Victorian 'Safe Communities' Information Kit

Section 7 - Planning interventions at the local level

Community-based injury prevention/safety promotion programs involves community members at both the individual and the organisational level. They can be broadly described as any project that seeks to work with a community (usually a local municipality) to identify injury problems and ways to address these problems. The interventions developed by community-based projects usually involve environmental, knowledge and behavioural change strategies covering a wide range of complementary interventions implemented in an integrated and coordinated manner.

The Greater Dandenong Community Safety Program is an example of a long-standing integrated approach to creating a safe, healthy and enjoyable environment for the City of Greater Dandenong through community partnerships. The City of Greater Dandenong, over the last five years, has lead the development of a number of community-based programs and implemented a succession of concentrated efforts to improve community safety for its residents and other people using services within the City.

In 1997, Greater Dandenong launched a community safety strategy and community safety action plan that provide a City-wide blueprint for planning, coordinating and integrating all community safety activities. The community safety strategy and plan are designed to maximise the impacts of existing efforts to improve community safety through coordination and integration by promoting a sustained, carefully orchestrated community wide campaign in which every citizen plays a part. To this end, the action plan outlines community safety responsibilities for all Council business units with links to the Corporate Plan, Community Charter and Municipal Public Health Plan.

The ‘Safe Communities’ approach assists communities to develop effective ways of reducing injuries and their form has differed according to the culture and nature of the community in each setting. There are many opportunities for individuals, community groups and local government to reduce and control injuries and promote community safety at the local level.

The major priority areas for injury prevention in Victoria are:

Children’s injuries
Falls among older people
Injuries in residential settings
Consumer product-related injury
Fire-related injury
Sports and recreation-related injury
Injuries in rural settings
Workplace injuries
Transport injuries
Injuries associated with interpersonal violence and self-harm

(Department of Health and Community Services: Taking Injury Prevention Forward-Strategic Directions For Victoria 1994)

Community concerns related to violence and crime include:

Violence in the home
Violence in public places
Violence against women
Psychological violence
Violence on the sporting field
Alcohol related violence
Elder abuse
Drug related violence and crime
Violence in the workplace
Support for victims of violence and crime
Adolescent safety

Information on suggestions and opportunities to prevent and reduce violence and crime and promote community safety at the local level can be obtained from the Victorian Community Council Against Violence, Level 6, 232 Victoria Parade East Melbourne 3002, on telephone number 03 9412 6639.

Injury Prevention - How to get started?

Use local data to identify priority problems on the basis of injury frequency, injury severity and the availability of prevention measures at the local level
Develop a systematic and coordinated plan
Set realistic goals and targets
Develop an intersectoral approach at the local level, as many injury prevention and community safety measures require action in a range of sectors (health, transport, housing, education, workplace, justice, law enforcement etc)
Seize opportunities as they arise (local events may engender community concern or call for action)
Utilise the skills of experienced implementers and develop local expertise through training
Aim to institutionalise injury prevention and community safety measures for long-term impact such as incorporation into the Municipal Public Health and Corporate Plans of local government
Monitor effectiveness of measures, particularly on injury levels over time.

Sources of data

The following databases are held at Monash University Accident Research Centre.

Data on deaths – Victorian Coroners’ Facilitation System – all deaths notifiable to the coroner 1989-1995

Hospitals admissions data – Victorian Inpatient Morbidity Database 1987-98 covers all public hospital admissions in Victoria

Hospital emergency department presentations – Victorian Injury Surveillance System 1987-1995. A new state-wide system covering 25 Victorian public hospitals commenced in October 1995 - present

General Practitioner presentations – Extended Latrobe Valley Injury Surveillance (ELVIS) – collection from Latrobe Valley GP’s – 1 year of data 1994-95.

Other data sources

Department of Human Services – Health Facts 1998 ( www.dhs.vic.gov.au)

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – health and welfare statistics ( www.aihw.gov.au)

Australian Institute of Criminology – includes statistics ( www.aic.gov.au)

Department of Justice – Victoria Police Crime statistics 1995-96, vehicle theft, road toll 1996, court and criminal sentencing statistics 1995 ( www.justice.vic.gov.au)

Opportunities for Local Government to reduce and control injuries at the local level

Children’s injuries

Burns and scalds

Educate/train parents and carers (especially council employed) and children through maternal and child health centres, childcare facilities and childcare courses in the safety measures to reduce scalds from hot water and drinks.
Promote the lowering of hot water temperature in home bathrooms and childcare facilities .
Promote the use of child resistant cigarette lighters by parents and carers.
Promote the installation of earth leakage circuit breakers .
Enforce mandatory installation of smoke detectors .
Provide emergency first aid information/courses through Community Health Centres or other local agencies .
Encourage staff at Maternal and Child Health Centres to be trained as child safety peer presenters.

Drowning and immersion

Promote and enforce new pool fencing regulations, monitor the effectiveness of new regulations .
Educate/train parents and carers in safety measures to reduce drowning such as supervision in the bath and water, emptying of paddle pools after use and keeping nappy buckets high.
Promote measures to prevent drowning in dams in rural areas, such as fenced play areas (which also protect children from farm equipment, animals and other hazards).
Provide/promote CPR training and swimming lessons .

Dog bites

Provide education/information for dog owners and their families (especially families with young children) on living safely with dogs.
Provide education/information on choosing pets and responsible pet ownership .
Provide/promote dog training/obedience classes or clubs.
Enforce dog control regulations and monitor the effectiveness of new regulations .

Falls in and around the home

Provide and promote education/information on falls prevention measures .
Provide a safe home design brochure on falls prevention measures for builders and renovators with building permits.
Encourage the building of safety display homes in new residential developments that incorporate falls prevention measures .
Encourage retail outlets to display and discount safety equipment such as stair guards and corner cushions for furniture with sharp edges .
Educate parents and local retailers about the dangers of baby-walkers and bunk-beds.
Promote the use of 5-point safety harnesses for young children in high chairs, prams and strollers and supermarket trolleys .
Provide education/information to parents and carers on choosing play equipment to reduce the risk/severity of a falls injury.

Falls in playgrounds

Organise/conduct a safety audit of council playgrounds including under-surfacing, fall heights and equipment and environmental hazards and develop a program of ongoing maintenance and checks .
Encourage/assist local childcare, education and commercial facilities to undertake similar audits/ongoing maintenance programs for play equipment.

Falls among older people

Provide information/talks about falls prevention measures for the home and public places for older people, residential care and service providers, health professionals, home care providers, general practitioners, land developers, builders and renovators.
Encourage safe urban design and implementation of falls prevention measures in public places and commercial buildings .
Provide safe design guidelines with building and planning permits.
Develop council protocols for reporting falls hazards, recording complaints and scheduling of falls related improvements in public places.
Continuously audit and maintain the safety of footpaths and physical access particularly in high use areas such as shopping centres and public buildings.
Implement ‘Walk with Care’ (VicRoads) program for older pedestrians.
Provide/promote appropriate exercise classes for older people to improve balance, gait and strength .
Provide and promote no/low cost home maintenance service for older people.
Train home-care service providers in falls prevention measures.
Work with local optometrist to provide no/low cost regular eyesight checks for older persons.
Promote use of medication cards to avoid over/incompatible prescribing of drugs/medications.

Sports and recreation-related injury- http://www.general.monash.edu.au/muarc

Develop protocols for periodic safety audits, regular safety inspections and maintenance of all council sporting facilities. - http://www.hbs.deakin.edu.au http://www.sma.org.au
Encourage/assist local education and commercial operators to undertake similar audits/ongoing maintenance programs for sporting facilities.
Develop safety guidelines for associations, clubs and groups using council sports and recreation venues and facilities .
Develop safety guidelines and safe design specifications for construction of new sporting venues .
Promote (and mandate where reasonable) the use of safety equipment and protective gear as a condition of use of council sports and recreation facilities .
Promote modified rules in junior and school sports .
Organise a mouthguard fitting session at a local sporting club.
Promote/organise sports injury prevention training for coaches, officials and players .
Provide/promote accredited training (Sports Medicine Australia) in sports medicine and emergency first aid (Sports Medicine Awareness Course).

Transport–related injury

http://www.tac.vic.gov.au http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au

Support your local Community Road Safety Council’s road safety initiatives.
Conduct a safety audit of main roads and develop a plan of action to address problems .
Organise/implement ‘Safe Routes to School’ and ‘Walk with Care’ programs .
Organise or participate in a community safe bicycle or in-line skating (roller blading) day .
Ensure your community has an approved child restraint fitting station and promote the use and correct fitting of child safety harnesses .
Promote/educate/enforce the wearing of safety helmets by cyclists .
Trial footpath cycling as an injury prevention measure and promote construction of local bike paths.

General

Encourage retail outlets to display and discount safety equipment .
Run a ‘spot the hazard’ safety competition or coupon in your local paper .
Encourage youth groups to promote safety in sport and in their social activities .
Coordinate first aid or CPR courses .
Organise or participate in Sunsmart, Quit or Healthy Heart promotions .
Work with the MFB or CFA to promote fire safety.
Prepare a safety display for your local shopping centre.
Launch local safety initiatives during Community Safety Week .
Encourage Community Health Centres, Physiotherapists and the Division of General Practice to participate in Community Safety Week.
Award prizes for safe behaviour on the sports field, in the workplace, on the road and during recreation activities.
Initiate a workshop about developing a safer community .
Incorporate community safety principles into Municipal Public Health and Corporate Plans.
Liaise with local media to publish an article or present a segment on violence, crime and injury prevention issues .

Further information

Publications of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. http://www.ki.se/phs/wcc-csp/publications.html

Community Based Injury Prevention: A Practical Guide, National Safety Council of Australia, South Australian Division Limited 1992, Cowandilla, S.A. ISBN 0 909670 28 5

Creating Your Safe Community: Making your community the safety place to live, work and play in the world, Safe Communities Foundation, Toronto, Canada. http://www.safecommunities.ca/guide

Young, A. You Can Do It: A Community Guide for Injury Prevention, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Centre 1993, Seattle, USA. Email: hiprc@u.washington.edu

Injury Prevention Resource Package, Health Department of Western Australia, Perth, W.A 1996. ISBN 0 7309 8236X http://www.health.wa.gov.au/healthv/summer97/injury.html Telephone: 08 9388 4802

Australian Injury Prevention Database contains health promotion programs for injury prevention in Australia, University of Queensland, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine http://www.spmed.uq.edu.au/aipd/progs0.asp