Injury prevention strategies are used to alter the physical and social environment and also to address people’s behaviour. Injury prevention requires multiple approaches including education, enforcement, and engineering to increase the protective factors or reduce the hazards.
There are two types of injuries: intentional and unintentional. Intentional injuries include interpersonal violence (e.g., homicide, assault) and self-harm. Unintentional injuries are the result of falls, burns, drowning, motor vehicle collisions and other situations that are often referred to as “accidents”. “Accident” is a word used to describe common situations that seem to occur without a cause. When the word “accident” is used to describe situations resulting in unintentional injuries, most people assume that what happened was due to chance. There are steps that can be taken, however, to address the cause of injury and subsequently reduce the risk. Unintentional injuries are devastating to the lives of individuals and families that experience them. Unintentional injuries are not “accidents”; they are predictable and preventable.
For more in-depth learning on injury prevention strategies, including how to develop an injury prevention initiative with your community, download the Child Injury Prevention Programming and Action Guide and the accompanying worksheets.
Learning and understanding the developmental stages of children is one way to create a safe environment in which developing children can explore. Injuries will happen; bumps and bruises are a part of growing up. All adults who interact with children can learn strategies to prevent injuries that are serious in nature and impair a child’s ability to go to school, play, or alter their life in some way.
A combination of physical closeness and attention to what the child is doing, particularly for infants and young children, is important for preventing injuries. Caregivers need to keep environments hazard-free while allowing children to explore, learn new skills, and test their own limits. Being aware of a child’s skills and abilities will help caregivers know when it is safe to give them more freedom.
Be ready before the child is. Before a child develops a physical skill (e.g., crawl, walk, climb), parents and caregivers must recognize potential hazards. To determine where hazards are, look at the space(s) from the child’s point of view. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around. Remove anything that is breakable or valuable and things they can pull down on themselves, or secure large items using anchors if it cannot be removed. The following charts outline prevention tips based on children’s physical developmental milestones. Every child will achieve these milestones at different ages; however, these are general guidelines of when parents can expect to see these abilities.
In Saskatchewan, the ten most common causes of injury-related hospitalizations for children and youth less than 20 years of age are: falls, sports-related, intentional self-harm, assault, unintentional poisoning, motor vehicle incidents, cycling, ATV, fire and burns, and pedestrian incidents. These injuries can occur in the home, in the yard, on the farm, in the city, at school, at the park, in the street, and anywhere else that a child or youth may be.
It is important to recognize that most injuries are caused by events that are predictable and preventable, and we all have a role in injury prevention. Parents and other caregivers, educators, healthcare providers, journalists, municipal leaders, policymakers, and those working in prevention or protection services can raise awareness and learn about preventing serious childhood injuries.
The campaign series, Injury prevention begins with you, is about challenging our thinking about our roles and responsibilities related to child injury prevention across Saskatchewan. We hope that you will engage in community conversations about how you can take action to prevent child injury. If you have comments or questions about this campaign, please email info@skprevention.ca.
Cycling is a great way to get around, be active, and have fun. While it is normal for children to fall when they are learning to ride a bike, the majority of serious bicycle related injuries are preventable.
Think ahead.
Pay attention.
Be prepared.
Make the area safe.
Teach safety skills.
Be a good role model.
For more information on preventing bicycle injuries, click here.
Burn and scald injuries can be a result of fire and flame, electricity, chemicals, and heat (e.g., hot appliances, hot liquids). Safety measures can be taken to protect children from a burn or scald injury. Active supervision of young children by parents and caregivers can reduce the risk of a burn or scald injury.
Think ahead.
Pay attention.
Be prepared.
Make the area safe.
Teach safety skills.
Be a good role model.
For more information on preventing burns and scalds, click here.
We all have the same goal – to be safe at home, at work, on the road, and at play. When children are playing in or around water, there is a risk of drowning. When drowning the body can’t get oxygen. The lungs and brain can be damaged. The good news is that drowning can be prevented.
Think ahead. Teach children the pool is off-limits without direct adult supervision. Empty paddling or wading pools when they are not being used.
Pay attention. While your child is in or near water, actively supervise. This means that children under 5 should be within an arm’s length of an adult. Older children also need supervision; take turns being the adult responsible for supervision.
Be prepared. Young children (under 3 years old) can drown in less than 2 inches of water and are not able to understand the dangers of water. Never leave a child unattended while in the bath or alone in a yard with a pool or hot tub.
Make the area safe. Add a 4 foot high fence around your pool. Don’t leave items (chair, table, play equipment) near the fence as a child could use it to climb over the fence. Drain the water after a bath. Leave toilet seats down when they are not in use. Cover rain barrels and hot tubs.
Teach safety skills. Enroll your child in swimming lessons and make sure he/she is comfortable and skilled in and around water. Teach children to tread water, swim with a buddy, and not enter water without an adult nearby.
Set a good example. Wear a lifejacket. Take a boat safety course.
For more information on drowning prevention, click here.
Risky play is thrilling, exciting play that includes the possibility of injury. This does not mean that parents should keep children from engaging in risky play. While risky play can happen in a variety of settings, it often happens outdoors. Risky play benefits children’s health, development, independence, confidence, creativity, and well-being. During risky play, children are more physically active, set goals, figure out how to obtain those goals, negotiate with friends, solve problems, and learn skills to keep themselves safe. This type of play should be child-led and parent-supported.
What can you do to support risky play? Give children time, space, and freedom.
Time
Balance other activities with free time for play.
During daily routines, such as walking or cycling to school or to the park, allow children to choose (e.g., climbing a tree, how fast they cycle).
Space
Let them play in spaces with a variety of elements (e.g., loose parts they can move around, tools, slippery paths, height).
Freedom
Allow children to decide what activity to do, take risks and learn their own limits, and test their abilities.
Observe children during play. Step in when children are doing something that is not safe (e.g., swinging a hammer toward others).
Other tips:
Risky play will help children view the world as a place of possibility rather than danger. For more information on risky play, click here.
Parents want their children to be active and have fun. When children use a backyard trampoline or go to an indoor trampoline park, there is a risk of injury. What can you do to prevent a trampoline-related injury?
Think ahead. Think about all the activities your child can do to stay active and consider other activities first. It’s okay to say no when your child asks for a trampoline. If you choose to allow your children to use a trampoline, talk with your family about the dangers of trampolines and write out the family rules for using the trampoline.
Pay attention. While your child is on a trampoline, actively supervise. This means being nearby where you can directly see the child that is on the trampoline. Children under 6 should not use a trampoline. Take turns being the adult responsible for supervision.
Be prepared. Understand that most injuries happen while on the trampoline, not when falling off. Be ready to enforce the rules for trampoline use. Have a first aid kit and a phone nearby. Never leave a child unattended while on a trampoline.
Make the area safe. Check the equipment regularly to make sure the pads, springs, hooks, frame, bed, net and leg braces are in good condition. Use a sturdy ladder or step stool to get on the trampoline and put it away each night.
Teach safety skills. Do not allow children to do somersaults, tricks, and flips. Stunts can lead to a very serious head or neck injury. Only one person at a time should be on the trampoline. Never jump onto a trampoline from another place.
Set a good example. Be consistent and enforce the rules.
For more information on trampoline safety, click here.
To enhance knowledge exchange on child injury topics, the Saskatchewan Child Injury Prevention Network (SK-CIPN) was created by the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute and is facilitated by the Child Injury Prevention Program Coordinator. The aim of this online group is to share expert information and best practices on child injury prevention, details for upcoming educational events and networking opportunities, as well as relevant resources that have been created at local, provincial, and national levels. Information will apply to healthcare providers, frontline service providers, community-based organizations, and all those with an interest in child injury prevention in Saskatchewan. Members of the SK-CIPN are also invited to virtual networking meetings on a quarterly basis to discuss child injury prevention topics and to get to know one another to build a community of practice to move the agenda of injury prevention forward in the province.
For more information or to join the Saskatchewan Child Injury Prevention Network (SK-CIPN), please email Beth Blakley at bblakley@skprevention.ca.
National Injury Prevention Day (NIPD) is held annually on July 5th by Parachute (www.parachute.ca) and is recognized by Health Canada as an official Health Promotion Day. The purpose of National Injury Prevention Day is to raise awareness about the importance of injury prevention and the devastating effects of predictable and preventable injuries. The goal is to advocate and provide education to help all Canadians live long lives to the fullest.
Each year on July 5th, Parachute invites everyone in Canada to “light up green” to raise awareness about the importance of injury prevention. Parachute also provides NIPD campaign materials, resources, social media messaging, a list of participating landmarks, and current statistics on injuries in Canada. To learn more, visit www.parachute.ca/en/program/national-injury-prevention-day/.
Provincially, the Child Injury Prevention Program is happy to announce that the Honourable Everett Hindley, Minister of Health, has proclaimed July 5, 2024, to be “National Injury Prevention Day” in Saskatchewan. The City of Saskatoon has also issued a municipal proclamation.
The following images are available for use in social media posts for National Injury Prevention Day and to raise awareness of the importance of injury prevention. Please tag @SaskatchewanPreventionInstitute in your social media posts.
