Summarise_the_Difference_Between_an_Accident_and_a_Hazard

Question 3.1 Summarise the difference between an accident and a hazard An accident can just happen without warning whereas a hazard can be prevented. An accident in the home can be a small accident, ie, spill some water onto the floor, to a major accident that can lead to injury or worse! For example, if you have a toddler and you have stairs, never leave the stair gate open, the child can very easily climb to the top and fall all the way down, unthinkable. A person is not pre-warned about an accident it is an unexpected or unforseen event. For example, the earth quakes that are happening around the world at the moment, even the japanese tsunami, these are classed as accidents. A hazard is a chance of being exposed to injury or harm for example a fire. Hazards and accidents are everywhere around us. If we ask people what are the differences between the two, most would say they are the same. Depending on the context they both have different meanings. It is always a good idea to have a good understanding of the two words. This way they can be used in the correct way. What is a hazard' This can be a situation which already exists and is very much likely to cause damage. For example, electicity, chemicals, toxic gas all these can be very hazardous. In deed they can all be deadly! Hazard has been taken from the old french word ‘Hazard’ which means ‘a game of chance using dice’. Ref: Prabhat. In the English dictionary Accident is an unforeseen incident. Hazard can increase the chances of a loss that does not necessarily result in illness or injury. Sometimes in the home accidents can occur because of a hazard, for example if you have the oven on and a small child goes into the kitchen, they can very easily touch the cooker door and burn themselves. The accident is burning themselves and the hazard is leaving the kitchen door open for the child to get in. The hazard can be taken away to stop the accident occuring. Here in the middle east, particularly where I live the ‘youngsters’ on the road cause major accidents on the roads. During the early hours of the morning when the roads are quiet they all gather together and race along the roads and do all sorts of tricks. They think it is a big joke and if one of them get injured there is always someone waiting to take their place. They are a big hazard on our roads. In the garden, an accident can be a child falling down on the path, a hazard is leaving chemicals out where a child can get to them. Question 3.2 Summarise common types of accidents and injuries in pre-school children. One of the biggest injuries sustained in pre-school children is scraped knees from falling down all the time. Common types of accidents and injuries in pre-school children are: burns, poisoning, drowning, cuts, strangulation, choking. The most common is as I have mentioned is falling over. Injuries sustained in falls vary from minor scrapes to head trauma. When my son was small he was known to the doctors as a ‘toe walker’, this was due to him always walking on his tip toes. Because of this he had a tendency to trip and either fall down or bang into the wall, hence he was constantly covered in bruises and bumps to the head. I was sometimes made to feel guilty by the health visitor, she sometimes thought that maybe I was abusing him. This was until she was at the house and saw it for her self. Also the playgroup staff had to explain to them that he did this in the nursery also. He is 27 and still walks on tip toes if he has nothing on his feet! Other dangers that parents or nursery schools don’t really think about it sashes/cords from curtains or blinds. Over the years a number of toddlers have died due to tying the cords around the neck and then hanging. At the nursery where I am working we have a swimming pool for the children, we have swimming once a week, we always make sure that at least one of the teachers/helpers are at th pool side, the pool is not deep but bear in mind the children range from 1 year old to 6 year old. It has been known for a child to drown in a bath with very little water. So this means children should never under any circumstances be left unattended where there is water. We also have a trampoline at the school, its enclosed by the net but small children can still fall through, the most common kind of injury here is broken bones. We have had two children fall through the gaps and both broke their arms. An accident in pre-school children can be when they are playing on their small bikes and they fall off, the injuries sustained can range from a simple scrape on the knee to a bang on the head. Another type of accident using the same bikes can be when two children collide with each other, this hopefully will not lead to any injuries.but just bruised egos! Burns – can be sunburn, burns from cookers, matches, lit cigarettes even radiators. Head injuries – can be caused from falls from high chairs, beds, furniture, stairs. Choking – if young children are not properly supervised they can put items into their mouth and choke, such as beads, small toys. Items stuck in nostrils – such as stones, peas, even food stuffs. Cuts and scratches – these can be from sharp finger nails, either themselves, a pet or another child. Contusions – bruises from falling or bumping into things. Question 3.3 Explain the relationship between the age of a child and the potential for accidental injury. A child of one year old will not know that putting small objects into their mouth is a potential for accidental injury, the child could choke, the object could get stuck in the throat, worse the object could tear the throat or windpipe as its entering the body. Once in the body the object could become lodged between organs. This is a potentially fatal scenario. A child who has just learnt to walk say at the age of 2-3 does not realise the potential for accidental injury when he/she is running around the house, in the house there are so many obstacles that can cause serious injury, for example, tables, the child could fall onto the corner of the table, worse case scenario here would be if the child caught the eye on the table. Also a dangerous item to have in the house if a small child is around is a glass table. A small child likes to run everywhere, they don’t know the concept of danger. A child who is say aged 5 does not really understand the danger of outside the house. One main one in todays society is strangers. Children trust adults and don’t appreciate the dangers of talking to strangers. Too many children are being abducted because of the trust they have. Another potential danger outside is the traffic, a child has no concept of road safety, they don’t realise the damage a vehicle can cause to a person, particularly a small person, even if the vehicle is travelling slowly. All these that I have noted are potential for accidental injury, it is up to us as adults to instil in the child what the dangers are and how to avoid them, we must do this from an early age. My grandson is 15 months old and every day I worry about the dangers always leave stair gate closed. Keep kitchen door closed. It’s a constant worry. Question 3.4 Compare the type of injuries that may be sustained by a baby under 6 months, a baby who can crawl, a toddler, and a pre-school child as a result of a given accident. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury to children. Children ages 14 and under account for one-third of all fall related visits to hospital emergency departments. The severity of a fall related injury is determined by the distance of the fall and the landing surface. Head injuries are associated with the majority of deaths and severe injurys resulting from falls. Ref: National Safe Kids Campaign, Washington, 2004. A baby of six months takes a fall from say a bed, must be taken to the emergency room. This is because the childs bones are still very soft and can be easily broken. Also when a baby of this age falls from a distance the chances of him/her landing on the head is more probable than not. Also a six month old baby cannot tell you if they are hurt due to the fall or not. As a baby cries for various reasons it will be hard to determine if they are crying due to the fall. If a baby falls on the head and it goes un treated the child could end up having brain damage, the reason for this is because the babies skull is still soft and fragile and can easily break leading to a bleed. A crawling baby can take a fall down the stairs. This can lead to broken bones, neck and or head injuries. The childs bones are still soft like the six month olds so are still very susceptible to breaking. If a child has fallen down the stairs and does not shout or cry and seems in a sort of daze he/she must be taken to the emergency room immediately. The injuries sustained in a fall for a baby and a crawling baby are therefore more or less the same. A toddler will more than likely sustain more injuries than babies as they are more inquisitive also are more mobile. A toddler can climb stairs for example, whereas a baby cannot. If a toddler falls down they will more than likely just stand up and carry on with what ever they were doing. In my experience with toddlers falling, if you make a fuss they will cry and make the accident seem bigger and worse than it actually is. But if you laugh and clap hands, make fun they will jump up and laugh also. A toddler will most likely have bruises and scrapes from falls, also they will occassionally sustain a bump on the head. If this happens a parent/carer must watch them closely, look for signs of vomiting, and drowsiness. If this occurs the child must be seen by a doctor immediately. The difference between a baby, a crawling baby and a toddler is, if the toddler is not speaking yet they can at least point to what is hurting them. As pre-school children have plenty of energy, they can sustain head injuries at home by falling down stairs, or falling out of windows, this can happen if a child watches certain tv programmes, ie, superman, the child feels he can fly. Pre-school children can climb up trees and fall. They can ride bikes and fall off. All of these accidents can cause severe head injuries. I think young children, especially young children that like to run and climb all the time should wear helmets outside, they should when riding their bikes. Wearing a helmet will protect their head against serious damage. A pre-school childs head is still quite soft and vunerable. A pre-school child can at least tell his parent or carer what happened and what hurts. Head injuries in children is a common occurance which causes panic in parents. Although its impossible to eliminate head injuries completely, it is possible to reduce its incidence by eliminating common hazards in the house, garden, and play areas. Ref: Dr. Asoka Thenabadu – Head Injuries in Children. Question 3.5 Review at least three hazards in each of the following areas: Kitchen: The kitchen is probably the most dangerous room in the house. Children should never be allowed in the kitchen without adult supervision. Hazard 1) The cooker/stove is one of the major hazards in the kitchen. If the cooker/stove is not securely fastened down a slight bump or knock could have it falling over. This is one of the reasons why we should never allow children in the kitchen on bikes etc. If a pan is on the stove that is not heat resistant it can become so hot that it can explode and shatter. The door on a cooker/stove can get extremely hot. Adults must wear oven gloves to prevent burning, what can be a small blister for an adult can in fact turn into a 3rd degree burn for a child. If handles on pots and pans are not turned in a child of the same height of the cooker can easily pull the pan down, also if the pan is boiling excessively the water can splash onto the child causing burns. Never put anything flammable near the cooker, or wear loose sleeves as these can easily catch fire. Fires can easily spread in the kitchen. Hazard 2) Utensil drawers are a dangerous thing to leave open. A child can easily grab a knife and fall with it, the consequence of this can be fatal. A child could easily choke with a small item from the drawer. A spoon can be harmful, if a child puts it in the mouth and falls, it can go to the back of the throat and do horrendous damage. If a child does happen to get into the drawer check pockets etc as they can put things such as small knives into pockets and maybe go outside and play with friends and pull the knife out. This could have dire consequences. Hazard 3) Household chemicals – many people store chemical products such as cleaning supplies in the kitchen, and most of us tend to keep these products under the sink. The cupboard should always be locked and if possible have a child lock on. If possible it would be better if the products can be stored elsewhere, such as the garden shed or garage. If a child happens to drink some of the products they must be taken to hospital immediately and the parent/carer should take the product with them so the doctor can see what they have taken. It is important to review kitchen set up periodically. Make sure the fire extinquisher is fully charged at all times. Smoke alarms should be fitted throughout the house especially the kitchen. The batteries should be changed regularly. Livng Room: Most people have to use their living rooms as the play room so the room must be made child friendly and remove all potential hazards. Hazard 1) Make sure all electrical sockets are covered. And the wires are well hidden. There are special flexes that can cover wire. Never leave bare wires where children can get them. The flexes should be behind cupboards or the tv, never where a child can trip over them. Hazard 2) Fires are a very big hazard in the living room. A fire guard that can be attached to the wall or fire surround should at all times be used. Never leave flammable objects or paper near to the fire. Under no circumstances should the fire be left unattended. If the fire is an open fire, coal fire, the adult should never throw anything into it whilst the child is present, as the child will see this and mimic what the adult has done, and it could be something that shouldn’t be in contact with fire. Hazard 3) The parent or carer should never leave the living room window open, especially if the window is at the same height as the child. This is more important for people that live in flats/apartments. We hear to many sad stories these days of children falling to their deaths from open windows. The child can even be badly injured falling a short distance. The home owner should make sure the windows have child safety locks on. Bathroom: The bathroom has just as much hazards as anywhere else in the house so this means supervision is paramount. Hazard 1) The most important rule in a bathroom, is never ever leave the child unattended in the bath. The o ther concern for the bath is the temperature of the water, ideally a parent/carer should have a thermometer to test the water, if not the old fashion way should do the trick, the elbow dipped in the water. Never over fill the bath if it’s a baby the water should just come to the waist, a toddler just a bit more. But never too much in case they slip and if unattended a child can drown in such little amounts of water. Hazard 2) Never expect young children to climb onto the toilet themselves, as they can easily fall in and could get stuck. A child seat should always be fitted. Also the toilet seat should always be down as a child could reach in, particularly a toddler, and drink the water. The child could contract all sorts of diseases from doing this so a hospital visit should be done to be on the safe side. A step for young children would be ideal for the child to climb onto then he/she can get onto the toilet safely themselves. Hazard 3) If a medicine cabinet is installed in the bathroom, it should always be put high, out of the childs reach, this should be done with the child standing on the step so the cabinet is definitely out of reach. The cabinet should be locked especially when it houses medicines and razor blades. All cleaning materials, ie, bleach should be stored well away from young hands. Garden: Hazard 1) One of the biggest hazards in the garden is ponds and swimming pools, even small water features can prove to be hazardous. Ponds must be fenced off or fitted with a suitable cover with a heavy weight on so a child cannot lift up the cover. Mesh and nets are not suitable for covering water features as a toddler can easily fall through the gaps. Children can drown in as little as a couple of centimeters of water. Hazard 2) Climbing frames and other play equipment are a source of great excitement for young children, they are also a great form of exercise for them. However they can also pose as very hazardous. The equipment should be erected correctly and used in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. Always have suitable ground covering around the equipment as if a child falls from a climbing frame, he/she can still sustain an injury but more than likely not as bad an injury if he/she fell onto concrete. A toddler should never be left alone with outdoor equipment. Don’t let children play on rusty equipment. Hazard 3) If animals have access to the garden area, a parent or carer should always check for faeces, dog and cat faeces are particularly hazardous, a child can easily touch then put fingers into the mouth. One disease from cats is toxoplasmosis, this is rare but can occur. There are various types of worms, like hookworm you can contract from dogs. These are dangerous to small children as their immune system is low. Also if a dog resides at the home they should always be kept away from the child, or at least always make sure an adult is always present as dogs are very unpredictable and can attack without warning. On the stairs: Hazard 1) If a childs playroom is upstairs always make sure that the toys are put away, if toys are left by the stairs an adult can be carrying a child and not see the item then trip and fall down the stairs. Hazard 2) The carpet should be checked regularly. If a carpet is worn or pulled up a child can fall down and badly injure themselve. Hazard 3) If a child who is crawling manages to get up stairs, they will think its easy to get back down, this can prove to be very dangerous. The child could end up with serious head injuries, or worse. A safety gate should be put at the bottom of the stairs and at the top. Preferably the gate that opens and not one that has to be climbed over. Question 3.6 Explain how a given area can be made safer for a baby under 6 month, a crawling baby, a toddling baby and a child who can climb. The living room can be made safer for a baby under 6 months by making sure there are no small objects, ie, beads, buttons etc within arms reach as a baby first instinct is to put objects into the mouth. This can lead to choking. Never leave the baby alone with any pets such as cat or dog. A baby should never be left alone with another younger child. Never leave hot drinks near babies. The stairs can be made safer for a crawling baby by making sure the stair gates are secure and shut both at the bottom and top of stairs. Never leave toys lying around the stair area for if an adult is carrying a child they can fall. Also the bannisters should be made safe for a crawling baby, they should be wide enough for a child not to get head stuck. The kitchen should be made safer for a toddler by always making sure an adult is at all times present, especially if the cooker is on. Never let the toddler take any cutlery from the drawers. Always make sure the cupboards under the sink where most people keep cleaning equipment is securely fastened. The safest is not to let the toddler into the kitchen. The garden area and climbing equipment can be made safer for a child who likes to climb by making sure all the equipment is fastened to the ground securely. If the equipment is loose the child could fall or the equipment could fall on top of the child. Make sure there are no sharp objects sticking out of the ground, if a child falls from a height onto a pointed object it could impale. So make sure the clothes lines have no poles sticking out. Make sure there are no ropes hanging from trees, a child that can climb a tree can easily get strangled by the rope. Question 3.7 In relation to the hazard and mobility of the child, explain how the risk of injury can be reduced. In the living room there are lots of hazards, particularly if the child is mobile. Ornaments can be a hazard, if a child picks up an object and is walking or even running with it he/she can fall and have the object injure the face. The risk of injury in the living room can be greatly reduced by removing all objects out of arms reach. Make sure the fire guard is around the fire at all times, even when the fire is off. If a child is mobile the adult needs to be quick in moving an object that the child has spotted, ie hot drink. To reduce injury caused by falling into tables, make sure the corners have been covered. The best ways to ensure safety in the living room is by looking at things through their eyes. Go onto hands and knees and have a look and see what a child sees, if it’s a potential hazard remove it or make it safe. Don’t put toy boxes under windows where a child who is mobile can climb onto. Whether we are parents or childminders, childrens safety is of the utmost importance. Each room should be assessed regularly and all potential hazards removed. These will more than likely become more as the child gets older. Safety in the house and garden is really common sense! Ref: Prabha National Safe Kids Campaign – 2004 Dr. Asoka Thenabadu – Head Injuries in Children