Communities living injury free

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Safety messages

Confused about which safety messages are the right ones? Injury prevention covers a wide variety of issues, and there are a huge number of messages out there. It's easy to get confused. If you are working on an injury prevention project or want to incorporate simple, accurate safety messages in your work the following list may help. It has been compiled by Communities Living Injury Free, and is reviewed every six months with the input of the following agencies:

NZ Fire Service
WaterSafe Auckland Inc
Auckland City Road Safety
Accident Compensation Corporation
Safekids

General

look after yourself, look after your family. Keep them injury free
make your life injury free, for you and your family
keeping yourself and your family safe from injury is easy.

Check out other websites on the useful resources list for more information.

Burns and scalds

hot water burns like fire
- be careful with hot drinks when little ones are about. Keep hot drinks away from the edge of the table or anywhere else little hands can reach. Never nurse a baby while holding a hot drink
- turn pot handles towards the wall so that they are not poking out over the edge of the stove. Then little ones can't pull them down
- keep electric jug cords out of the way of children. If children pull the cords, they may get a nasty burn from the hot water in the jug
- always run the cold water first when running a bath or shower and test the water temperature before you put your children in
- if possible, put your pots on the back element of the stove when cooking
- if you or a family member gets burnt, hold the burnt area under cold running water for at least 20 minutes.

Fire safety

if it can heat you, it can hurt you
- fires often occur in the kitchen so never leave cooking unattended - 'keep looking while you're cooking'
- if your clothes catch fire, stop, drop and roll. This will put the flames out
- keep matches and lighters out of children's reach and sight. Teach them to give any matches or lighter they find to an adult
- keep your family safe. Make an escape plan and practise it, so that everyone knows what to do if there is a fire
- smoke alarms save lives. Make sure you have smoke alarms for your home, and keep them working. Test them every month, and change the battery once a year at the time you change your clock for winter
- never underestimate the speed of fire. If there is a fire, get out and call 111. Ask for the Fire Brigade
- keep your family safe around heaters - remember the one-metre-heater rule - keep furniture, clothes and curtains at least one metre away from heaters and fireplaces
- never smoke in bed or when you are sleepy
- make sure all cigarettes are put out when you finish them, especially before you go to bed
- use a heavy ash tray, made out of fire-resistant material
- never leave lit cigarettes unattended
- if you or a family member gets burnt, hold the burnt area under cold running water for at least 20 minutes.

Water safety

always watch children at bath-time - don't leave them alone, even for a minute!
at the beach, by the creek, at the pools, and in the paddling pool - always stay with your children around water
swimming lessons are fun for kids, and help them to be confident in the water. However, being able to swim does not mean they can save themselves. Children need to be supervised around water at all times whether they can swim or not
when at a surf beach, always swim between the red and yellow flags. Swimming outside the flags is not recommended
always wear suitable clothing, never swim in heavy clothes such as jeans or fish from rocks in gumboots
when boating or fishing from rocks: wear a correctly fitted lifejacket, check the weather and tides, and carry at least two forms of communication. Always tell someone your expected time of arrival back and the approximate area you will be in
if in doubt, stay out
always put a tight lid on a nappy bucket and store your nappy bucket in the sink not on the floor. Empty the water out of nappy buckets when they are not in use
always empty paddling pools when not in use and store them on their sides.

Falls

falls can cause serious injuries and sometimes even death. Help keep yourself and your family safe from falls -
- keep floors clear of toys and tape down loose rugs
- help keep young children safe from falls. Put safety latches on windows around the home. Make sure you can undo the windows in an emergency
- on the floor is the safest place to change baby's nappies
- wet surfaces are slippery and can make people fall - mop up spills immediately and use non slip mats. A bath mat on the floor and a rubber mat in the bath or shower will help keep your family safe at bath time
- help keep your little ones safe from falls - if you have stairs, put a stair gate at the top and bottom of the stairs, and across doorways that lead outside
- avoid using baby walkers as they are dangerous and can cause an injury. Playing on the floor is better for your baby's development
- if you use a ladder, make sure it is NZ Standards approved, in good condition and secure. Only go up a ladder if somebody else is home. Ask them to hold it secure. Avoid over-reaching - your belt buckle should remain between the ladder rails. Keep three points of contact on the ladder at all times. Move the ladder and make sure it is tied securely to something stable. Only carry light well balanced loads up ladders. If a ladder is too upright the risk of overbalancing increases. Straight ladders should be on a lean one metre out for every four metres up
- if you have bunk beds, put smaller children in the bottom bunk. Top bunks are not suitable for children under six
older people can receive serious injuries or die from a fall, but falls are not a natural part of getting old and are therefore preventable. Keeping physically active and exercising is one of the best ways to reduce your chance of having a fall. Many communities run low cost exercise programmes especially to strengthen lower limb muscle strength and balance which reduces your chances of falling. Phone Accident Compensation Corporation (0800 THINKSAFE) to find out which options are best for you. Ask your health professional to assess your risk of having a fall.

Cutting/piercing injuries

scissors and knives and other sharp utensils cause injuries. Keep them out of reach of little children. Supervise older children when they use scissors and knives. Use kid-safe scissors and avoid running when carrying any sharp objects
glass doors can be dangerous because people don't see them and walk into the glass. Put stickers on them so people can see there is glass. Safety glass is the safest option
clean up broken glass straight away. Wrap it in newspaper and put it in your rubbish bin. Broken glass does not go in the recycling bin
be careful using tools. Ask your local hardware store if you have the right tool for the job you want to do. Do not let younger children use power tools. Older children may be allowed to use power tools, but only under strict supervision. Always store tools in locked boxes, cupboards, or high up out of reach
only children older than 12 years of age are physically able to operate a lawnmower safely. Use safe footwear such as steel capped boots while mowing the lawn. Clearing obstructions or cleaning lawnmowers must be undertaken only when the lawnmower is completely switched off. It is best to use tools rather than your hands to clear obstructions or clean the lawnmower.

Road safety

love your kids - buckle them in. Small children must have a child car seat that is right for their age and size. Contact your local Plunket car-seat rental scheme (listed in the White Pages) to find out where to get the best child restraint
it is important to use booster seats for older children (those who weigh between 14kg and 26kg). It is unsafe for children to be in an adult safety belt until they are over this weight
adults and children, who have outgrown their booster seat, should always wear safety belts
safety belts and child restraints save lives - use them always
cross the road safely - look right, look left, then right again before crossing. Always use a signalised crossing or a pedestrian crossing if there is one near by
check before you step when crossing the road
always watch children on the road or footpath and when crossing the road as they often run onto the road without looking and have difficulty judging the speed of cars. Always hold children's hands when crossing the road
walking school buses are a safe and healthy way to get your child to school. Ask your school if they have a walking bus in your area or consider starting one at your school
speed kills - driving at the correct speed limit will help keep you and your family safe
many road crashes happen at intersections. Keep yourself and your family safe - take care when approaching intersections
driveways are not a safe place to play, especially for toddlers. Make sure your children are not playing on the driveway, as they may get run over by cars leaving your property. Check where children are before driving away
fatigue (tiredness) is a big cause of road crashes in New Zealand. If you drive when you have not had enough sleep you are putting yourself and others at risk of injury. Make sure you are well rested before driving. If you are driving long distances, take regular breaks
there are new speed limits in force outside schools, always drive at the posted limit when passing a school, ie 50km and 40km speed limits.

Groups at risk

Anyone can get injured but groups who are at risk the most include:

children (falls, drowning, road crashes)
older people (falls)
men (road crashes, falls, drowning)

Between 1991 and 2001, 924 people who live in Auckland city died because of an unintentional injury (not suicide, homicide, etc). In terms of people hospitalised because of injuries, between 1993 and 2003, 39,465 people who lived in Auckland city were in hospital for 24 hours or more. Of those hospitalised, 22260 were male compared to 17205 female *. You can visit the the Injury Prevention Research Unit (IPRU) website for more information.

* Source NIQS, IPRU, figures are for Auckland city only.

Updated April 2008