RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
June 16, 2000
POOLING IDEAS TO FIGHT HOME ACCIDENTS
Professionals will pool ideas at a national conference organised by RoSPA in an effort to reduce home accidents which send nearly three million people to hospital each year.
The conference, "Sharing Good Practice", will be staged by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, and held at the Moat House Hotel, Stratford upon Avon, on November 6 and 7.
The congress, which is the UK’s leading event addressing home safety issues, will be sponsored by William Levene, manufacturers of the Culinare SafetyCan.
It will be of interest to health visitors, health education officers, fire officers, police officers, councillors, accident prevention groups, and managers from the social services and health service.
Each day 10 people die and 8,000 seek medical attention following an accident in the home.
Accidents are one of the four main areas of health targeted in the Government’s White Paper, "Our Healthier Nation". The paper stresses the need for both local and health authorities to work together in a culture where good practice is shared.
Sarah Colles, the Society’s Home Safety Adviser, said: "This year’s RoSPA National Home Safety Congress will concentrate on finding out what initiatives home safety practitioners are employing, and how effective they have been in reducing accidents.
"Not only will we be looking at successful schemes, but also exploring possible funding sources for home safety projects. Time will be given to examining home safety partnerships and the targeting of different age groups.
"This event will provide a platform for home safety professionals to share both expertise and experience with like-minded people."
Ideas to be shared include: use of carbon monoxide detectors; community loan equipment schemes; the use of identity cards for teenagers to help regulate the sale of fireworks, alcohol and cigarettes, and IDEAS - Innovative Designs for Energy Efficient Accident Prevention and Security in the home.
