June 1, 2016
Kidsafe Victoria e-news June 2016

June e-news

Welcome to the June edition of Kidsafe Victoria’s e-news. This month we have an update on our crowdfunding campaign, some tips to help you keep your home warm and safe this winter and the latest product recalls.

Happy reading!

Keeping your home warm and safe this winter

As we get to the middle of June winter has well and truly set in! With the colder weather, families tend to spend more time indoors…. There is nothing better than curling up inside with the heater going on a cold rainy day!

While heaters do a great job of keeping us warm, there are a few important things to consider to ensure that children aren’t injured by them. When thinking about heater safety in your home, consider the tips below:

  • Electrical appliances such as heaters should be serviced regularly (at least once every 2 years or more regularly if instructed by the manufacturer).
  • Ensure that your heater is installed, maintained and operated according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Keep your heater well clear of items that could burn/catch fire. A minimum space of 1 metre is recommended between heaters and items like clothing, bedding, curtains and furniture.
  • Always turn the heater off before you leave the house.
  • Supervise children around heaters at all times. Barriers/guards can be used to restrict children’s access to heaters and reduce the risk of them being burnt, however these should not be relied upon on their own to keep children safe.

This month we are running a home winter safety social media campaign with tips on how you can reduce the risk of injuries for your children this winter. As part of the campaign, our friends at Nobo Australia are giving away 1 x Nobo Oslo heater every week for the month! To enter our weekly competitions head to our Facebook page.

For more tips on home winter safety please visit our home winter safety tune up fact sheet  and our information on fire safety/burns and scalds.

Make your mark: Help build Kidsafe Victoria’s Community Support Centre!

Make your mark on child injury by helping to build Kidsafe Victoria’s first ever Community Support Centre!

We are currently running a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to assist us in fitting out our Community Support Centre space – we are a third of the way to our goal of $15,000 which is fantastic, however we still need your help to allow us to build the best Community Support Centre that we can!

The Community Support Centre, which will open at the new Monash Children’s Hospital in early 2017, will be a space where parents, carers and professionals can come in and seek information, resources, support and advice on a wide range of child injury topics. The centre will allow Kidsafe Victoria to expand our injury prevention programs and increase our ability to provide face-to-face support to parents and carers in Victoria.

Donations made through the crowdfunding campaign will go towards much needed items such as the commercial fit-out, a children’s play area and office equipment.

There are some great rewards on offer too, like the chance to go into the draw to win a Spectra S2 breast pump (valued at $299) for anyone who donates $2 or more, or the chance to get a free child restraint fitting/check from our friends at Hire for Baby for anyone who donates $30 or more (T&C’s apply)!

To see how your donation will make a difference, or to check out some of the super safety rewards, please visit https://chuffed.org/project/kidsafe-victoria-community-support-centre-appeal . Donations close on Thursday 30th June 2016.

Together, we can make the world a safer place for kids!

 

Product Recalls

AngelRock Baby—TwinGo Carrier (2015 model and 2016 model)

The waist buckle on the carrier may break causing a potential fall hazard for children. If you have purchased one of these carriers it is advised that you stop using it until new buckles have been received and fitted. To register for a replacement buckle please visit https://twingocarrier.com/pages/repairkit. For more information on the recall, please click here.