“Krone” gives tips – dangers in the household: how to keep children safe

While Mom is setting the table, the daughter pulls the pan off the stove. Dad goes to the toilet for a moment, and the son climbs unnoticed on the windowsill. Such dangerous situations should not be underestimated.

Two-thirds of all accidents involving children happen at home
Two-thirds of all accidents involving children happen at home, as evidenced by the tragedies of recent weeks. Fortunately, many of the little victims have a guardian angel. But accidents don’t always have a happy ending, and consequential damages can also be devastating.

Attention is the best protection. The “Krone” shows where the greatest risks lurk at home:

• Poisoning and Choking Hazard: When small parts or food are accidentally swallowed and enter the windpipe, every second counts. In Austria, an average of 200 children per year have to be hospitalized because of a foreign body in the airways. Tip from the Road Safety Supervisory Board: Children should eat quietly and sit down, small objects should be kept out of the reach of children. This also applies to cleaning supplies, etc. Because in 2020, 680 children under the age of 14 had to be hospitalized after being poisoned. Carbon monoxide is also a risk, for example in poorly maintained spas.

• Risk of burns: About the same number of children were hospitalized with burns or burns. They had to stay on the ward for more than a week on average. Tip: Use the rear burners to cook and turn the pan handles backwards.

• lintels: In recent weeks we have seen a tragic increase in small children falling out of windows. Four children were seriously injured in Vienna and Upper Austria within days – the “Krone” reported. An analysis by the German Road Safety Board based on 113 children who fell from windows showed that an insect screen was installed on every sixth window. Tip: Cat and screen screens are not suitable as a safety measure, always supervise small children, even when “shock airing”.

• drowning accidents: Unfortunately, several drowning accidents involving small children in Austria have ended fatally this year. Often your own swimming pool or a garden pond becomes a danger. Tip: Secure your pool with a fence and teach your child to swim at an early age.

• Be careful with vehicles: The child is playing in the yard or driveway and is run over. Recently, a one-year-old girl in Annaberg died after being run over by a van. Agricultural machinery is also a source of danger. Tip: A look behind the car before you drive away can save lives.

Unfortunately, domestic violence is also a source of danger. In 2020, three children under the age of ten were murdered.