11/01/2005

Home accident prevention strategy launched

A Home Accident Prevention Strategy and a more detailed data will help save lives, Health Minister, Angela Smith, said today.

The Strategy, which was published today, will involve the development of public information campaigns on home accident prevention, with particular focus on fire safety and the safety of children on farms.

A new home accident data collection service is central to the plan and will result in reliable information on the number and type of accidents in homes.

Speaking about the Strategy and Action Plan, the Minister said: “Accidents in the home are a major cause of death, and injuries resulting from home accidents can have a substantial long term impact on health. More accidents occur in the home than at work and on the roads put together.

“The Strategy’s aim is to reduce the number of accidental deaths and injuries in the home. It identifies that there is a strong link between poverty and the likelihood of injury in the home and therefore targets those most at risk, including the socially disadvantaged, children and older people.”

The strategy focuses on improving awareness and training on accident prevention and comprises a number of actions, including developing a programme for teaching home accident prevention to school age children.

It was developed by an inter-sectoral Working Group, including representatives from the statutory, voluntary and community sectors.

(MB/SP)

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