WIREDGOV

Family safety charity RoSPA wants to ensure families in Northern Ireland make the most of their time together with the launch of a new campaign today.

Over the coming months the campaign, Making the Most of Family Time, will see RoSPA issue guidance and handy tips to help all generations to stay safe at home and in the garden, allowing families to enjoy the summer together while avoiding a trip to A&E.

The new initiative, which kicks off today with garden pond and paddling pool safety, is the first of three seasonal campaigns for the coming year that will spread information to help protect all members of the household, from the very young to the elderly.

Ita McErlean, RoSPA’s home safety manager for Northern Ireland, said: “Today’s launch of Making the Most of Family Time marks the beginning of a busy year of campaigning for us. We will be issuing seasonal advice that can help to make every member of every family just that little bit safer.

“Accidents are a serious issue that devastate thousands of families each year. Annually across the UK, around 13,500 people are killed by accidents, and they are the main cause of premature, preventable deaths for most of our lives.”

With the school holidays already under way, Making the Most of Family Time begins with children’s garden water safety. Garden ponds, paddling pools, water features and other items such as buckets of rain water can all pose a serious risk to children. Between 1995 and 2005, 68 children under the age of six drowned in a garden pond or a back garden.

Ita added: “With the school holidays here, many young children will be itching to get out into the garden to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts - and rightly so. But what should be a time for creating happy family memories can quickly turn to tragedy.

“Almost all child drowning incidents in the back garden or garden pond occurred after a break down in supervision. It’s so important that children in homes with a garden pond or other water feature, including paddling pools, are constantly supervised. Parents also need to ensure that the pond is inaccessible to the child who may escape supervision.”

Parents should also check the garden regularly. Containers holding rainwater should be emptied or sealed, and paddling pools should always be emptied and turned upside down after use. If you have a pond, a rigid mesh or grille can be used to create a secure cover.

For more information on protecting youngsters from drowning in the garden, see the advice page on our website.

Making the Most of Family Time forms part of RoSPA’s year-long Getting The Message Across initiative, which will provide seasonal information to help people of all ages prevent life-changing injury and death from accidents.