Top festive tips for families in Scotland

 
Each week in Scotland, 60 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital due to accidents. These are injuries so serious that they require hospital admission in order to receive treatment. Sadly, last year 10 children under the age of five died – the majority of these incidents happened in the home.

Christmas is a busy time of year. Help make your home safer and keep your kids safe from harm with these top tips to share with family and friends to keep them safe at Christmas.

• Check toys, make sure any toy is suitable for the age of the child and has the CE symbol. Be sure to read any warnings and always supervise very young children at play
• Look out for button batteries. They are extremely dangerous, and if swallowed can cause serious damage to the gastrointestinal system. Make sure toys and electronic devises have a lockable battery compartment. Be extra vigilant with items such as musical greeting cards, flameless candles and remote controls
• Protect your child from burns and scalds. Ensure hot drinks like mulled wines and hot chocolate are out of reach, never leave candles unattended, keep children out of the kitchen when cooking and be aware of decorations near heat sources
• Overloaded sockets are dangerous - check that plugs, sockets and leads are undamaged and never overload a socket as this could create a fire. If you need help to check if you might overloading, Electrical Safety First have free information here: https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guidance/safety-around-the-home/overloading-sockets/
• Are your Christmas lights safe? If you have old ones, consider replacing them with newer models as they will have higher safety standards. Always buy lights with the BS Kitemark, read the manufacturer’s instructions and use an RCD (residual current device) for added protection against electric shock
• Don’t drink and drive. The current limit means that just one drink could put you over the legal limit for driving. Roughly 20 families every year have to cope with the loss of a loved one, and around 760 people are treated for injuries caused by someone who thought it was acceptable to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel and drive
• Know and follow the firework code. Injury figures support the advice that the safest place to enjoy fireworks is at a large public display. Check out our firework code here: https://www.rospa.com/home-safety/advice/fireworks-safety/.

 
 

---