Fire safety awareness
DID you know that rubbing toothpaste on a burn can actually make it worse, not better?
Also, trying to douse a stovetop fire with water will make it grow and not wipe it out.
These are just some of the old wives tales that Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Honeywell want to eradicate through their “Safe Kids at Home: Preventing Fire and Burns” programme.
The programme, which has been carried out successfully in China and India, has been tailored to suit Malaysia based on research carried out by Safe Kids Malaysia UPM executive director Assoc Prof Dr Kulanthayan KC Mani.
Based on his findings, he said that the top five causes of burn or scald injuries are contact with a hot utensil, hot iron, water heater, motorcycle exhaust pipe and firecrackers.
He added that Honeywell Asean, their industry partner, gave them the opportunity to “transfer” their research into a project that can be carried out in schools.
The programme, he added, will have four lessons on Introduction to Home Safety, Fire Safety and Burn Safety, Electrical Safety and Safety Around Firecrackers and Escaping from Fire.
All of these will be presented in colourful and “fun” guides for both teachers and pupils.
“We found that the Fire and Rescue Department has very good programmes for both preschools and secondary schools but we believe that this programme can complement their efforts in primary schools,” he said.
Dr Kulanthayan said that the department will be carrying out fire and burn safety demonstrations to further drive on the message.
Deputy Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique, when reading minister Tan Sri Noh Omar’s speech, said that according to Safe Kids Malaysia UPM: “Every two weeks, a child dies in Malaysia from a fire or burn.”
She added that 6.4% of parents reported a fire in their homes in the past two years and 54% of parents reported that their child suffered at least one form of burn injury in the same time period.
“More disturbingly, only one in three parents consistently teach their kids about fire safety and only 11% of parents report that schools frequently teach fire safety education,” she said.
She said that the Fire and Rescue Department is now focusing on fire and burn prevention awareness to save more children’s lives.
“From the ministry side, our local agency - the Fire and Rescue Department welcomes all initiatives from all partners which can help them jointly in fighting the war against fire and burns.”
Halimah added that she believed the Safe Kids At Home programme will be an effective way to create fire safety awareness as it uses a more fun approach to an otherwise dull topic.
UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datin Paduka Dr Aini Ideris said that this programme is part of the university’s aim to better society by applying and using their research findings.
“Whatever we have and whatever new findings we obtain, we want to share with the community,” she added.
Honeywell Asean president Briand Greer said that the pilot programme will be carried out in nine primary schools located in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, involving about 6,000 pupils.
“The school-based part of the education programme is designed to provide children with a sense of safety ownership, and to encourage them to share what they have learned at school with their parents and family members at home,” he added.
The schools are SK Seri Delima, SK Bandar Baru Sentul, SK Sentul 1, SK Kiaramas, SJK (T) Segambut, SJK (T) Fletcher, SJK (T) Sentul, SJK (C) Chung Kwok and SJK (C) Sentul Pasar.
He added that according to the World Health Organisation’s Global Burden of Disease, it is estimated that 265,000 childhood deaths resulting from fire-related deaths occur worldwide each year.
Safe Kids At Home is an educational safety programme designed to help prevent fires, burns and scalds among primary school children.
The programme was developed based on the findings of a 2016 survey conducted by Safe Kids Malaysia and UPM.