[Report 1967] / Medical Officer of Health, Swadlincote U.D.C.

  • Swadlincote (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1967
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1967] / Medical Officer of Health, Swadlincote U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/60 (page 14)
    SAFETY IN THE HOME. This is a topic which is of the greatest concern to us all. In the United Kingdom in one year more than 1,170 children aged 15 and under died as a result of accidents in and around the home. The main causes of these deaths were as follows:— (1) Choking and suffocation. (2) Burns and scalds. (3) Falls. (4) Poisoning. More children die from accidents in the home than from any other single cause ! Besides the fatalities mentioned above, there are, of course, many other serious but non fatal accidents to children in their own homes. Old people too, are especially vulnerable to home accidents. Each year as a result of falls, burns, poisoning and an apparently unlimited variety of other accidents in the home, many old people die before their time. Deaths from Home Accidents exceed those from all road accidents! An analysis of these accidents shows clearly that most of them are due to human error and are eminently preventable. The poorly lit stairway, the unguarded fire, the faulty wiring of the home, are examples of this kind of thing. Besides these, there are numerous less common causes of death and injury in the home. The Swadlincote Home Safety Committee is a voluntary organisation which acquaints the public on matters of Home Safety and brings to public notice any new hazards arising from the in¬ creasing complexity of home equipment. The Committee is associated with RoSPA, the National organ¬ isation set up for this same purpose. Swadlincote Home Safety Committee is composed of interested persons from amongst the general public, as well as people repre¬ senting various voluntary bodies and public services. For example, there are representatives from the County Council, the Police, the Gas and Electricity Boards and various Women’s Organisations. The Swadlincote Urban District Council gives an annual grant towards its expenses. The Derbyshire County Council also help financially and in many other ways. During the year the Committee sponsored poster campaigns and distributed leaflets highlighting home hazards. The press too were encouraged to publicise these items.