The Child Safety Organisation is encouraging families to conduct regular child safety checks and view everyday spaces from a child’s perspective to reduce preventable injuries and falls.
SHARJAH: The Child Safety Organisation (CSO), affiliated with the Sharjah Family and Community Council, has urged parents, caregivers and families to make child safety checks a routine part of daily life, warning that many serious injuries occur in places adults often consider completely safe.
In a new awareness message issued on 8 June, the organisation highlighted how common household features such as windows, balconies, stairs, chairs and furniture can become potential hazards for young children. While these objects may appear harmless to adults, children often view them as opportunities to climb, explore and test their growing abilities, sometimes without understanding the risks involved.
The organisation explained that early childhood is characterised by rapid physical development, curiosity and a strong desire to discover the surrounding environment. However, a child’s ability to recognise danger develops more slowly, making supervision and safe design essential. Risks can extend beyond windows and balconies to include unsecured stairways, elevated surfaces, sharp corners, shared residential areas and furniture placed near accessible edges.
Her Excellency Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, Director General of the Child Safety Organisation, said real protection begins when adults view spaces from a child’s perspective. She noted that children act out of trust rather than recklessness and depend on adults to create environments that match their age, needs and level of awareness.
The organisation also stressed that unintentional injuries, including falls, drowning, burns, poisoning and road traffic accidents, remain among the leading causes of child deaths and injuries globally. International estimates show that more than 1,600 children and adolescents under 19 lose their lives every day because of injuries that are often preventable.
To reduce risks, families are encouraged to carry out regular child safety checks, move furniture away from windows, inspect barriers and safety features, closely supervise young children and promote shared responsibility among family members. The organisation said consistent child safety checks help children learn, explore and grow confidently in safer environments.
