Secondary school accident reporting in one education authority

Incidence and outcomes of school-based injuries during four academic years in Kocaeli, Turkey

BACKGROUND

School-based injuries are an important public health problem. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence as well as outcomes of school-based injuries at a public primary and secondary school.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study involved 2956 students enrolled at a public primary and secondary school in the central district of Kocaeli province in Turkey from the academic year 2010-2011 to 2013-2014. The data were collected by intern public health nurses at school health units using a school-based injury form.

RESULTS

The total incidence of school-based injuries during 4 academic years was 10.52% person-year. The majority of the injured students were aged 10-15 years (73.3%), and boys (65%). Around one-tenth of the injuries were serious, such as burn, fracture-dislocation and soft-tissue injuries. Outdoor injuries were more prevalent for girls while boys had more indoor injuries (50.5%, 53.0%, P > 0.05). The number of the incidence of ≥two injuries increased as the academic year progressed, and there was a weak positive association between the variables (P < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.311). One out of six injuries were intentional, with the highest incidence in the 6-9 year age group (20.5%) and boys sex (19.8%; P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

School-based injuries at primary and secondary school still challenge the health as well as the security of the students. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

Developing a comprehensive safety performance evaluation framework for Saudi schools

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to empirically develop a safety performance (SP) framework for evaluating the various leading and lagging indicators of SP in Saudi public schools.

Design/methodology/approach

– A comprehensive review of the safety and performance evaluation literature enabled the formulation of the constructs, factors and items that underpinned a conceptual SP evaluation framework. The research method involved a conceptual framework review and refinement process with 18 experts, followed by a questionnaire survey of 200 respondents from Saudi public schools. The final form of the SP evaluation framework was determined through a rigorous statistical analysis process, including exploratory factor analysis to uncover the underlying framework architecture from a relatively large set of items, and then the application of the partial least squares method to confirm framework adequacy and to assign loading coefficients.

Findings

– The developed SP evaluation framework for Saudi schools included five constructs, namely, safety management and leadership, safety learning and training, safety policy, procedures, and processes, workforce safety culture and SP.

Practical implications

– The developed SP evaluation framework is proposed for implementation by the Saudi Ministry of Education to better monitor and manage school safety in the future.

Originality/value

– This SP evaluation framework is one of the first to holistically evaluate SP in schools, particularly in the Saudi Arabian context.

Accidents in the school environment: perspectives of staff concerned with data collection and reporting procedures

School-accident reports document incidents that have resulted in children requiring assistance from staff in the education and healthcare sectors. This study was undertaken to investigate the collection and use of data by agencies concerned with the school-accident problem. Our aim was to determine if the annual collection and use of such a large body of data might be improved through better management procedures. Interviews were conducted with primary and secondary school staff in one education authority. Interviewees completed a questionnaire on accident activity and accident reporting in their school. In the healthcare sector, staff from the Schools' Office and the ambulance unit servicing the schools provided information on their collection and use of data. Our survey found that accident activity is usually a private matter for individual schools, shared to varying degrees with the education authority. Playgrounds, children's behaviour and footwear carried much of the blame for the injuries sustained. Staff generally accepted the current accident rates. The compilation of accident data by the Schools' Office, accident and emergency department, and ambulance service were compromised by deficiencies in computerization and computer software. The management and utilization of school-accident data could be improved by better collaboration within and between the education and healthcare agencies.