Safe, Healthy Environments

• Introduction
  
• Built Environments
  
• Home: Is Your Child Safe?
  
• Safe Play Spaces: The Kid Zone
  
• Safe Transport
  
• Physical/Natural Environment

Introduction

Children are too often injured and sometimes die as a result of hazards in their environment. Unintentional injury continues to be the greatest cause of mortality, morbidity and disability for children and youth in Canada.

This component is working to decrease the incidence of death and hospitalizations amongst children and youth in Canada through the development of resources for stakeholders. Areas of emphasis for 1999-2000 include: development of safe and healthy media images, integrating issues (eg. sun safety and environmental concerns, playgrounds), synthesis of relevant research for community mobilization and priority development for injury prevention (eg. economic costs study and community assessment tool, analysis of longitudinal surveys) and emerging environmental issues.

Keeping Our Children Safe

Children are more vulnerable to changes in their physical, emotional and social environments because of their rapid physical and mental health growth and smaller body size. The health and well-being of children depends on the safety and quality of their Physical/Natural Environments, Built Environments and Social Environments – at home, school and in the community. Children also need to be in environments which protect them from violence, abuse, exploitation, injuries and neglect.

Built Environments

The built environment has a major impact on the health and development of children. The built environment includes the buildings, parks, businesses, schools, road systems, and other infrastructures that children encounter in their daily lives. Children need protection and a safe physical environment. Protection from physical injuries is a key aspect of a healthy physical environment. Having well designed homes, streets, transportation systems and playgrounds will promote the safety and health of children and youth.

Home: Is Your Child Safe?

Many people are surprised to learn that injury is the leading cause of death among children and youth in Canada. What's even more surprising is that many of those injuries occur in the home. Many of these injuries can be prevented if parents and caregivers become more aware of how to make their environment safer for children. Injury prevention specialists have put together the following information to help families provide a safe home environment for their children.

• How to make your home safer Home Safety Tips
• Fires: What you need to know Fire Safety
• Are you prepared for an emergency? Emergency Preparedness Tips
• Is your child safe on the farm? Farm Safety
• Important Numbers
• Creating a safe home environment. Creating a safe home environment.

Safe Play Spaces: The Kid Zone

• Children fall. Is the surface in your play area safe? Set up backyard swings and other playground equipment on shock-absorbing surfaces such as sand. Grass is too hard for little heads!
• Teach your child how to play safely and only on equipment that's right for his or her age. If a child can't reach the first step, it's not safe for them.
• Children 2-4 suffer 40% of all slide injuries, and one in ten of them is admitted to hospital. Always go feet first down a slide.
• Check equipment often and repair worn, loose or broken parts.
• Teach your child how to climb off equipment safely.
• Supervise and get involved in your child's play!
• Helmets, skipping ropes and hood drawstrings can get caught in playground equipment and children may get strangled.
• Fingers can get caught in swing chains, so cover the chain with plastic chain covers.
• Tooth Tip! If a permanent tooth gets knocked out, put it back in its socket or place it in milk. Take both child and tooth to a dentist right away.
• Don't forget the sun screen and cover up!

Safe Transport

As the demand on our transportation infrastructure grows, the lives and health of Canadian children and youth become increasingly compromised. Motor vehicle passenger and pedestrian injuries are the leading cause of death of children and youth. Also, among Canadians under the age of 20, cyclists account for approximately one-quarter of hospitalizations for road vehicle injuries. Although railway injuries are less frequent, the devastating nature of these injuries almost always result in death. To help you and your family stay safe en route, injury prevention specialists have come up with some tips. Choose a topic from the list on the right.

• Road Safety: Pedestrians
• Road Safety: Passengers
• Road Safety: Cycling
• Rail Safety

Physical/Natural Environment

Although the impact of environmental contaminants on human health has been widely studied, few reports in the Canadian literature have focussed on the specific vulnerability of children. Because of their rapid growth, physiologic and metabolic immaturity, the fetus and child are often at increased risk from toxic substances in their environments. Furthermore, greater air, food, and fluid intakes relative to body weight compared with the adult, increase the child's potential for excessive exposures.

• Children's Environmental Health
• Health Impacts Bureau,
• Safe Environments Program,
• Health and Consumer Safety Branch (HECS)
• Water
  • Water Safety
  •  Recreational Water Quality
• Air Quality
  •  Environmental Health Program
  •  Tobacco Effects
    •  Canadian Institute of Child Health
    •  Canadian Wildlife Foundation
•   Climate Change
• Lead & Gasoline

Water Safety

Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children aged 1- 4. Teach your children to swim safely.

• A lifejacket/PFD (Personal Flotation Device) can save a life!
• Kids: always wear a lifejacket/PFD when in, on or around water.
• Adults, too! Set an example... wear your lifejacket/PFD.
• Always wear a lifejacket/PFD that fits snugly. Follow weight and chest measurement guidelines on the label for both children and adults.
• Attach a whistle to your lifejacket/PFD.
• Always wear a sun hat and use plenty of sun screen (SPF 30) when doing water activities.
• Teach young children to swim or play within arm`s reach.
• Enrol your child in a water safety and swimming program.
• Swim at supervised waterfronts or beaches.
• Choose a safe place to swim. Check for hazards on the beach and in the water – including water pollution levels.
• Learn basic lifesaving skills.

For more information, contact your local  Canadian Red Cross or your local office of the  Lifesaving Society.