A home safety study by Safe Kids Malaysia Universiti Putra Malaysia has revealed that burns are the second major cause of injury among primary school children ages 7 to 12. When it comes to keeping kids safe, adults play an important role. However, it is equally important to teach children about the potential risks and prevention of serious injuries within and outside their homes.

In conjunction with Safe Kids at Home Program which was recently launched to educate children and their families about unintentional injury risks in the home, Smart Kids World talked to Briand Greer, President of Honeywell ASEAN to share more of this inaugural program and its relevancy among parents and caregivers today.

Q: Why is there a dire need for education on fire and burn prevention for kids?

BG: Here in Malaysia, one child dies from fire injury every two weeks, and in the last two years there were over 250 fire-related deaths. Sadly, the majority of those incidences occurred at home.

Past incidents as well as findings from various studies highlight that there are gaps in the awareness and education of fire safety, injury prevention and basic principles of preparedness here in Malaysia and across the region.

In a recent survey conducted by Safe Kids Malaysia Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Safe Kids Worldwide; supported by Honeywell, more than half of the 640 parents surveyed mentioned that they were worried that their child would be more likely to suffer from a burn or fire-related injury in comparison to other preventable injuries. However, only 1 out of 3 parents shared that they constantly teach their children about fire safety and only 11% of the parents surveyed said that their children’s school frequently teach about injury prevention or fire safety. We need to fill-in these gaps, and, at Honeywell, we are concerned and want to do something about it.

Q: How can a program like Safe Kids At Home help families?

BG: The school-based, Safe Kids at Home education program is designed to provide children a sense of safety ownership and to encourage them to share what they have learnt at school about fire safety with their parents and family members at home. It includes interactive classroom activities as well as activities that you would need to do at home as a family. With the guidance provided by the Fire and Rescue Department of Kuala Lumpur, injury prevention experts from Safe Kids Malaysia UPM and Safe Kids Worldwide designed a program that was not only relevant but also fun and very interactive.

In the program, the children will learn possible causes of fires and injuries at home, preventative measures, as well as the steps to take in case a fire breaks out. It is our hope that what they learn will be shared and taught from one generation to another.

Q: Do you think Malaysian parents are giving enough attention to fire safety issues at home?

BG: In the home and family environment, fire safety is not usually something that remains top-of-mind 24 hours a day. Some parents may not have had the same level of exposure to fire safety education and awareness when they were younger; thus, the level of awareness on injury prevention, fire safety and the basic principles of preparedness here in Malaysia remains low as the pattern continues from one generation to another.

With the Safe Kids at Home Program, we hope to reach out directly to the children and we hope that they will continue to teach their own children and so on.

Q: What are the main changes that have to be made to keep kids at home safe from fires and burns?

BG: Safety awareness goes a long way in changing the mindset and behaviors of both children and adults alike. We encourage everyone to help spread the word on fire safety and injury prevention at home; to be open and perceptive to the lessons, tips and measures that are taught in the program. Once you are aware of what it takes to keep your home safe, you will be more open to carrying out measures that would help prevent the incident from happening in the first place.

Q: What is the success rate of this program so far in other countries?

BG: For more than ten years, Honeywell and Safe Kids Worldwide have partnered to protect children from preventable injuries in the United States, China and India. In China alone, the Safe Kids at Home program has reached out to more than three million students in over 20 cities nationwide. Honeywell’s commitment to the program then expanded to Pune, India where it will educate 325,000 students and 175,000 parents by the end of this year. This time, we will be bringing this award-winning program right here to Malaysia. A pilot program will be rolled out to 9 schools and it will educate 6,000 students over the next few months. Our eventual goal is to reach out to every child in Malaysia.

Q: How can schools be involved in educating kids on fire safety?

BG: Schools and educators play a critical role in helping to spread the word on injury prevention and fire safety. This can be done via various channels and methods — lesson plans, curricular activities, school trips to the fire department and so on. There are so many fun and interactive ways to educate a child on fire safety.