View report page

BECKENHAM HOME SAFETY COMMITTEE
The Home Safety Committee meets bi-monthly to consider the way
in which the National Campaigns can be supported, to discuss the
local accident statistics, and to decide upon special approaches and
campaigns.
During the last year there have been four national campaigns:
" Danger of Poisons in the Home " Water Safety " Fire Prevention
" and " Broken Glass
Last Spring a distribution was made of 2,000 Home Safety Handbooks,
through Clinics, Parent-Teacher Associations, Residents and
Ratepayers Associations. Doctors' and Dentists' waiting rooms,
Libraries, etc.
In May of this year an Exhibition will be held on Home Safety,
Road Safety and Crime Prevention, with the collaboration of the
Accident Prevention Committee and the Police Force. This will take
place at three different Halls in turn, in order to cover the Borough
more effectively.
An analysis of the accident figures from Beckenham Hospital
shows that home accidents continue to exceed road accidents in the
ratio of 4 or 5 to 1. In addition, it should be remembered what whilst
all road accidents must be reported, and consequently appear in
statistics, there are many home accidents which are treated either at
home or in doctors' surgeries, and of which there is no record. In
1961 Beckenham Hospital recorded 1,075 home accidents, of which
743 were children. This compares with 391 road accidents throughout
the year.
A high proportion of accidents in the home could be avoided by
the use of a little more care and forethought. The members of the
Committee feel that they are not able to devote sufficient time to the
problem of making a considerable impact on local public opinion and
they strongly recommend the appointment of a full-time Home Safety
Officer, to be assisted by the existing Committee. Such an appointment
would be in line with the Government policy of fostering home safety
work, as set out in the Home Safety Act, 1961.
The Home Safety Committee is composed of representatives of
the following:—
Accident Prevention Committee.
Beckenham Hospital.
Conservative Association : Women's Advisory Council.
Federation of Townswomen's Guilds : North-West Kent.
Health Department : Beckenham Borough Council.
Health Department : Kent County Council.
Junior Accident Prevention Council.
Kent Fire Brigade.
London Electricity Board.
Labour Party : Women's Section.
Local Press.
Pharmaceutical Society : West Kent Branch.
Ratepayers' and Residents' Associations.
Soroptomists.
South Eastern Gas Board.
Women's Citizens' Association.
Women's Co-operative Guild.
Women's Gas Federation.
27