Hopefully you’ll have packed away those winter thermals as despite what the weather has been telling us, summer is nearly here and thoughts for many will be turning to weekends in the garden, time off from work and the school holidays.

Child Matters has plenty of advice to help keep you safe through the holiday period, and the hottest months of the year, whether you are at home, away, work or play. Read on for top tips on STINGS, BBQ BURNS, PADDLING POOL & WATER SAFETY and OPEN WINDOW SAFETY  In the event of an emergency, remember to stay calm and when necessary call for help. The most severe injuries are associated with heat-related accidents and falls from a height as covered here. Learn basic first aid so you know what to do if the worst should happen.

STINGS

You can’t help but get in a panic when the wasps are buzzing around your children. It’s important to:-

• Remain calm and move away slowly if you encounter wasps, hornets or bees – don’t wave your arms around or swat at them.
• Cover exposed skin by wearing long sleeves and trousers.
• Wear shoes when outdoors, treading on an injured or dead wasp can still cause a sting.

SIGNS Insect bites and stings will usually cause a red, swollen lump to develop on the skin. This can be painful and in some cases can be very itchy.

TREATMENT What to do if you’ve been bitten or stung

• Remove the sting by running a credit card over the stinger to remove it without knocking the sack of venom under the surface of the skin.
• Avoid scratching the area, to reduce the risk of infection.
• Raise or elevate the affected area if possible, as this can help reduce swelling.
• Administer over the counter medicine; Analgesia such as paracetamol suspension or Antihistamine syrup and creams can alleviate pain and itching. Follow the instructions on the packaging for correct dosage

The symptoms will normally improve within a few hours or days, although sometimes they can last a little longer.

Some people have a mild allergic reaction and a larger area of skin around the bite or sting becomes swollen, red and painful. This should pass but if it is tracking further from the point of the sting or becomes hot and painful them seek medical advice.

WARNING occasionally, a severe allergic reaction can occur, causing symptoms such as breathing difficulties, dizziness and a swollen face or mouth. This requires immediate medical treatment. Call 999 and state ANAPHYLAXIS

WATER SAFETY

At home, younger children are most likely to drown in the bath or garden pond and in the summer we mustn’t forget the paddling pool. It’s important for parents to understand the risks of babies and young children being left alone, even for a moment. They may get no warning that something is wrong, as babies drown silently in as little as 5 cm of water.

Sadly, each year there are avoidable drowning incidents during the summer months. It’s not just young children at risk. Older children and teenagers who are competent swimmers can still get into trouble and be at risk of drowning.

Paddling Pools – The number of deaths in padding pools is very low, But the risk is always present and there are several things which you can do to minimise that risk. Several groups are most at risk,

• Young children left unsupervised (even for a minute)
• Older children using pools without permission when there are no adults present to help in the event of an incident
• Adults under the influence of drink or drugs.

• Large pools should be fenced off where possible, with child-proof gates in place.
• Paddling pools should be emptied and stored away when not in use
• Make sure your neighbours are aware that you have a pool in the garden, even if only temporarily.
• Take your children for swimming lessons as early as possible and educate them about the dangers of paddling and swimming pools
• If you have a large pool party, nominate a non-drinker to act as ‘lifeguard’ and be vigilant throughout the event.

In the UK, incidents of drowning from swimming in inland water are more common than those in the sea. Abroad, in the past six years, 30 children from the UK have drowned whilst on holiday.

Don’t assume hotel pools have lifeguards – provision and legislation varies, and lifeguards may have other duties. Also don’t assume that your child will shout or scream if they’re in trouble. Drowning happens silently. See our recent post of Facebook for the signs of drowning

Safe outdoor swimming The Outdoor Swimming Society has advice on safe outdoor swimming and the RNLI has advice on being safe on the beach and in the sea.

BBQ’S

A barbecue can stay hot enough to cause a serious contact burn, for a long time after they’ve been used. Once you’ve moved away from it the cinders can remain hot all night.

All barbecues produce carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, colourless gas, which can cause sudden illness and death and is produced any time a fossil fuel is burned. This is fine outdoors, but is deadly poisonous in an enclosed space. Never take a lit or smouldering one inside a house, tent, caravan, or boat.

Tips for Beating BBQ Burns

Get up to speed on how to treat burns. Good first aid following a burn or scald can make an enormous difference in recovery times and the severity of scarring. Two important things to remember are COOL, CALL, COVER and STOP, DROP, ROLL

“STOP, DROP, AND ROLL” is used when clothing catches fire. Only use stop, drop, and roll when clothing catches fire.

FIRST AID ADVICE FROM THE BRITISH BURN ASSOCIATION

1. Cool the burn with running cold tap water for at least 10 minutes and once cooled cut away all clothing and jewellery (unless it is melted or firmly stuck to the wound).
2. Call for help: 999, 111 or local GP for advice depending on severity of the burn
3. Cover with layers of cling film. Make sure the patient is kept warm.

Seek immediate medical help for burns on the face, and areas larger than the palm of your hand or deep burns

• Assess the injury. The severity of a burn depends on how deep it is and how much skin has been damaged. A burn that appears minor (superficial) may not need treatment by a medical professional. Any burns that appear very deep should receive immediate medical attention. If it’s unclear how severe a burn is, it’s a good idea to have it evaluated by a professional. Larger than 1% of the body (palm of the casualties hand) should be seen by medical help. Larger than 9% (equivalent to full upper limp or half a leg) should call 999
• Avoid the source of the burn. After a burn, move quickly away from the source of the heat. Prolonged exposure can make a burn worse.
• Cool the burn. Place the affected skin under cool running water AT LEAST 10 MINUTES. Do not use a high-pressure spray. Instead, allow cool water to run over the burn for as long as possible. This can be done with tap water in the sink or a hose outside.
• Remove clothing by cutting the clothing after cooling the burn. Be sure to take off any clothing covering the affected area. Fabric can trap heat and make the burn more severe. Remove jewellery to reduce sticking and swelling around the affected area.
• Cover with layers of cling film. It’s important to keep it covered. Skin damaged from a burn is at greater risk for bacterial infection and cling film is sterile, keeps air out and fluid in, doesn’t stick and is a window to see through to the wound.

OPEN WINDOWS

With all the excitement of the warmth of summer and hearing the outside, many windows will be open. With this in mind, keep an eye out for the following risks:

• Furniture near the window that can be used as a ladder.
• Light objects that can easily be stacked by your child to form a ladder.
• Objects that, when thrown, are capable of breaking a window (marbles and the like). If you’ve got children, keep furniture away from windows so that they can’t climb up and fall out – even on the ground floor. Don’t allow children to sit or play on the window sill. It’s a good idea to install window catches (to limit how far they can open) and locks if you can.
• Great information on baby proofing windows can be found here https://parent.guide/how-to-baby-proof-windows/

References

Child Accident Prevention trust

ROSPA

Children’s Burns Trust cbtrust.org.uk

Basic First Aid can take as little as 3 hours to learn. At Child Matters we recognise the importance of learning how to deal with all of the potential dangers discussed above. Please get in contact to discuss which course is right for you and to arrange a suitable date and location.

FAMILY FIRST AID 

PAEDIATRIC FIRST AID

FIRST AID FOR SCHOOLS 

FIRST AID AT WORK