Nursery World - Garden mishaps spark new alert

Parents and childcare settings are being advised to child-proof gardens, after the Government reported a 20 per cent rise in the number of garden-related accidents involving children. According to statistics taken from the Department of Trade and Industry's latest Home Accident Surveillance Statistics (HASS) report, the number of children aged ten and under suffering a serious accident in the garden has increased over the past five years from 94,000 to 113,000, with two-and three-year-olds accounting for nearly a quarter of the accident total.

According to statistics taken from the Department of Trade and Industry's latest Home Accident Surveillance Statistics (HASS) report, the number of children aged ten and under suffering a serious accident in the garden has increased over the past five years from 94,000 to 113,000, with two-and three-year-olds accounting for nearly a quarter of the accident total.

At the launch of a series of garden safety tips last week, consumer affairs minister Kim Howells stressed the importance of thoroughly inspecting gardens before letting children go in them, and said that winter weather could make them potentially unsafe. He said, 'Parents need to tidy up and make any necessary repairs after the winter. A few simple checks could prevent heartache later. Make sure that play equipment is still firmly fixed into the ground and that the ropes aren't frayed.

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