December e-news – Christmas Edition

Welcome to the December edition of Kidsafe’s e-news! With summer and Christmas celebrations in full swing, this month we have everything you need to know about buying Christmas presents for young children, as well as keeping safe around driveways and bodies of water, details of our Christmas closure and the most recent product recalls.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily safety tips and information. We wish you a very merry Christmas, and a safe and happy New Year!

Helmets- the Perfect Stocking Filler

Struggling for stocking filler ideas? A helmet is a great gift that will help keep a child safe, especially if they are also getting a bike, scooter, skateboard or rollerblades for Christmas. Research shows that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injury in a collision by 60 – 90 per cent. When purchasing a helmet, look for the Australian Standard label AS/NZS 2063 and make sure that the helmet fits the child properly. Bright coloured helmets improve the chances of your child being seen by other cyclists, pedestrians and cars. For more information on choosing a helmet for a child, please visit http://dev.kidsafevic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/attachments/QAhelmetchoice.pdf

Watch out for Button Batteries

It is also important to check whether any Christmas presents you buy or receive contain button batteries. Button batteries can be found in items such as remote controls, watches, toys and singing greeting cards. If swallowed, the coin-sized batteries can become lodged in a child’s throat, causing severe long term damage or even death. To help keep your children safe, ensure that the battery compartment on toys is secure and  make sure any spare batteries are kept out of sight and reach of children. For more information on button battery safety, please visit http://kidsafevic.com.au/home-safety/button-batteries

Keep your Driveways Safe this Christmas

Christmas is a busy time and with increased activity around driveways and shopping centre car parks, it is especially important to be vigilant with children around cars. Children can move very quickly and blind spots behind cars mean that they are hard for drivers to see, which places them at risk of being run over. Reversing cameras can help to reduce this blind spot, however technology should never be relied upon on its own to keep children safe around cars.

To keep your children safe this Christmas, always ‘Supervise, Separate and See around driveways and car parks. Treat the driveway  like a road, ensure that children are never left alone to play near parked or moving vehicles and try get in the habit of walking around the vehicle to check for children before leaving..

For more information on how to keep your driveway safe, please visit http://dev.kidsafevic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/attachments/Fact-Sheet-Driveway-Safety-web.pdf

Stay Safe around Water this Summer

Summer means lots of fun around water, whether it be at the beach, in a pool, or in rivers and dams. However, with the swimming season comes an increased risk of drowning for young children. In 2012/13 40 Australian children aged under 14 years drowned. The majority of these incidents occurred in backyard swimming pools. Children can drown quickly and silently, which means that they require constant adult supervision.

If you have a backyard pool and are expecting guests this Christmas, make sure that your pool gate is self-closing and self-latching and do not be tempted to leave the gate propped open. It is a good idea to have a designated supervisor who is responsible for watching children at parties – this role can be shared by adults during the day.

Remember, children can drown in as little as a few centimeters of water so things like eskies with melted ice and inflatable toddler pools can also pose a drowning hazard for children this summer.

To find out more about how to keep your pool area safe, please visit http://kidsafevic.com.au/water-safety/pool-fence-safety

Kidsafe Christmas Closure

The Kidsafe Victoria office will be closed from 19^th December to 5^th January. If you have any enquiries during this time, please send them to info@kidsafevic.com.au and we will respond to them when we return in the new year. We would like to wish all our subscribers and supporters a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Stay safe, from the team at Kidsafe Victoria.

Safety Tip of the Month

Product Recalls

Officeworks—Matilda Kids Table & Chair Set
The table may collapse if a child leans on it at a certain angle. Consumers should cease using the product immediately and return to Officeworks for a full refund. Please visit https://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1066609 for more information

BIG W—Bestway 6ft Fast Set Portable Pool
The portable pool does not display the required warning label on the retail packaging. Consumers should call Bestway direct on 1300 780 877 for a replacement warning sticker or for a refund of the product. Please visit http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1065716 for more information.