‘Make time for safety’

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is joining forces with Child Safety Week to help parents ensure they and their children take a little time to learn how to prevent serious accidents.

Chief Fire Officer Steve McGuirk said: “It is a disturbing fact that many incidents where children have been injured can be prevented. It’s crucial that parents know the facts about fire safety and take the time to pass on valuable knowledge to the whole family. Teaching by example can reduce the chances of having a devastating fire at home. GMFRS is at hand to give advice and help keep your family safe by offering home fire safety checks.”

The theme for Child Safety Week is ‘Make time for safety’ highlighting that just spending a little time talking to your children about safety issues can make a big difference to their safety. As such, the week provides an opportunity for parents in Greater Manchester to make sure they have working smoke alarms in their homes and, as families, to teach children about the dangers of fire and what to do in the event of one breaking out.

Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of Child Accident Prevention Trust, the national organiser of Child Safety Week, said: “Child Safety Week isn’t about the minor bumps and scrapes that happen every day to active children. It’s about the serious accidents that can take months or even years to heal.”

She continued: “Child Safety Week supports families to take action to take make children safer from serious accidents, without wrapping them in cotton wool. Our on-line Time Pledge offers practical hints and tips for even the most time pressed families”.

Here are top tips from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to ensure kids stay safe from fire in the home:

1. Fit and maintain a smoke alarm - you should have one on each level of your home and test it weekly. Ideal places are at the top and bottom of staircases, on stair landings, and between living and sleeping areas.

2. Don’t remove the batteries – if your smoke alarm keeps going off accidentally while you are cooking, don’t remove the batteries. Instead move the alarm or change it for one with a silencer button.

3. Never leave cooking unattended - If you need to leave the kitchen turn electrical appliances off and take pans off the heat.

4. Don't overload plug sockets - one plug per socket is the rule, especially if the appliance takes a lot of power (like a kettle). Be careful not to let leads trail over cookers or touch water.

5. Nominate your child to be the ‘Escape champ’ – Regularly role-play escape routes and give children the responsibility to keep escape routes clear.

6. Get ‘key clever’ – keys for windows and doors should always be kept in an accessible place so you can get out quickly in the event of a fire. Encourage your children to check that keys are in the correct place.

7. Discuss how to call 999 – Make sure children know the number off by heart as well as their address. Always make sure that both are pinned up by the phone and explain the importance of only calling 999 in a real emergency

8. In the event of a fire ‘Get out, Stay out and Dial 999!’ – Don’t delay for valuables, don’t investigate or try to tackle the fire. Use a mobile, a neighbour’s phone or a phone box to dial 999. If someone needs to be rescued wait safely outside for the firefighters who have the equipment and training to do it. Never go back in.


Child Safety Week is run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust from 21 to 27 June 2010 - www.childsafetyweek.org.uk