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Back to school: Safety issues for children
August 2004

Preparing the children for returning back to the school, is an occasion to reexamine the related safety issues. Children's safety and health are capital issues for parents and they should be the first who should examine the situation relevant to their children and blow the whistle whenever necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apart establishing healthy habits for a restful sleep, the nutrition of the child needs special care during the transitional period prior the school start.


Soon summer holidays will be over and children of all ages have to make the transition from pool to school. Safe schools and the need to take extra precautions to avoid unfortunate events and even tragedies are matters that concern the majority of parents. Children's health and safety are always important.

As parents, they demand that the safety of our schools should be at the top of priorities and this no matter what the financial constraints might be. Additional safeguards are necessary and is up to the parents and families of children to raise the issues relevant to their safety in school.

As many children head back to school, it is not only up to the parents to look for hidden and unhidden hazards to help prevent injuries and deaths to children. The government and other relevant authorities have the responsibility to make schools, child care facilities and playgrounds safer.

Parents should take a few minutes to check their child's school, childcare facility and playgrounds. This little amount of time can prove invaluable as it offers the opportunity to discover things that parents and others may not think about during their busy daily schedule.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a checklist to help parents and caregivers to prevent injuries and deaths to children:

When you drop off your child at school, use this checklist to make sure these hidden hazards aren't waiting to cause injury or death.

  1. Drawstrings on jackets and sweatshirts -- There should be no drawstrings on hoods or around the neck. Drawstrings at the waist or bottom of jackets should extend no more than 3 inches to prevent catching in car and school bus doors or getting caught on playground equipment.
     
  2. Loops on window blind cords -- Cut the loop and attach separate tassels to prevent entanglement and strangulation in window blind cords. One child a month strangles and dies in the loop of a window blind pull cord or inner cord. Keep cords out of childrens' reach. Install cord stops to prevent formation of loop in inner cord.
     
  3. Bike helmets -- Buy a helmet that meets one of the safety standards (U.S. CPSC, Snell, ANSI, ASTM, or Canadian), and insist that your children wear the helmet each time they ride their bike. About 900 people, including more than 200 children, are killed annually in bicycle-related incidents, and about 60 percent of these deaths involve a head injury. More than 500,000 people are treated annually in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries. Research indicates that a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85 percent.
     
  4. Soccer goals -- Make sure that the athletic director or the custodian anchors the soccer goals into the ground so that the soccer goal will not tip over and crush a child.
     
  5. Playgrounds -- Check the surfaces around playground equipment at schools and parks to make sure there is a 12-inch depth of wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber or fiber material to prevent head injury when a child falls. Each year, more than 200,000 children go to U.S. hospital emergency rooms with injuries associated with playground equipment. Most injuries occur when a child falls from the equipment onto the ground.
     
  6. Recalled products -- Make sure your child's school has up-to-date information on recalled toys and children's products. Schools, daycare providers, and parents can receive recall information by e-mail, or in the regular mail free of charge by calling the CPSC hotline, or writing to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207.

Starting school for the first time or entering a new grade or a new school, is potentially unsettling for children. Therefore they need time to adjust. It is a wise attitude to start from two weeks prior to the school starting date to prepare the children for the inevitable change. This adaptation period can help a lot the children to have a successful beginning of their new school year.

It is important for children to have their routine program of what and when to do. It is the duty of the parents to to put these rules that guide the children of all ages.

A first and basic rule is to regulate the sleep of the children and putting a fix hour at which children should go to bed. During the summer holidays they slept whenever they wanted and woke up accordingly. This cannot continue. Children and adolescents need at least 8 hours of sleep. Even better 9 or 10 hours can help them more.   

At least 1 hour prior to the time set for sleep, children should interrupt any video or computer games and stop watching television programs or films that stimulate them. If they are outdoors playing or making sports, they should return home in order to calm down and relax. This prepares them for a better sleep.

Additionally a hot bath can help them. A bath is preferable to a shower because a shower is more stimulating. Children may eat as well something light like a biscuit, a cracker, a slice of bread with cheese or honey that helps them get asleep.

After the bath, reading a book or something else that the child likes can help a lot. At the time set for sleep the lights go out without discussion as this can allow the child to have the number of hours of sleep necessary.

Apart establishing healthy habits for a restful sleep, the nutrition of the child needs special care during the transitional period prior the school start. During the summer holidays, the children eat more often food rich in fat, sweets, ice cream, fried potatoes, chocolates.

Preparing for school means eating healthy, with more fruits and vegetables. Additionally, soft drinks, chocolates and other edibles containing caffeine should be avoided as this can cause insomnia and bad quality sleep.

Preparing the children for returning back to the school, is an occasion to reexamine the related safety issues. Children's safety and health are capital issues for parents and they should be the first who should examine the situation relevant to their children and blow the whistle whenever necessary.

 
Bibliography:

Consumer Product Safety Commission

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Safety Council


 
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Disclaimer: The information and recommendations contained and presented in this website have been compiled from sources believed to be reliable and scientifically correct. However Progressive Insurance Company Ltd, makes no guarantee as to, and assumes no responsibility for, the correctness, sufficiency, or completeness of such information or recommendations. Other or additional information or safety measures may be required under particular circumstances.