Mogilev rescuers tell how to protect children from injuries in the summer

12 August, Mogilev. Inessa Elfimova, official representative of the Mogilev Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, told a BELTA correspondent about the main causes of child injuries in the summer and gave advice on how to avoid them.

"Childhood is a time of discoveries, games and carefree joy. But at the same time, it is a period of increased risk and injury to children. Due to their curiosity and inexperience, children often find themselves in situations that threaten their HEALTH. The task of adults is to create a safe environment and teach the child rules of conduct that will help to avoid injuries," Inessa Elfimova noted.

Among the main causes of child injuries, she named insufficient supervision of children by adults. "Children, due to their age, are not always able to assess risks, so it is so important for parents to always be on the alert, especially in potentially dangerous places - on the road, playground, near water bodies," said Inessa Elfimova. "In the Mogilev region, there are many cases of children being injured due to adult neglect."

Thus, on May 9 in Bobruisk, a 2-year-old girl knocked over a cup of hot water on herself. The child was left without adult supervision for a moment. The girl was taken to the hospital with serious burns.

Later, on July 27, a girl born in 2019 was admitted to the Shklov Central District Hospital with burns. As it turned out, the family from Mogilev came to visit relatives in the Shklov District. According to the child's grandmother, she went into the house for a few minutes, leaving the girl alone near the fire. Then she heard a scream, left the house and saw that her granddaughter had fallen into the fire. The child received burns on 24% of her body.

Another danger factor is an unsafe home environment. "Unsecured furniture, household chemicals in an accessible place, open windows - all this can cause serious injuries," emphasized Inessa Elfimova. On

June 10, a 6-year-old boy was hospitalized in Bobruisk. The child was admitted with a chemical burn, which he received from superglue. As it turned out, the child was gluing a car without adult supervision. At some point, the glue got on his thigh and caused a burn.

Ignorance of safety rules can also be a cause of injuries to children. "Children should know that it is dangerous to play with matches, lighters, gas canisters, how to cross the road correctly, use electrical appliances, behave on the street and in public places," said the official representative of the Mogilev UMChS. "All these rules are regularly repeated in preschool institutions, schools. It will never be superfluous to discuss them with the child at home."

As an example, Inessa Elfimova recalled an incident that occurred on May 13 in Mogilev. A 9-year-old boy was taken to a healthcare facility with burns. The child received injuries while burning garbage on the territory of a private home. There was a flash of a plastic bottle of gasoline standing near the fire. The child received burns on his face. At the time of the incident, the boy was alone near the fire, his parents were in the house.

Another incident occurred in the regional center on July 9. A 14-year-old boy was taken to doctors. The teenager received burns from a flash of a portable gas canister for lighting a fire.

The cause of childhood injuries can be the improper use of toys. A child can be injured by toys that are not appropriate for their age, or playing without adult supervision.

Thus, on March 14 in Osipovichi, eyewitnesses told rescuers that a child's leg was stuck in a children's carousel. The 8-year-old boy was unable to get out of the resulting trap on his own. Rescuers quickly came to the rescue.

In Slavgorod on March 26, a father was transporting a 4-year-old child on a bicycle frame, and the child's leg got caught in the front wheel. Rescuers were needed. The child was injured and hospitalized.
Another incident occurred in Mogilev on August 3. Then, an 11-year-old boy needed rescuers' help. His leg was caught between the bars of the protective grating of the basement of an apartment building on Uglovoy Lane in Mogilev. The child was walking along the metal bars of the basement grating, his leg slipped and was caught between the metal bars. Rescuers freed the child's leg, he was not injured.

The safety of minors near water is a topic that adults should pay special attention to.

"On hot summer days, people prefer to spend their free time on the shore of a reservoir. But one should always remember that water hides many dangers. Unfortunately, not a single summer goes by without victims on the water. Since the beginning of the year, 30 people have drowned in the Mogilev region, including 2 children," noted Inessa Elfimova.

The main reasons for the death of people on the water are failure to observe basic rules of conduct, swimming in a state ofALCOHOL intoxication , as well as swimming in unequipped places. Most often, accidents with children in the water occur because they swim without adult supervision.

In Klimovichi on May 30, a child born in 2008 drowned in an artificial reservoir. The boy and his friends were swimming without adult supervision. Suddenly, he disappeared from the surface of the water. Attempts to independently find the drowned man were unsuccessful, and the teenagers turned to adults, who reported the emergency to the rescue service. The Ministry of Emergency Situations workers pulled the boy's body out of the water. There was no equipped swimming area.

Another incident occurred in Bobruisk. On July 1, a young man born in 2007 drowned in the Berezina River. A group of 7 people, 3 girls and 4 guys, were relaxing on the river bank. Three guys decided to get to the opposite bank. Two guys swam to the shore, but the third did not. Rescuers searched for the drowned man for several days. On July 3, the boy was pulled out of the water by the Ministry of Emergency Situations workers.
Often, adults underestimate the risks when letting their children go for a walk alone. In order to prevent trouble or an accident, notes Inessa Elfimova, it is necessary to approach prevention issues comprehensively.

"First of all, it is necessary to provide a safe environment at home: secure furniture, store household chemicals, medicines and sharp objects in places inaccessible to children. It would not be superfluous to install blockers or bars on the windows. Also, adults should remember that the kitchen and bathroom can be especially dangerous for children, and therefore they cannot be left unattended there, - listed the official representative of the Mogilev UMChS. - It is important to remind and explain to children of any age the rules of safe behavior. Tell them about the dangers of fire, water, electricity, teach them to cross the road only on a green light and at a pedestrian crossing. Teach your child to call for help in an emergency and be sure to teach him the emergency service phone numbers - 101 and 112."

Control over games at home and on the street, age-appropriate toys - all this will help reduce the risk of possible injuries.

"In matters of teaching children safe behavior, parents should set a personal example. Children learn by imitating adults. Follow safety rules yourself, and your child will do the same," Inessa Elfimova summed up.
Photo by Mogilev Regional UMChS