Preventing Injuries in Child Care

Page 3

Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for young children. Young children are at higher risk of injuries overall, and certain injuries are more probable at different ages. Toddlers are most susceptible to poisoning, preschoolers to drowning, and school-aged children to pedestrian accidents.  Children are more likely to be injured when they are not under appropriate adult supervision. 

Dangers can be found everywhere in an early childhood program. Electrical outlets, cleaning supplies, woodworking tools, outdoor climbing equipment, and cooking tools can all cause injuries.  Educators must closely watch for and remove these dangers. Failure to do so may result in accidents. Most of these accidents can be avoided.    

Injuries occur as a result of unsafe conditions in the environment, participation in activities which are not developmentally appropriate, and/or a lack of adult supervision. Age and sex of children, size of the facility, adult-to-child ratio, specific program offerings (e.g., swimming, field trips), playground equipment, supervision, and enforcement of policies and regulations are some of the factors that may influence the risk of injury in the early childhood program.   

Children attending an early childhood program are most likely to face the following types of injuries:

• Minor injuries such as cuts, scrapes and bruises
• Severe injuries such as head injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, dislocations or dental injuries
• Poisoning
• Drowning
• Burns
• Choking and suffocation

Studies show that:
​​Injury rates are low for infants and increase with the age of the child. Injuries are most frequent among two- to five-year-olds. The difference for boys and girls in preschool is small. At age five, the number of injuries increases among boys, as they are more often involved in more active physical play.

The following factors contribute to injuries and may be divided between child-related factors and environment-related factors:

• Falls are the leading cause of serious injuries. The playground is the major site of injury in the early childhood program and accounts for 50 to 60 percent of all child care injuries. Sometimes furniture, stairs or windows are also involved.
• Another child is involved (fighting, pushing, colliding, throwing, biting, etc.). The child collides with objects such as moving playground equipment, furniture, part of the building, plants, toys, a fence or gate, etc.
• The child is cut by a sharp edge, burned by a hot surface, hot tap water or heater, or poisoned by toxic materials.
• Injuries related to transportation and cars.

​When do injuries happen?

• In the summer and spring, probably due to outdoor play and particularly the use of playground equipment
• Late in the morning and late in the afternoon, when children are hungry or tired, and when educators are busy or less available to supervise

Children may be injured due to:

• Lack of safety knowledge
• Lack of ability or imitation of others more physically advanced
• Hazards in the environment and access to toxic materials
• Lack of safety precautions, safety devices or supervision

Course Navigation Menu

1. Course Agenda
2. Health and Safety​
3. Preventing Injuries
4. ​Safety Regulations (1/11)
5. Hazards (2/11)
6. Risk of Injury
7. Developmental Age (3/11)
8. Safety Policies​
9. Safe or Unsafe (4/11)​
10. Hazard Analysis (5/11)​
11. ​Supervise the Children

12. Staff Ratios (6/11)
13. ​Regular Safety Checks
14. Burns and Fire
15. Burn and Fire Prevention
16. Hot Liquid Burns (7/11)
17. ​Strangulation & Suffocation
18. Falls
19. Poisoning
20. Poisoning can be Prevented
21. ​Drowning
22. ​Emergency Procedures

​23. Emergency Experiences (8/11)
​24. First Aid
25. Minor Injuries (9/11)
26. Disaster Preparedness
27. Emergency Preparedness (10/11)
28. Missing Child
29. Authorized Persons
30. After the Emergency
31. End of Course Quiz (11/11)
32. Evaluation Form
​Parking Lot