RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
March 19, 2002
PARTNERSHIPS NEEDED TO TACKLE HOME ACCIDENT MENACE
New ways to persuade people and organisations to work together to fight the menace of home accidents will be explored at a conference planned by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
Every year about 4,000 people are killed in the UK as a result of an accident in the home and more than 2.8 million seek medical assistance.
Sarah Colles, RoSPA Home Safety Adviser, said: “The Department of Trade and Industry has committed £1.1 million for local partnership projects in the coming year. We need to see as many organisations as possible working closely together if we are to beat a problem that affects every family in the country.
“People are often unaware of the help they can receive to prevent home accidents, and yet there are many new initiatives dealing with home safety.
“We want to hear about the work which is being done around the country to promote home safety through partnerships, whether between local councils and health authorities or fire services and community groups.
“No matter how big or small the partnership is, the information could prove invaluable to home safety professionals who are seeking new ways to prevent accidents.
“We know that some commercial organisations have become involved in this work and it would be useful to know more about them. Even if a partnership has been unsuccessful we would like to learn about it so that mistakes are not repeated.”
RoSPA wants people to share their experience of creating, maintaining and sustaining partnership working at its national home safety conference at the York Viking Moat House, York, November 11-12. Speakers wishing to submit papers should contact Sarah Colles at RoSPA, 353 Bristol Road, Birmingham B5 7ST, or e-mail scolles@rospa.com.
The conference, entitled Home Safety Partnerships, will interest a wide range of experts including health visitors, doctors, trading standards officers, health promotion officers, fire and ambulance personnel, social workers, housing officers and elected members.
