RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

March 18, 2003
ROADSHOW HIGHLIGHTS NORTHERN IRELAND ACCIDENT THREAT

Every year over 70,000 people living in Northern Ireland attend hospital because of an accident in their home, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said today. Nearly 10,000 of them will be admitted because of their injury and 100 will die.

To raise public awareness, a roadshow organised by RoSPA and co-ordinated by local Environmental Health Departments, will be touring the province in April in a bid to cut these deaths and injuries.

Victoria Dunn, RoSPA Project Officer, said: “There is still a lot of work to be done to alert everyone to the threat of home accidents. Fortunately, most of these accidents can be prevented.

“Falls claim most victims, sending around 4000 people to accident and emergency departments seeking help. Accidental poisoning is the next biggest problem and then burns and scalds.

“With the average cost of treating an accident standing at nearly £9,500, home accidents cost Northern Ireland society as much as road accidents. The bill for the Health Service alone is £71 million per year. If more accidents were prevented, think about how much money could be saved. ”

The mobile exhibition unit, supplied by the Department for Trade and Industry, covers all aspects of home and garden safety. Stops for the roadshow are:

Tuesday, April 1 – Banbridge; Wednesday and Thurs, April 2-3 – Magherafelt; Friday and Saturday, April 4-5 – Limavady; Monday and Tuesday, April 7-8 – Coleraine; Wednesday, April 9 – Larne; Thursday, April 10 – Antrim; Friday, April 11 – Cookstown; Saturday, April 12 – Londonderry; Monday, April 14 – Ballymoney; Tuesday, April 15 – Armagh; Wednesday, April 16 – Antrim; Wednesday, April 23 – Lisburn; Thursday, April 24 – Dungannon; Friday, April 25 – Newry (am), Craigavon (pm); Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28 – Belfast; Monday, April 28 – Ards; Tuesday, April 29 – Larne; and Wednesday, April 30 – Downpatrick.