Here - Health Promotion Agency

Illness and accidents
The Child Accident
Prevention Trust
(CAPT) provides useful
information on a range of
safety topics, as well as some
fun activity and quiz sheets.
Visit the website at
www.capt.org.uk
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Are your household and garden
chemicals in a safe place, high
up, or locked away? Make sure
you replace child-resistant caps
properly after use.
Are you sure there are no dangerous
liquids in a bottle or jar that could
make them look like drink?
Are you teaching your children
not to eat any plants, fungi,
berries or seeds?
If you use surma on your child’s
eyes, is it one of the safe, lead-free
brands? Talk to your pharmacist.
Some surma can be dangerous.
Danger – electricity
❑ Are your electric sockets covered
by heavy furniture or safety covers
when not in use?
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Have you repaired all worn flexes?
Are you careful not to plug too
many appliances into one socket?
Danger – drowning
❑ Never leave a baby or young child
under four alone in the bath for a
moment. If the phone or doorbell
rings, take your child with you, or
let it ring.
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Is your garden pond covered or
fenced off? Never leave your child
alone near water.
Does your child know how to
swim? Children who can swim
are safer, but it is still no
guarantee of safety, so you should
still keep a close watch when your
children are near water.
Danger – cars
From September 2006, new child
restraint laws apply. 'Child restraints'
is the collective term for baby seats,
child seats, booster seats and
booster cushions.
❑ Children under 3 years MUST
use the child restraint appropriate
for their weight in any vehicle
(including vans and other goods
vehicles). However, they may
travel unrestrained in the rear of a
taxi if the right child restraint is
not available.
❑ Rear-facing baby seats MUST
NOT be used in a seat protected
by a frontal air-bag unless the airbag
has been deactivated
manually or automatically.
❑ In vehicles where seat belts are
fitted, children 3 years to 135 cms
in height (approx 4ft 5ins) MUST
use the appropriate child
restraint. Three exceptions allow
these children to travel in the rear
and use an adult belt: in a taxi if
the right child restraint is not
available; for a short distance in
an unexpected necessity; if two
unoccupied child restraints
prevent fitting a third.
For more information on the new
law, see www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk
Danger – roads
● Never let a child on or near
roads alone. Young children
don’t understand the danger
of traffic.
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Hold your child’s hand when
you’re near roads. Walking reins
are useful for toddlers.
Teach your child to cross roads
safely by always crossing safely
yourself and explaining what
you’re doing. Don’t expect any
child under the age of eight to
cross a road alone.
Danger – strangers
Parents are often very worried about
the possibility that their child will be
abducted or murdered by a stranger. In
fact this is a rare occurrence compared,
for example, with the risk of a traffic
accident. Nevertheless it’s sensible to
teach your children the following.
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Never go with anyone (even
someone they know well) without
telling the grown-up who is