Accidents in the home can happen to any child or young person. However, children under the age of 5 are the most at risk to accidents and injury in the home.

Babies and young children learn about their world by exploring it. This means that, as soon as they are able to, they will crawl, touch and grab at whatever is in their line of vision. They are curious by nature and need careful and gentle guidance from a young age about what danger is and what to stay away from.

Most accidents happen in the home and this is why it is important to ensure that your home is safe for all your family.

Over 40% of all childhood accidental injuries occur at home and in the garden.

Most common kinds of accidents and injuries in the home are

• Falls account for over 40% of all home accidental injuries to children. They are by far the most common single cause of home accidental injury.
• Collisions with a person or object are the second most common type of accidental home injury. Typically these accidents happen when children run in to objects, run in to each other or are struck by a falling object.
• Something that has been swallowed, inhaled or is stuck elsewhere is also a common accident for children, with almost 40% being aged between 5 and 14 years.
• Burns and scalds are another common type of home injury. Burns and scalds particularly affect babies and very young children with scalds from hot drinks being the most common cause.
• The fifth most common reason for children being taken to hospital is suspected poisonings. These happen when parents or carers think that children have consumed medicines, household cleaners, DIY or gardening chemicals. Nine out of ten suspected poisonings involve children under five years old.

What parents and carers can do

• Babies and children learn by exploring their surroundings and do not automatically know what is dangerous.
• Explain about safety to your child from an early age.
• Watch your child and remove them from any danger.
• Make sure that all medicines and drugs are locked away well out of reach of children and your use of them is private to avoid your child coping you.
• Certain rooms are necessarily full of dangers, such as kitchen, and should remain out of bounds or made safe by the use of safety devices, i.e. keeping any electrical cables like kettles or irons out of reach.
• Are your children contained within the house? Is the safety chain high enough on the front door even for a very active toddler?
• Crawling and exploring are an essential part of development – keep an eye on young children, especially near wires and sockets.
• Beware of pets around young children. Even trained and good natured animals can turn on them.
• Make sure that irons, saucepans and hot drinks are kept out of reach of children. Scalding and burns are common and avoidable accidents.
• The home you live in is full of dust and this can trigger or make worse any allergy your child has such as asthma. Keep your home as dust free as you can.
• Inhaling cigarette smoke is bad for children’s health. Children will be affected by passive smoking and your smoking may encourage them to smoke when they are older.
• Check toys for safety marks. Ensure that your child does not play with toys that are not suitable for their age, especially if pieces are small enough to choke on. Unsafe toys can be very dangerous. For more information about toy and equipment safety see the ‘Toy & Equipment’ page on this website.

Downloads

Home Accidents (Factsheet): This factsheet from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) provides more information about the types of accidents and injuries children may experience at home.

Safety equipment in the home (Factsheet): This factsheet from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) provides some information about home safety equipment parents and carers could get to help reduce accidents to children in the home.

Leaflet ‘Active steps to safety’: This leaflet by CAPT gives parents and carers more information and advice about reducing injuries for toddlers in the home.

Leaflet: ‘How safe is your child from burns and scalds’: This leaflet by CAPT gives parents and carers advice and information about reducing the risk of burns and scalds for children.

Leaflet: ‘How safe is your child from a serious fall’: This leaflet by CAPT gives parents and carers advice and information about reducing risks of serious falls to children.

Leaflet: ‘How safe is your child in the garden’: This leaflet by CAPT gives parents and carers advice and information about safety in the garden.

Leaflet: ‘What might poison your child’: This leaflet by CAPT gives parents and carers advice and information about reducing the risk of children getting a hold of substances in the home which might poison them.

Links

www.homesafetygame.com/

This home safety game is a great resource developed to help children learn more about home safety and the risks which may exist in the home.

www.capt.org.uk/

Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) is a national charity committed to reducing the number of children and young people who are killed, disabled or seriously injured as a result of accidents. CAPT have a number of leaflets and resources which can provide a range of advice and information to parents and carers to help reduce accidents and injury to children and young people. Parents and carers can also find a number of links on the website to other sites which can provide information.

www.rospa.com/

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is a registered charity established over 80 years ago and aims to campaign for change, influence opinion, contribute to debate, educate and inform - for the good of all. By providing information, advice, resources and training, RoSPA is actively involved in the promotion of safety and the prevention of accidents in all areas of life - at work, in the home, and on the roads, in schools, at leisure and on (or near) water.