Parents – ensure the life and health of your children, teach them safety rules

The holidays are fast approaching, which means children will be visiting their grandparents in the countryside or staying home alone. Tragedies involving children often occur where parental supervision is weakened or completely absent, but tragedies also happen when children are seemingly under supervision…

The tragedy that occurred the other day in the Berezovsky district of the Brest region, where four children, aged from two months to six years, died in a fire, struck the whole country like thunder from a clear sky. When rescuers arrived at the scene, the house was already engulfed in flames, and it was obvious that the children could not be saved. All the details and circumstances of the accident are yet to be determined by investigators. We are left to warn parents once again and remind all adults of the basic rules of conduct, the observance of which will help to avoid disaster.

The main rule for every adult is not to leave children unattended, even for 5-10 minutes, as these moments can be fatal. From an early age, children should be taught the basic rules of safe behaviour, and each year, more detailed explanations should be given about the consequences of idle curiosity. It is worth noting that children copy the behaviour and communication styles of adults, primarily their parents. Parents, be a role model for your children! You are their main authority and example to follow.

Secure your home. Use electrical appliances correctly, having first studied the operating instructions. Charge chargers, power banks, and other electrical equipment only during the day, personally supervising this process. Bring heating appliances – stoves – into good working order, carrying out cosmetic repairs and cleaning chimneys in a timely manner. Monitor the condition of chimneys within the attics. It is important to maintain gas equipment promptly, involving specialists from the gas sector. It is forbidden to repair or replace gas supply equipment yourself. Under no circumstances should you smoke in your homes, apart from the risk of fire, due to

by careless handling of fire while smoking, you harm children who, from an early age, develop a dependence on passive inhalation of tobacco smoke.

Near water bodies, in forests, on playgrounds and in courtyards, increased danger can also await children. This is facilitated by the weather, curiosity, and free time. Remember that it is dangerous to let children go to water bodies alone. When relaxing by the water, you should constantly monitor the presence of children, staying close to them no further than arm's length. Children should be told about the dangers of jumping into the water, and examples of negative consequences should be given. Special attention should be paid to inflatable mattresses and other swimming accessories during communication. Inflatable swimming aids can easily capsize on the water and frighten their swimmers by covering them completely and submerging them underwater. In such a situation, even an adult who can swim, let alone a child, can panic and, in the best case, simply swallow water.

It is also **not worth ignoring games in sand quarries**, as well as on construction sites and in disused buildings. Every year, rescuers' reports record cases of teenagers being buried by sand in quarries. Children must clearly know that playing in sand quarries is a taboo. Construction sites and "abandoned buildings" also attract attention. It is in such buildings that children encounter reinforcement, fall down, or get stuck between block elements of structures. Explaining the danger of such games is the parents' responsibility.

It is equally important **that a child knows who to turn to for help in case of danger**. As a rule, children go to water bodies, quarries, and other dangerous places for games in pairs or in groups. When one gets into trouble, it is very important that the others do not try to run away and abandon their comrade in danger, but promptly report the incident to rescuers by calling 101 or 112 and explain exactly where help should be directed. Trying to free a friend from a trap on your own can be dangerous for the lives of both.

In modern society, it is impossible to live a day without observing elementary rules of conduct. Active transport links, the presence of a huge number of household electrical appliances, places with large crowds of people, fire and explosion hazardous industries. All this surrounds every person with an invisible ring of dangers. And so that trouble does not happen to you or your children, be attentive, observe the rules of life safety, and teach them to your children.