Every minute today, four children under the age of 14 will be rushed into accident and emergency departments, writes Anna Melville-James.

That's 43,000 young people who have fallen victim to accidents on the road or in the home every week. The appalling figures have been released today from the Child Action Prevention Trust as part of Child Safety Week. And there message is simple: "Prevent injury - know the risks."

Accidents are the most common cause of death and disability in children, and while the cost to the NHS of child accidents is approximately 300 million, the cost to a family can be far greater. In 1998 alone 428 children died in the UK following an accident - the equivalent of two average primary schools.

The world is a dangerous place for young, inquisitive minds and growing, un-coordinated bodies. Children are eager to explore the world, yet unaware of its limitations, something that streetwise adults may sometimes forget.

You may think that your home is a safe haven for your children, but are you prepared to take the risk that you might have overlooked a potential hazard?

Major causes of child injury in the home include scalding, poisoning, falls and drowning, all of which can be prevented by very simple, logical measures. All it takes is forethought - small price to pay for safety and peace of mind. But what about the dangers that lurk outside the home? Britain's busy roads have a poor record in terms of child casualties compared to continental Europe, and it's vital to teach children from an early age how to step safely from the kerb.

Other areas for increased awareness highlighted by Child Safety Week include general safety while out and about, car safety and first aid.

"The aim behind Child Safety Week is to try and focus people's attention on safety issues. But this is not just something to think about for the week - child safety is important 52 weeks of the year," says Ian Harris, Principal Road Safety Officer for Oxfordshire County Council and Chairman of the Accident Prevention Forum in Oxfordshire. "The week is also a celebration of the work that goes on throughout the year by agencies to improve child safety."

However, work by official agencies, like the Child Accident Prevention Trust and Accident Prevention Forum, is just one side of the coin, and a crucial aim of Child Safety Week is to raise the awarenes.

Families, schools and all groups will be encouraged to look at their environment, identify a "Safety Action Zone" and ask themselves what they can do to make that area safer for children.

A set of five leaflets available from the Prevention Trust help to outline the main dangers and provide easy to implement action plans to carry out in these designated "Safety Action Zones". Research shows that children's accidents fall into a pattern relating to a child's age and stage of development and that knowing the risks associated with each age and stage is a vital part of injury prevention.

For example, toddlers to the age of five, acquiring mobility for the first time, are at higher risk of falling and injuring themselves. They move quickly and accidents can happen in seconds so constant vigilance is necessary.

Safety is not just a case of protecting children from potential hazards, but educating them to recognise them for themselves and act accordingly.

"Parents tend to be very protective over young children and keep them totally away from danger. This is an excellent policy in the short-term, but in the long term we all have to learn to cope with dangerous situations," says Ian Harris.

"With very young children safety is entirely down to parents. But older children need to understand why they mustn't touch hot stoves or play with sharp instruments."

**For further information about children's safety contact the Child Accident Prevention Trust on 0207 608 3828.