Help keep your children safe this Spring
With Spring now upon us Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are raising awareness and warning parents and guardians to the common dangers faced by young children on the run up to the summer months. Each year the Fire Service attends an increased number of incidents involving young children, sadly quite often these incidents end in tragedy. Adventurous children often place themselves in danger without realising the potential consequences.
This page is intended to give a general overview to help educate young children about the dangers they face and to provide parents and carers how they can reduce the risks they face by warning them before it’s too late.
To help reduce the risk of accidents over the coming months follow the simple guidance below;
- FIRES
Keep matches and lighters away from children. As the weather improves and the things start dry out children setting fire to rubbish and grass can result in fire crews attending minor incidents that not only damage the natural and local environment, but potentially delay fire crews in attending more serious life threatening fires. - WATER AWARENESS
Make sure your children are aware of the dangers of swimming in canals, ponds and rivers. The temperature of inland water does not vary much throughout the year. The water in Britain is still very cold in the spring and summer people can quickly become affected by the cold putting themselves into difficulties, tragically too many children drown every year. Swimming should always be confined to a supervised pool with life guards. - DANGEROUS BUILDINGS
Children climbing onto factory roofs and other buildings put themselves in great danger; all too often this results in the fire service attending a fatal incident to assist paramedics in gaining access to buildings where children have fallen through the roof. - MALICIOUS CALLS
Know where your children are this Spring - Hoax calls tend to increase during the spring and summer months, remember hoax calls cost lives! A fire engine cannot be in two places at one time. If we are responding to a hoax call it means we may be delayed in responding to a life threatening emergency. - BARBEQUE and PATIO HEATER SAFETY
Keep children well away from barbeques and patio heaters, there have been instances when children, whilst playing, have run into barbeques and heaters and suffered burns. NEVER use petrol to help light a barbecue. - ROAD SAFETY
The age group most at ‘Risk’ of being involved in an accident are children aged between 5 –14 years of age, with the highest casualty rates occurring with children aged 12. As a minimum please ensure your children know how to cross the road safely, have taken a cycling proficiency course and always wear a seat belt when travelling in a car. ALL cyclists should wear a properly fitted cycle helmet.
