Young guns Andrew Foster and Luke Pratt spent Thursday morning helping to spread the Kidsafe WA message at Mindarie Primary School at the 2008 launch of Safety in Schools Week.

Luke addressed the students, teachers and parents of Mindarie Primary on the importance of safety in the school, at home, in the playground and during sport.

“Being a professional footballer with the Fremantle Football Club means we as a club and individuals are very safety conscious as well,” Luke said.

“We make sure we take the correct safety precautions to prevent injuries on and off the field.

“I am sure you all know how important it is to stay safe and injury free at school, home and while playing, because we all want to be injury free,” he said.

The Mindarie year sevens then took the opportunity to show their younger school mates how to maintain high levels of safety with a series of drama performances covering stranger danger, safety at the beach and swimming between the flags, sun safety and bike safety.

Safety in Schools Week 2008 is tenth anniversary of Safety in Schools Week.

This year, 17 injury prevention agencies are participating in Safety in Schools Week. Agencies contribute their injury prevention messages, resources and curriculum activities to the Safety in Schools Week Resource Folder, which has been distributed to all schools with a primary facility.

Injury prevention requires a whole school approach which includes school curriculum, parental and community involvement, environmental modification and supporting policies and legislation if the Western Australian community is going to achieve a sustainable reduction in childhood injury.

Injury is the leading cause of death and disability to Australian children. Each year Princess Margaret Hospital treats about 10,000 children as a result of unintentional injury. Schools are the second most frequent site of child injury after the home.

During the 2006/2007 financial year 1,265 children attended PMH as a result of being injured at school (447 females and 818 males). The latest statistics show that 84 percent of recorded school-based injuries occur in primary school aged children (five to 12 years) from falls and blunt force injuries that usually occur as part of sport or playground activities.

Safety in Schools Week is a joint project by Kidsafe WA, Department of Education and Training, the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection – WorkSafe Division and the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.