Tragedy in Pinneberg: Four-year-old boy crushed by metal gate!

Tragedy in Pinneberg: Four-year-old boy crushed by metal gate!

A tragic incident shook the small town of Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein on Saturday evening. A four-year-old boy was crushed at around 7 p.m. by a heavy metal gate that had come loose from its anchorage for reasons that are still unclear. The gate fell and hit the boy, who was nearby with his family. Despite the rapid intervention of the emergency services, the life-saving measures were not successful and the boy tragically died as a result of the accident. Fortunately, no other people were injured. A spokesman for the control center in Elmshorn confirmed that it was a serious accident that affected many people in the region. [Focus].

Accidents are a constant danger, especially for children. A current study by the Federal Working Group (BAG) More Safety for Children e. V. shows that more than one in three families were confronted with an accident requiring medical treatment for their child last year. What is worrying is that 81 percent of these accidents involved an object, often involving children's vehicles such as bicycles, scooters or balance bikes. The most common cause of accidents is falls, followed by cuts and crush injuries. On the occasion of Child Safety Day on June 10th, attention was drawn to the persistently high number of accidents, which is unsettling parents. CleanKids therefore offers valuable insights and information to raise awareness of child safety.

Safety awareness among parents

How can parents ensure their children are protected? According to the BAG, parents attach great importance to safety when purchasing children's items. 67 percent pay attention to product safety, 59 percent pay attention to the absence of harmful substances and 58 percent think promoting development is important. Nevertheless, 40 percent of parents do not feel sufficiently informed when it comes to product safety. Many seek information online, with over half of parents learning about product safety through digital channels. The BAG offers numerous digital educational offerings and has developed the “Child Safe! – Avoid Child Accidents” app, which gives helpful tips on how to avoid accidents and is available free of charge in app stores.

In daycare, where many children spend a large part of their day, the issue of safety is also very important. The qualifications of day care workers are increasingly based on the “Competence-oriented qualification manual for child day care” from the German Youth Institute (DJI). An expertise from 2012, which was prepared by the BAG on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, places particular emphasis on accident prevention and child safety. This has not lost its relevance and today still forms the basis for the training of day care workers. Child Safety offers important information in this context.

Given the tragic events we are witnessing, it is even more important that we work together as a society to prevent childhood accidents. Prevention is the be-all and end-all to ensure that such accidents do not happen again. The responsibility lies not only with parents, but also with all of us - in the community, in politics and in everyday life.