New figures have revealed that almost 400 children under the age of five visited accident and emergency last year due to accidental poisoning.
Data from Nottingham University Hospital Trust shows that 390 children were admitted to A&E due to swallowing or getting household cleaning products like liquid laundry capsules into their eyes.
In response to the findings, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is now launching their ‘Take Action Today, Put Them Away’ campaign at the Queens Medical Centre on June 30.
The campaign will involve a magnetic notepad being handed out to 40,000 families across the city and surrounding areas in order to raise awareness of the dangers that household products face for children.
The notepad acts as a constant reminder in family kitchens to store cleaning products out of reach, out of sight and in a locked cupboard.
Ashley Martin, RoSPA’s Public Health Project Manager.
Ashley Martin, RoSPA’s Public Health Project Manager said: “Even products a child-resistant closure cannot guarantee safety, they only reduce the risk by delaying access to the product.”
Take Action Today, Put Them Away’s advice to parents says:
- Store household cleaning products out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard
- Always store chemicals in their original containers
- Never pierce or break laundry capsules or tablets
- Always close the lid of any product
- In the event of an incident, follow advice on the product pack and seek medical attention.
Councillor Alex Norris, Portfolio Holder for Public Health at Nottingham City Council, said: “Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County launched a joint strategy to reduce avoidable injuries in children last year and we are committed to working with our partners to bring down the number of injuries sustained by children.
“It can be fairly easy for young children to get hold of something that’s harmful and they usually put it in their mouth. Because of this, we need to be extra vigilant and remember to Take Action Today.”
