Are schools safer for children than public places?

Abstract

Objective - To investigate the frequency and severity of accidents to children in schools. Methods - Retrospective analysis of accidents occurring in school over a six month period and resulting in attendance at an accident and emergency department. Comparison was made with accidents occurring in public places, Results - During the study period there were 127 school and 251 public place accidents causing fractures or dislocations requiring hospital treatment in 3-16 year old children; 22-4% (127/567) of all injuries at school resulted in fractures or dislocations, as opposed to 20·-8% (251/1197) of those sustained in public places. Conclusions - Injuries at school are a cause for concern as they occur in a supervised environment and this should be the target of accident prevention measures.