Rotorua kids learn how to keep safe through St John 'Make it Safe May' programme

More than 10,000 Kiwi kids have learnt how to identify risks and prevent injuries. Photo / Supplied

Thousands of kids across New Zealand, including Rotorua students, have learnt how to prevent injuries through the ASB St John in Schools programme.

Years 1 to 8 pupils from 100 schools, including 600 from Rotorua Intermediate, took part in the Make it Safe May injury prevention module, developed by St John in partnership with ACC.

The module focused on the four leading causes of child injury requiring hospitalisation which are burns, poison, falls/slips, and drowning.

In New Zealand, unintentional injuries are the third-leading cause of death in tamariki under 14, with more than three children hospitalised each day for falls, more than five children hospitalised each week for burns, about four children hospitalised for poisoning each week, and about three children die from a home drowning every year.

Last year, St John ambulance officers responded to 54 children (aged 0-18) on average each week due to a fall or slip and 20 children on average per week due to poisoning.

St John head of community education Jacci Tatnell said they continued to see far too many preventable incidents involving children.

"We know these situations can have a significant impact on them and their families. By teaching our tamariki how to identify hazards and risks and eliminate them, our homes and playgrounds can become safer and we can see fewer children hospitalised.

"Through Make it Safe May, we have taught children how to recognise the dangers of falls and poisons, how to make safe decisions, how to identify appropriate safety equipment for outdoor activities, and explore how to prevent injuries in the playground."

ACC's head of injury prevention Isaac Carlson said it was important to educate tamariki about the risk of injury and how to better manage it.

"Kids learn through playing and exploration and it's important that we encourage this.

"But it's also important that they know that risks exist. Having the ability to understand genuine harm potential and how to make good decisions to manage this, is an essential life skill – not only for themselves, but for their whānau and community," Carlson said.

ACC recently launched an injury prevention campaign called "Preventable". It is estimated 90 per cent of all injuries are preventable. Research shows that injuries are not random, unconnected or unpredictable.

Every year, ACC accepts around two million claims, which is more than 5000 injury claims
every day.

Injuries can have life-changing impacts – for those who are injured, their whānau
and society.

"With 'Preventable' we are not telling people to not take risks," Carlson said.

"The campaign is telling people to have a moment to consider what is the risk and to manage it more effectively.

"We want to teach our young people about risk and how to manage it so they can keep themselves safe and have fun growing up in Aotearoa."

In conjunction with Make it Safe May, St John and ACC offered a free interactive online activity called SafetyChamp to teach children how to make their home safe.

Schools that took part in Make it Safe May were eligible for a lucky draw to win a lifesaving automated external defibrillator (AED), and pupils who completed the SafetyChamp lessons went in the draw to win a first aid kit and free morning tea for their class.

St John presented Ashhurst School with an AED and a first aid kit and morning tea to 10-year-old Hinearoha Phillips from Ōpotiki Primary School.

Primary and intermediate schools interested in booking the ASB St John in Schools
programme can visit www.stjohn.org.nz/schools for more information.