RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

November 26, 1998
TACKLING POVERTY COULD REDUCE ACCIDENTS

Today’s report by Sir Donald Acheson, calling for a 10-year action plan to attack the issue of health inequality, has been welcomed by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

RoSPA’s advisers were asked to contribute to the report, written by Sir Donald, the Government’s former chief medical officer. His paper published today (thurs), is thought to be the biggest social policy paper since 1980.

John Howard, Director of RoSPA’s Safety Policy Division, said: "It is often forgotten that accidents are one of the key areas of public health. However, accidents are a primary cause of death up to the age of 35.

"Children from poor families are seven times more likely to die in accidents than those who are better off."

Home accidents have been described as the hidden epidemic in the safety world, leading to around a million children needing hospital treatment every year.

Sarah Colles, RoSPA’s Head of Home Safety, said: "We know that accidents are the greatest single threat to life for children and young people and that childhood injuries are closely linked to deprivation."

In the workplace, people with low-paid manual jobs are more likely to die prematurely than workers with higher-paid, skilled jobs.

Roger Bibbings, RoSPA’s Occupational Safety Adviser, said: "Most people do not realise the important part working conditions play in ill-health. It is not just things like smoking or poor diet which cause problems. We need to maintain the focus on health and safety in the workplace to address the inequalities in health."

The Society also has concerns about children from poorer families who are involved in accidents while crossing the road.