Look for the NSW Driver Reviver sites to pull over, get a free cuppa and biscuit. This allows the driver time to stop and take a break from the road and for the kids to stretch their legs.   The Driver Reviver sites only operate during school holidays.  Find the Driver Reviver sites here. 

It is important to be safe once you arrive! 

Why not view the Kidsafe Home Safety Checklist and use it to check for possible hazards like dangling curtain cords, unsecured appliances, poisons (such as household cleaners and medications) and furniture that could topple.  

Doing this at your child’s eye level, will help you see potential hazards that you might not otherwise see. 

Click here to download your own Home Safety Checklist.

If you are planning a Farm Stay with your crew, be sure to keep them safe.  This includes quad bike safety.  Quads are the leading cause of unintentional deaths on Australia’s farms.  The majority of these are rollover accidents leading to serious injury or death.  It is recommended that children under the age of 16 should not ride on a quad bike, not even as a passenger.

For more information, see Kids on Farms.

While some families go to the farm, others will head to the mountains and snow! 

The alpine environment is the ultimate family destination in winter, with many exciting activities including, skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing. As with most outdoor activities, it is important to be safety conscious and adequately plan and prepare.

If you're outside on a very cold day:

• Ensure you and your child  wear enough protective clothing
• Dress in several thin layers then peel them off once you start to heat up
• Wear a hat, scarf, and gloves

In the snow:

• Make sure children are actively supervised by adults at all times, rather than an older child
• Wear protective, high visibility clothing and head gear when skiing or tobogganing
• Place a name tag in an obvious place (with ski lodge or mobile number, but not child’s name) to help the emergency services and ski patrol locate you should one of your children be lost or injured
• Properly fit any ski boots, bindings or boards
• Ensure children travel safely on chairlifts. They should always ride with an adult, sit still and use any restraining devices available
• Be alert to body signals. Shivering or teeth chattering, may mean it’s time to go inside
• Keep hydrated with warm drinks and soups when it's cold outside.
• It’s important to warm up before heading back outside
• Wear sunscreen to protect 

Content source:  http://snowsafe.org.au/

For the Snow Safety infographic, click here.

The warm winter days means that many people are still taking the opportunity to spend their leisure time on the water — rivers, lakes and the ocean.

NSW laws require all boats to carry  life jackets which are the appropriate size and type for each person on board. All lifejackets must meet the Australian Standard and need to be placed in a location which allows for easy access.

Children under the age of 12 years must wear lifejackets:

• At all times when in a vessel less than 4.8 m in length
• When in an open area of a vessel 4.8 m to 8 m in length that is underway
• Other situations as listed under lifejacket requirements

If rock fishing, follow this great checklist from Royal Life Saving Society - Australia to keep the whole family safe.

Remember that supervision on and around water is critical to ensuring the safety of people using our waterways.

Click here for more information from  Transport for NSW. and Royal Life Saving Society Australia

Bunk beds can cause serious injury if there are entrapment hazards, damaged or missing guard rails or no safe access to the floor. Injuries can happen when children use bunk beds for play or if they are located near potential hazards like windows or ceiling fans. Falls are the most common source of injury.

Whether your children use bunk beds every day or on holidays, here are some simple tips you can follow to keep them safe:

• Place the bunk bed away from potential hazards such as lights, heaters, fans and blind cords
• Do not allow children to play on or around bunk beds 
• Understand bunks are not suitable for children under the age of 9 years
• Remove ladders when the bunk bed is not in use so that small children won’t be able to climb onto the top bunk
• Educate children about the safe use of bunk beds and their potential dangers
• Do not use the top bunk if it has no rails – put the mattress on the floor in another room and lock the room to make sure the bunk is out of bounds
• Avoid modifying bunk beds in any way
• Check ladders are properly attached and provide safe access to and from the top bunk for older children

If you are planning on a holiday, check with the renting agency that bunk beds meet the Australian Standard and are in good condition.

For more information visit: Product Safety Australia

Image source:  Product Safety Australia

Jumping on a trampoline is great fun and good exercise. School holidays can be a time that families enjoy this type of activity at indoor trampoline parks. 

Health services are reporting a number of child injuries sustained from accidents at these parks. Many of these injuries result from collisions with more than one person bouncing on the trampoline.

Follow these tips to keep your children safe when at trampoline parks:

• Choose a park that has comprehensive safety measures in place
• Ensure children play in the designated area for their age group
• Provide constant adult supervision
• Teach your child to jump in the centre of the trampoline
• Watch out for loose balls and stray play items
• Monitor activity in the foam or ball pits so that children don’t accidentally land on each other
• Encourage children to ask for help if they are trying something new

For more information:

• Click here to download the Kidsafe NSW infographic Indoor Trampoline Parks.
• For domestic trampolines ownload the Kidsafe & ACCC brochure Trampoline Safety - it's flippin' important!

Fire and Rescue NSW has a fantastic Winter Safety Checklist! 

Follow these tips to keep your family safe in the house this winter:

• Never ever leave cooking unattended. “Keep Looking When Cooking”
• Most importantly, have an adequate number of suitable smoke alarms installed throughout your home and make sure that you test them regularly
• Make sure you and all your family know two safe ways out of every room in your home
• Have a written home escape plan in case of fire and practise it regularly
• Check electric blankets for damage or frayed cords before placing on the bed
• Take care to keep curtains, tablecloths and bedding away from portable heaters
• Keep wet clothing at least 1 metre from heaters or fireplaces and never leave unattended
• If you use a clothes dryer make sure you clean the lint filter each and every time you use it
• Only use one appliance per power point and switch off when not in use
• Never use outdoor heating and cooking equipment inside your home. The use of this type of equipment indoors could lead to the build up of carbon monoxide which could be fatal

Be extra safe with children around!  Avoid any sort of open flame eg candles, lighters, oil burners as they are ‘mesmerising and attractive to young children  - is it worth the risk?

If you have a fireplace in your home:

• Make sure the chimney or flue is clean, and its properly ventilated
• Always place a screen in front of it when in use.

For additional information and resources visit:

• Product Safety Australia’s Winter Well Safety Tips
• Kidsafe NSW’s Heater and Fireplace Safety Infographic.
• Kidsafe NSW’s Electric Blanket and Hot Water Bottle infographic
• Kidsafe NSW’s Keep Looking When You’re Cooking infographic

Content source:  Fire and Rescue NSW

Content Source:  Product Safety Australia

Remember and follow the TICKS rules:

T — Tight: Slings should be tight enough to hug your baby close to you

I  — In view at all times: You should always be able to see your baby’s face by simply glancing down

C — Close enough to kiss: By tipping your head forward you should be able to kiss your baby on the head

K — Keep chin off the chest: A baby should never be curled so that their chin is forced onto their chest as this can restrict their breathing

S — Supported back: The baby’s back should be supported in a natural position so their tummy and chest are against you

Click here to watch a video from Kidsafe South Australia about how to use baby slings and carriers safely.

Image source:  Kidsafe SA

Content source:  Product Safety Australia

Every year children are admitted to hospitals with severe injuries from low speed vehicle run overs. In some cases these injuries are fatal. Most low speed vehicle run over incidents involve a parent, relative or friend. Very young children are at greatest risk with most killed or injured being under 5 years of age. 

Small children can be impossible to see from inside a car, especially if they are immediately behind it. The rear vision in most cars has a blind spot of up to 3m behind the car – this can easily obscure a child. Even if your car has parking sensors or a video camera fitted, you may not notice a small child until it is too late to stop.

Safety tips include:

• Always supervise children when a vehicle is being moved
• Separate play areas from the driveway and discourage any play in this area
• Make access to the driveway from the house difficult for a child, use locked security doors, fencing or gates
• Hold children’s hands whenever you are near vehicles
• Ensure that all children are holding the hand of an adult or are securely separated from the driveway or road when moving a vehicle.
• Place place children securely in the vehicle while you move if you are the only adult at home and need to move a vehicle, even only a small distance
• Always walk around the car and check before moving it – even if you think children are secured indoors

The Department of Infrastructure and Transport has a brochure Driveway Safety – Are your kids at risk? Click here to download a copy

For more information visit:

• Kidsafe NSW Driveway Safety 
• NRMA Reversing Visibility Index

After a review by Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC),  the Assistant Treasurer, the Hon. Stuart Robert MP, has amended the safety standard for self-balancing scooters, the Consumer Goods (Self-balancing Scooters) Safety Standard 2018.  The amended legislation, Consumer Goods (Self‑balancing Scooters) Amendment Safety Standard 2019, took effect on 9 April 2019.  This mandatory standard outlines that these items must comply with safety requirements for design, construction and performance.

For additional information about these changes, click on Product Safety Australia’s Self-balancing scooters.

Content and image source:  Product Safety Australia

Join Kidsafe NSW for this one-day course to gain knowledge and skills to appropriately select, install and adjust child restraints into vehicles.  This course is tailor made for those transporting children on a regular basis, including child care workers, family day care workers, intervention support organisations, car dealerships and hire car operators.

This is a comprehensive course with a hands-on component, and participants can choose to be assessed in order to be awarded a nationally recognised credential.

Our next training date is Monday 22 July 2019 at Westmead. The cost of the one day course is $330 per person.   If you are interested, please click here for enrolment.

Interested in this course as onsite training for groups of about 10?  Please let us know, we are happy to provide a quote!

If, however, you wish to become an Authorised Fitter with Transport for NSW, visit their website for more information.