimise risk
• Maintain regulations
• Offer a high quality environment
Health Promotion
As Early Childhood Educators you have a unique role to
convey safety messages to parents and carers
• Be a great example
• Be kept informed by your local council Community
Safety Officer
• Keep up to date with first aid training including CPR.
Self Care
There are also risks to your own health and safety
as Early Childhood Educators:
• Occupational Health and Safety guidelines
• Safer environment for
both yourself and the children under
your care
• Maintain a healthy and nutritious diet
• Avoid excessive tiredness
Summary
As Early Childhood Educators you have a responsibility to:
• Provide a safe and nurturing environment
for the children under your care
• Minimise risk
• Promote safe practices in your place
of employment
Thank You
For more information:
The Royal Children’s Hospital, Safety Centre
Phone: (03) 9345 5085
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.rch.org.au/safetycentre