Home Safety

In Northern Ireland every year, over 70 people die in home accidents and almost 70,000 visit their local Accident and Emergency departments seeking help.

Home Safety Checks

We offer a free and confidential home safety check service to people over 65 and parents with children under the age of five.

The home safety check is carried out in a friendly and informal manner and is designed to increase awareness of potential hazards in your home, which may lead to an accident.

Officers may be able to provide safety equipment or may contact other agencies on your behalf to address specific safety issues.

For further information on the scheme contact the Home Safety Officer on 0330 137 4024 or email ehealth@nmandd.org.

Stay Warm Stay Safe 

From worn-out hot water bottles to poorly stored electric blankets, keeping warm in our homes can pose several significant hazards which many residents may not be aware of.

To help highlight the dangers of heating and electrical devices, Newry Mourne and Down District Council has joined together with other councils in Northern Ireland to launch the ‘Stay Warm Stay Safe’ campaign, which is being funded by the Office of Product Safety & Standards (OPSS).

Each year dozens of accidents and fires leading to serious injuries are caused by the incorrect use of common household items.

As part of the ‘Stay Warm Stay Safe’ campaign, the local councils have produced and are distributing a leaflet focusing on key areas: electrical blankets/heated throws; hot-water bottles; overloaded electrical sockets; electrical chargers; portable heaters.

The leaflet brings together a list of safety tips and checks to help eliminate risks in the home environment, as well as outlining some of the incorrect uses of products which pose a danger. To download a copy of the 'Stay Warm Stay Safe' leaflet please click here. 

For further information or to request a home safety visit you can contact the council’s environmental health department on 0330 137 4024 or email ehealth@nmandd.org 
 

Blind Cord Safety

The Public Health Agency has recently developed and launched a blind cord safety campaign.

It could take only 18 seconds for a toddler to lose their life on a blind cord. If you have blinds fitted in your home, there are simple precautions that you can take:

• if any blind has a cord or chain that is looped or could form a loop, use a safety device to keep the cord or chain securely tidied away out of the reach of toddlers
• do not place a child’s cot, bed, high chair or playpen near to a window blind
• do not put sofas, chairs, tables, shelves or bookcases near a window blind as children like to climb.

For more information on blind cord safety, you can watch a short video that highlight the dangers or download the Make it Safe Leaflet.

To request blind cord safety devices for your home or a free home safety check call us on 0330 137 4024.

Down Home Accident Prevention Group

Home Accident Prevention (HAP) is a voluntary network that aims to prevent all kinds of accidents, which occur in and around our homes.  The local Down HAP group consists of a range of agencies including Environmental Health, Health Promotion, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, PSNI, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Sure Start, Homestart, Safe and Well project and County Down Rural Community Network.

Each year the group runs a ‘Bee Safe’ Event that involves hundreds of local primary school children from across the Council area.

The ‘Bee Safe’ education days inform children about a range of Health and Safety issues that they may face in everyday life, through the use of role-play and real life scenarios.  The aim of these events is to educate the children on how to keep themselves safe and avoid potential dangerous situations.  The HAP group focuses on the most vulnerable age groups particularly young children and older people.  The main aim of the group is to look at the causes of home accidents and organise local safety campaigns to help save lives and prevent injuries.

The Down HAP group is available to provide support through local talks, safety events and information leaflets.

For further information and advice on Home Safety or to find out more about the Down HAP Group please contact us.

Contact Details

Email: ehealth@nmandd.org

Telephone: 0330 137 4024

Useful Links

http://www.rospa.com
https://www.capt.org.uk
http://www.ageuk.org.uk