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Home safety workshop

UK statistics showed almost 900,000 children under 15 had an accident in the home in 2002—with boys having more accidents than girls.  This number has been steadily declining over the last 10 years along with accidental deaths.


Although children from the poorest families are still at much greater risk than those from the most affluent house holds—in fact they are 5 times more likely to die and the gap is widening.

  • Falls = the largest number of non-fatal injuries happen when children fall. Most falls are either slips/trips on the same level, younger children tend to fall from a raised level.
  • Burns & Scalds = Scalds happen more often than burns and are most frequently caused by hot drinks and as the child gets older from cooking.
  • Fire = House fires cause the most accidental deaths of children in the home with smoke inhalation usually being the cause.
  • Finger entrapment = Door crush injuries are common and the door hinge is usually the culprit, along with car doors.
  • Poisons = Most poisoning accidents involve medicines, household products and cosmetics and occur in children aged under 5 years.
  • Glass injuries = The increased use of glass in the home has led to more glass related accidents. Every year in the UK children die following an accident with architectural glass. Many children are also injured when glass tumblers and bottles break.

Reference: Child Accident Prevention Trust www.capt.org.uk,Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents www.rospa.org.uk

kitchenRun by Family Nursing and Home Care, the home safety workshop is based around a  kitchen with various hazards for the children to identify  and what they could do to reduce the risks.


Aim of the Exercise The children will be able to

  • Identify hazards in the kitchen and learn how to deal with them

Key Messages

  • Prevention of scalds and burns
  • Correct use of a microwave
  • Correct handling of electrical appliances

Appropriate Action

  • Identify how to prevent electric shocks
  • Identify how to prevent burns & scalds
  • Identify how to safely use a microwave