Kidsafe and Archicentre are urging home owners throughout both metropolitan and country Victoria to conduct a safety audit on their homes for the upcoming school holidays.

Dr Mark Stokes, President of Kidsafe Victoria, said, “School holidays are generally a time when there are more visitors to the home; and usual routines are interrupted with extra activity. This can lead to reduced supervision by parents and carers and an increased danger of a child becoming injured.”

Kidsafe and Archicentre are urging people to conduct a safety audit on their homes to repair and remove common hazards such as:

• Making sure cupboards where poisons and medicines are stored are locked and installed out of reach of young children.
• Locking up sheds where chemicals, petrol or tools are stored.
• Ensuring the latch on the pool gate is secure, all pool fencing is in good condition and there are no objects which a child may use to stand on to gain access to pool areas.
• Making sure that all wading pools, or buckets are emptied after use, and not left lying around to collect rain.
• Checking for unsafe steps which may need repair and/or removing slippery moss or slime.
• Ensuring homes with stairs have safety gates installed at the top and bottom of the stairs.
• Regularly checking all toys and toy box contents to ensure they are age appropriate for the child
• Ensuring all outdoor play equipment is in good condition and safely installed.
• Ensuring that sandpits and play equipment are not placed near driveways.
• Ensuring your home has smoke detectors in operation, and that your kitchen has an easily accessible fire blanket and fire extinguisher.

Dr Stokes said, “One of the biggest danger areas for small children is the driveway where there is increasing concern over children being run over and killed or seriously injured. Ensure that children know the driveway is a type of road, and therefore not a play area.”

Mr Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said, “We also remind parents of the inappropriate installation of basketball rings on single skin brick walls on the front of garages. In the past, these have led to children’s deaths because of brick wall collapses.”

“Many of these hazards can be quickly observed and removed.”

Kidsafe has more information and safety factsheets available on its website for free download at:

http://www.kidsafe.com.au

Archicentre has a free Home Safety Checklist on its website in the download section at: http://www.archicentre.com.au

Media Enquiries:
Dr Mark Stokes, President, Kidsafe Victoria, Mobile: 0408 038 267

Mr Robert Caulfield, Managing Director, Archicentre, Mobile: 0412 381 306

Aleks Natora, State Manager, Kidsafe Victoria, Mobile: 0419 836 244

Ron Smith, Corporate Media Communications, Mobile: 0417 329 201