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Administrative procedure #25 : Home Safety Checklist

• Section 1.1 Purpose
• Section 1.2 Primary Users
• Section 1.3 When to Complete the Checklist
• Section 1.4 How to Complete the Checklist

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE #25

HOME SAFETY CHECKLIST

May 16, 2008 - P.T. 2008.08

Section

1.1 Purpose

1.2 Primary Users

1.3 When to Complete the Checklist

1.4 How to Complete the Checklist

Section 1.1 Purpose

Every year, 120,000 children 14 years of age and younger suffer some form of permanent damage due to unintentional/accidental injuries. Infants and toddlers are at high risk of unintentional injury or death due to their inability to recognize and react to protect themselves from the danger. According to data from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign:

· Accidental, or unintentional, injury is the leading cause of death among children, teens and young adults.

· The five leading causes of accidental injury are burns, motor vehicle accidents, falls, poisonings and drowning.

· Burns and fires are the fourth most common cause of accidental death in children.

· Nearly 75 percent of all burns in children are preventable.

· Nearly 2,900 adults and children die every year in fires or from other burn injuries.

· The majority of children ages 4 and under, who are hospitalized for burn-related injures, suffer from scald burns (65 percent) or contact burns (20 percent).

· Hot tap water burns cause more deaths and hospitalizations than burns from any other hot liquids.

Fire/burns, motor vehicle traffic accidents, suffocation and accidental falls are the leading causes of unintentional deaths of children under the age of five in Illinois. Numerous Illinois children also die each year as a result of domestic violence.

While it may be impossible to eliminate all the dangers children encounter in their homes, one of the most important factors in reducing those dangers is parent education. The Home Safety Checklist, when properly used with parents and caregivers, provides an effective home safety assessment and educational tool that will assist in promoting the safety of children.