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ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME
Home accidents are responsible not only for a large number
of deaths, but also for a very considerable amount of major and
minor disability. This often necessitates treatment in hospital
and absence from work.
In order to try and assess the extent of the problem of the
less serious home accidents, arrangements were made (thanks
to the co-operation of the Camberwell Hospitals Management
Committee) for details of all accidents treated in the out-patients'
departments of St. Giles' and Dulwich Hospitals to be reported
to me.
This scheme has been in operation since July, 1957, and up
to the end of the year 245 accidents had been reported. The
majority were not sufficiently serious to need detention of the
patient in hospital although, naturally, the numbers were
highest in old people and young children with burns. The
information has proved extremely interesting and has been of
value not only as a means of finding out the facts, but also as a
health educational measure. It has been possible in a number of
cases for health visitors or health inspectors to visit the homes
concerned to talk to the parents or to investigate and arrange for
the remedying of any structural defects predisposing to the
accidents.
The investigation is still continuing and the facts have not
yet been fully analysed or correlated, but the results up to the
31st December, 1957, can be briefly summarised as follows :
Age Group
Total
Under 5 yrs.
5 - 14 yrs.
15 - 59 yrs.
60 and over
Number
35
86
43
245
81
This age grouping has some interesting factors. Among
those under five years, there were twice as many accidents due
to burns, scalds and falls among boys as among girls; no doubt
an indication of the more adventurous spirit of the young male.
The same sex difference was also apparent in the 5-14 age group.
Fortunately, there was only one case of an electric burn, in an
infant, due to the removal of the insulation tape.
The dangers of the unguarded open fire have clearly not yet
been learned, for six young children received burns because of
this omission. Eat from upset frying pans resulted in burns in