The home is the most common location where childhood injuries occur

Kidsafe Victoria has issued a call for parents and carers to conduct a safety audit of their homes and ensure measures are put in place to help keep children safe, as Victoria heads into its sixth COVID-19 lockdown.

The call comes following a spike in childhood injury deaths during 2020 in Victoria, with statistics from the Coroners Court of Victoria revealing that 32 children aged 0-14 years died as a result of preventable injuries – almost one child every 11 days.

Jason Chambers, General Manager of Kidsafe Victoria, highlighted the range of potential injury hazards that exist in our homes and the challenge facing many families.

“There is now a lot more for parents and carers to juggle at home – looking after children, some who are being home-schooled, and trying to work from home as well. It can be really challenging.”

“Our homes are the most common location where childhood injuries occur. Little ones are naturally curious and so quick – all it takes is a split second for children to get into trouble and that split second can be life changing”, said Mr Chambers.

Kidsafe Victoria is encouraging all families to download their free home and farm safety checklists to help identify potential injury hazards and decide on the most effective methods to reduce the risk.

The organisation says that along with active adult supervision, setting up a safe play area away from hazards such as water, driveways, heaters and poisons, is one of the strategies that can help to reduce the risk of injury for children.

“Safe play areas can give you peace of mind that your little one will be kept well out of harm’s way while you do simple everyday things such as going to the bathroom, making a meal, or taking a work call,” said Mr Chambers.

In response to the high number of childhood preventable injury deaths last year, Kidsafe Victoria has launched a new campaign – ‘Nothing is Everything’. The campaign is designed to highlight the world which Kidsafe Victoria aims to create – a world where nothing bad happens to kids – by reminding everyone of the little things they can do to help prevent unintentional injuries and deaths.

For more information about childhood injury prevention and the ‘Nothing is Everything’ campaign, please visit www.kidsafevic.com.au

Background on Nothing is Everything – community awareness safety campaign

Last year 32 Victorian children died from an unintentional and preventable injury. That’s almost one child every 11 days. Kidsafe Victoria’s latest campaign highlights the world they’re trying to create – a world where nothing bad happens to kids – by reminding everyone of the little things they can do to help prevent accidental injury.

The animated campaign demonstrates near misses with a number of common injury hazards for children – including driveways, button batteries, burns and scalds and backyard swimming pools – before a parent or carer steps in to help ensure nothing happens.

Because when nothing happens, children aren’t admitted to hospital due to serious injury. When nothing happens, children don’t have to live with the lasting impacts from preventable injuries. When nothing happens, parents don’t have to deal with a lifetime of loss. Quite simply, when it comes to our children, when nothing happens, there’s everything to celebrate. And that’s down to all of us. Together, we can keep kids safe.

https://www.kidsafevic.com.au/about/nothing-is-everything/