Accident Prevention Initiatives

Oral Answers to Questions – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:15 pm on 1 July 2014.

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Photo of David McIlveen David McIlveen DUP 2:15, 1 July 2014

5. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what initiatives his Department is taking to reduce the number of accidents in the home. (AQO 6480/11-15)

Photo of Edwin Poots Edwin Poots DUP

On 17 June 2014, my Department launched a draft 10-year home accident prevention strategy for consultation.  I expect to publish the final strategy by the end of the year.  My Department also provides core funding for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) in Northern Ireland.  In addition, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, is leading a UK group to look at how we can prevent further tragic deaths in children and injuries caused by blind cord strangulation.  Finally, my Department continues to work with the Health and Safety Executive to promote awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.  DHSSPS has produced a public information leaflet entitled 'Carbon monoxide:  Are you at risk?'  This is available online.

Photo of David McIlveen David McIlveen DUP

I thank the Minister for his answer.  Can he advise the House of any further initiatives that his Department is taking forward in this regard?

Photo of Edwin Poots Edwin Poots DUP

As I indicated, Dr McBride is working with ROSPA, UK health agencies and the British Blind and Shutter Association on that particular issue.  Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has been working in partnership with the PSNI and a broad range of public, private, voluntary and community-based organisations on Northern Ireland's first interactive learning education centre, which is called RADAR, standing for risk avoidance danger awareness resource.  When opened, the centre will provide a safety-focused learning experience for children and young people throughout Northern Ireland.  Children and young people who visit the centre will develop their own personalised radar, and these radars will help them to manage everyday risk and guide them in making better decisions.

It may surprise people that, in Northern Ireland, when I left the DOE we were looking at around 50 people being killed on our roads — although that has gone up during the last couple of years — but twice as many are being killed in the home.  There are two deaths a week in the home, similar to what we are finding with drug abuse.  We need to be aware that our homes can be dangerous places for many people and that we need to take steps to make them safer.  The more we get that message out, the better it will be for everyone.

Photo of Karen McKevitt Karen McKevitt Social Democratic and Labour Party

I want to pick up on the Minister's point that twice as many people die as a result of accidents in the home than in the like of driving a car or on a farm, even.  Given that there has been a hard-hitting advertising campaign on TV delivering that message, has the Minister any plans to initiate a similar campaign that would help to raise awareness of accidents in the home?

Photo of Edwin Poots Edwin Poots DUP

Obviously, the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister has taken over the issue of advertising, and that is now dealt with at the centre, as opposed to individual Departments.  DOE made the case that it should be able to maintain the same level of funding.  I made the argument that we should actually focus on some other things, including home safety. 

We have our home accident prevention strategy that was launched for consultation on 17 June, which is aimed at the entire population of Northern Ireland but focuses on the most vulnerable groups in our society — the under-fives, the over-65s and the most socially deprived.  The vision of the strategy is that the population of Northern Ireland will have the best chance of living safely in the home environment.  The partners in the strategy will seek to deliver the vision and aims through the following objectives:  to empower people to better understand the risks and make safe choices to ensure a safe home with negligible risk of unintentional injury; to promote a safer home environment; to promote and facilitate effective training, skills and knowledge in home accident prevention across all relevant organisations and groups; and to improve the evidence base. 

In all of that, we will be making bids to carry out advertising as appropriate and get the key messages out there as the more simple steps that people can take to ensure that their home is a safer place.