Childproof Safety Barriers An ergonomic study to reduce child trauma due to environmental hazards

Abstract

Nixon, J. W., Pearn, J. H. and Petrie, G. M. (1979). Aust. Paediatr. J., 15, 260–262 Childproof safety barriers. An ergonomic study to reduce child trauma due to environmental hazards. Trauma is the biggest killer of young children in Australia. An ergonomic study has been undertaken to test the ability of 500 Australian children to pass safety fences of various heights. Eighty per cent of 2 year olds, the modal age for child drowning, cannot climb a 60 cm (2 ft) fence. Twenty percent of 3 year olds can climb a 1.2 (4 ft) barrier. Cumulative frequency curves for the ability to climb safety barriers, by age. are presented. The Median age for negotiating a 1.4 m (4 ft 6 in) safety fence is 4 years. It takes on average only 12 seconds for a five year old to climb a 1.2 m safety fence and 17 seconds to climb a 1.4 m barrier. Predictions for the reduction in child trauma are given, if safety legislation were introduced to cope with modern environmental hazards. If a 90 cm barrier protects an enviromental hazard, child trauma will be reduced by 65%, and by 75% if a 1.4 m barrier is used. Specifications for compulsory safety devices vary from region to region, but public acceptance demands a minimum of interference with both physical freedom and with aesthetics.