We all know that many disciplines for life begin at home, actions like cleanliness, good manners and health and safety. We show our children how to wash and stay clean and try our best to teach them what’s right and wrong. It is also our responsibility to make them as safe as possible while they are in our home.
It has been recently reported that health and safety inspectors will be allowed access into peoples homes to asses their health and safety measures. The new guidelines set up by the Department of Health will be looking for smoke alarms, safety gates, fire guards and further safety features in people’s homes. Hospitals, doctors and social service records will be looked at to find families which are constantly in breech of health and safety regulations in their own homes and all the information will then be stored on a national data base which will accessed by councils, NHS bodies, housing associations, police and the fire brigade. The paper which is up for consultation has been criticised by various groups saying it is an intrusion of family life.
This is a paper that will cause much controversy within many groups and departments across the country, but no matter what they say they cannot dismiss the fact that each year:
- Over 20,000 children under the age of five are taken into hospital with suspected poisoning.
- Over 390,000 children under the age of fifteen are taken to hospital with injuries resulting from a trip or fall.
There are many hazards in everyone’s home and it’s down to each individual to assess the dangers and act appropriately, however, I wonder if many families have no safety measures in their homes – could this be down to purely financial reasons?
If that is the case which department will be responsible for handing out money/vouchers for the families to buy the required health and safety equipment to make their homes safe? If indeed money or vouchers are to handed out which department will be responsible for ensuring that the proper health and safety equipment is purchased and properly fitted?
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