With our towns and High Streets now lit for the festive period, we enter the most popular week for putting Christmas trees and decorations up in our own homes.
Approximately 1000 injuries requiring hospital treatment are caused by Christmas decoration each year in the UK. The twinkling lights, sparkling tinsel, shiny bulbs are beautiful to see, but are almost irresistible to a child. Trees can be pulled over, ornaments can be broken producing sharp edges, pine needles and tinsel can be eaten. The list of possible injuries seems endless, but luckily all of these hazards can be prevented.
Nikola Masters said “Christmas is such an exciting time for our children, and if we can help make our parents and carers aware of the most common hazards and how to avoid them it will mean a happier and safer time for everyone”.
If we first look at the different age groups and most common hazards, it will help you consider how your family are affected;
Infants that cannot crawl: Before your baby can crawl, the hazards are fairly minimal as if they can’t get to the decorations they can’t be hurt by them. Just be wary of novelty decorations, such as stuffed santa’s, reindeer and snowmen. They may look like cute toys but may not comply with strict toy safety regulations. Therefore, they should not be given to your child to play with.
Infants that can crawl: Pulling on the lower branches of the Christmas tree and removing decorations present the most common risk. Ensure your tree is secured so that it cannot be pulled over and breakable decorations are kept out of reach on the higher branches. Tinsel should be secured around each branch to avoid it being pulled off and placed straight into your child’s mouth and creating a choking hazard.
Toddlers: Toddlers are the age group at the greatest risk as are likely to be the most curious of the shiny sparkling addition to the home. Removing loose decorations and putting them in their mouth create choking hazards, and pulling on light strings can result in the tree being pulled over or bulbs dislodged and becoming another tasty treat!
“If we consider these common hazards when decorating our homes this Christmas, we can really keep the whole family safer. We don’t want to scare parents and carers, or spoil the fun but we do want to raise awareness”
Top Safety Tips;
“Accidents of course do happen” Nikola reminds us, “and not all of us would know what to do in an emergency. We are holding First Aid training at Osbourne Lodge Nursery on Saturday 20th January 2018. The 3 hour session will be aimed at teaching emergency life-saving skills when treating babies and young children”
One free place* will be offered for families of children who attend the nursery, however the training is open to everyone at a special introductory rate of just £15, which will include light refreshments.
“we want to improve the safety for our children in Torfaen, and give parents and carers an opportunity to gain some valuable experience that just might make a huge difference to their lives one day. If the first session is popular, we will release more dates to give as many people as possible the chance to attend and learn. We also have this short and fun family friendly video produced by St John Ambulance, which gives some great guidance on what to do in an emergency”.
To secure your space, just visit our Eventbrite Booking Page, book early to avoid disappointment.
* Free place will provided via a £15 refund off your Osborne Lodge Nursery invoice following your attendance at the training session
If you would like more information about childcare provided by Osbourne Lodge Nursey please click here to contact us, or please visit our website www.osbournelodgenursery.co.uk
Nikola Masters
Click here to book your place on the First Aid Course being held on Saturday 20th January
