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Child Safety - Animals

Children and Animals
Many children love animals and enjoy having their own pets. However, there are risks involved when children and animals are together. It is important that children are taught the skills to play safely with animals, learn correct behaviour around animals and to prevent and recognise any problems that may arise. Children need to be aware of the dangers of all animals, not just their own pets. Know yourself what to do if your child is involved in an accident with an animal.

Child Safety - Bikes

Biking For Everyone
Bike riding is a fun activity for the whole family, or the individual that needs to be enjoyed safely. Bicycle safety involves developing riding skills, wearing the right protective gear and looking after your bike. Parents should teach their children about riding safety, caring for their bike and the laws they must obey.

Child Safety - Burns and Scalds

Prevent Nasty Accidents
Young children can be scalded very quickly. These accidents often happen when an adult is present, so you need to be alert. Hot water and hot drinks cause these injuries. Children aged under five are most at risk. Ensure your children are protected at all times by remembering a few basic principals.

Child Safety - Car

Is Your Child Restrained?
The best way to prevent injuries in a crash is by restraining your children properly while travelling in a car. By law, in Australia, all passengers must be restrained at all times when travelling in a car. Children should be restrained using the right car seats for their size and weight. There are other things you can do to make travelling with children safe and less stressful for everyone.

Child Safety - Child Abuse

Protecting Our Children
All children have the right to be protected and respected and to have their basic needs met. Children and young people can experience abuse from people within or outside their family. There are five main types of child abuse. The Child Protection Service is part of the Victorian Department of Human Services. It aims to ensure that children and young people receive services to deal with the impact of abuse and neglect on their wellbeing and development. If you need to get help in Ballarat, phone (03) 5333 6669. For emergency child protection matters outside of normal business hours phone the Child Protection Crisis Line on 131 278.

Child Safety - Choking

Vigilance Is The Answer
While babies are at the stage of learning by putting everything in their mouths, all small objects need to be kept out of reach. This is very tiring for parents but it's only for a short time. As a rule of thumb, anything smaller than a ping pong ball can cause a choking problem. Coins and button batteries are particular hazards. Toys may also be hazardous for small children. Take all the necessary precautions you need to, and prevent your child from choking.

Child Safety - Drowning

Be Water Safe
Drowning is the number one killer of children aged one to five. More than 100 children drown in Australia each year. Most toddlers drown in their own pool or a pool owned by friends. There a number of steps you can take to prevent a child from drowning.

Child Safety - Farm

Child Safety on Farms Solutions
What farm families, farm managers and others can do to prevent:
Drowning of children aged 0-5 years,
Injury associated with farm machinery – children aged 0-9 yrs,
Injury associated with farm machinery – children aged 10-14 yrs,
Injury associated with 2 and 4 wheeled motorcycles - children aged 5-14 yrs,
Injury associated with other farm vehicles
Horse related injury and
Other hazards.
Child Safety On Farms Checklist

Providing a Safe Play Area
Providing a safe and interesting play area on farms is an ideal way to start with reducing the risk of child injury by separating children from common hazards, such as water, farm machinery, farm vehicles and animals. Safe Play areas are ideally of reasonable size and located where children can be easily observed at all times (eg. from the verandah, kitchen, family room); completely surrounded by child resistant fencing including a suitable gate; free of movable structures which can be stacked to climb over the fence or gate; include safe & interesting play activities such as sand pits, swings, mini-jungles etc and exclude water, vehicles, sheds, chemicals and working dogs.

FENCE STRUCTURE AND GATE RECOMMENDATIONS:
The optimal standard for child-resistant fencing is provided in AS 1926.1 – 1993 (fencing of swimming pools). This may not always be possible, and fence construction is an individual's decision based on several factors.

Child Safety - Home

Electrocution
In the past five years, 33 children have died from electrocution. Most of these children were aged under five. About 80% of the children coming to hospital with electrical injuries are injured at home. Make your home safe by taking a few simple steps.

Finger Jams
Finger jam injuries at home usually involve children under age 3. Most often their fingers are crushed or amputated in the hinge side of doors when they are closed or slam shut.

Falls
Falls are the most common cause of children needing medical attention. Though falls are rarely fatal, broken bones don't have to be a feature of growing up. There are a number of things you can do inside and outside the home to minimize falls.

Toys
Take some simple steps to ensure you purchase or have the right toys in your home. Playing is fun, but most children who are injured are hurt while playing. By choosing and using toys carefully you can protect children from harm.

Home Safety Checklist
Check through your home one room at a time. Use a safety checklist and write down everything you need to do to make your home child proof. Plan when you'll make the changes, be thorough in every room and do the outside of your home too.

Child Safety - Internet

Protecting Your Children From Harmful Content
Supervising children while they browse the Internet is the best way you can protect them. Children also need to be told of the potential dangers of chat rooms, and that details such as their name and address should always be withheld. There are also various filtering systems available that can block particular Internet sites. Consult with your Internet service provider (ISP) for more information. However, it's best not to see this as a replacement for adult supervision. There are laws in Victoria that clearly define what child pornography is. If you come across suspicious material or a suspect website, you can notify the Online Services Content Regulation department of the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA).

Child Safety - Playground Equipment

Children Using Playground Equipment
Children using playground equipment are most often injured by falls. Common injuries include fractures, spinal injuries and head injuries. The higher the drop, the more likely it is that the injury will be severe, particularly if the ground beneath the equipment is hard, rather than loosely filled with mulch or sand. There are many things you can do to limit the number of accidents children have whilst using playground equipment.

Child Safety - Poisoning

Prevent Poisoning
Young children are very vulnerable to poisonings. Common poisons are medicines, cleaning products, fertilisers and pesticides for the garden, chemicals and cosmetics. Take extra precautions when dealing with poisons, and know what to do in an emergency.

Child Safety - Products

Dream Baby
Dream Baby offer a range of products to help prevent child accidents in the home. Some of the available products include the Toilet Lock, Bath Thermometer Fish, Corner Protectors and Stop Slam.

Mag Lock
Mag Lock is a patented magnetically operated child safety locking system. Secure cabinets, cupboards and drawers. Great for use in every room of the home. Also great for grandparents, the lock can be disengaged, using a special disengaging clip, when grandchildren are not visiting.

Child Safety - Road

Helping Your Child Be Safe In Traffic
Young children do not have the skills or experience to stay safe in traffic, often can't see past parked cars and find it difficult to judge the speed and distance of an oncoming car. Parents and carers should teach children good traffic safety habits early. Make sure you always set good examples for your children and carefully supervise them in traffic situations, as it is by watching others they learn their skills.

Child Safety - Safety House

The Safety House Program
The Safety House Program is taught in schools and by the police on school visits. Safety House education teaches children self-protection strategies, especially when travelling to and from school. Parents can be involved by reinforcing the Program and pointing out local Safety Houses and signs to their children. A Safety House can be used by children when they are feeling frightened, unsafe, threatened or unsure.

Child Safety - Maternal Health

Maternal Child and Health Centres
The City of Ballarat operates several Maternal Child and Health Centres throughout Ballarat. These centres are run by qualified staff who offer support and advice on bringing up your child/children. You can aslo keep up to date with the development of your child by having them weighed and measured.