Child safety in focus next week

Whether it’s in the home or on the playground, child safety is preventable.
But the key to prevention is education–and that’s the approach the local Northwestern Health Unit will be taking next week as “Safe Kids Week” is staged across Canada.
“The emphasis this year is scalds and burns. [Safe Kids Canada] is focusing on water temperature in the home,” said Elaine Caron, health promoter with the health unit here.
Part of the promotion is “temperature cards” containing safety tips.
“For instance, when you read one, you’ll learn if water is 60 C or higher, a child could be burned in one second. And if the water’s at 49 C, they could be burned in 10 minutes,” remarked Caron.
“Surprisingly enough, many people have their hot water tank set too high,” she added.
The cards can be found at the health unit’s office on Scott Street, and some may be sent to La Verendrye hospital to be distributed in care packages that are sent home with new parents.
Information on scalds and burns also can be found at www.safekidscanada.ca or by calling toll-free 1-888-SAFETIPS.
The initiative is a co-operative effort between the Fort Frances Ambulance Service, Fort Frances Fire Department, the Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition, and the “Healthy Babies, Healthy Children” program.
In related news, though not part of Safe Kids Canada Week, a pair of information sessions on child products also are slated here next week.
Michael Glivdys, a product safety officer with Health Canada, will lead a presentation on Tuesday from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Red Dog Inn.
“No one’s provided this type of information in the region before,” noted Caron.
“He’ll focus on all sorts of child products–cribs, cradles, sleepwear, playground equipment, toys,” she said.
“He’ll also talk about garage sale items. Some people don’t realize items they can get at garage sales aren’t up to safety standards,” she added.
While this day-long session mostly is geared towards staff who worked with kids, parents also are welcome.
If getting someone to watch your children is a problem, a second talk is slated later Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. at the Fort Frances Toy Library.
Toy library staff will provide child care while parents hear Glivdys speak.
Pre-registration for either session is requested by calling the health unit at 274-9827.