Safe Community Klepp

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Name of the Community: Klepp Municipality
Country: Norway
Number of inhabitants: 14,000
Programme started year: 1999
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year : 2002
Info address on www for the Programme: www.klepp.kommune.no (in progress)




The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:
     

Children 0-14 years:
The health clinic has an injury prevention programmes which contents:
Information and distribution of brochures about baby care, bathing, accidental falls and drowning, advice on toys and equipment, child car seats available for borrowing (0-6 months)

Information about child safety equipment and about poisonous plants, advice on safe storage of chemicals and on safe play areas (6 months - 2 years)

Information on the risk of accident to children on farms, advice on cycling and cycling equipment (2 - 6 years)

Injury prevention measures in day care institutions are annual inspection of outside playgrounds and play apparatus, child safety devices on equipment and fixtures where necessary, safety procedures during outings, use of DagROS-methodology in extra-curricular activities (see below), first aid courses for members of staff.

For schoolchildren 6-15 years the school nurse gives instruction and advice on cycling, safety on the way to school, wearing safety helmets etc., to pupils in the first and sixth grades.
Individual schools also conduct injury prevention activities.

Youth 15 -24 years:
A special health clinic for adolescents was set up in 1998. Various topics relating to injury prevention are taken up, including alcohol and the connection between intoxication, violence and accidents.
A cross-disciplinary team is establishment for young people between the ages of 15 and 20. The team will go into the areas frequented by young people and work actively there, focusing particularly on identifying and helping youngsters who seem to be following an undesirable trend.

Adults 25-64 years:
No specific program established.

Elderly 65+ years:

The "Programme for the prevention of accidents in the home" contains three measures:

1. All 70-year-olds who visit their doctor to renew their driving licence will be offered a home visit by an ergo therapist. The aim here is to offer advice and guidance on adapting the home environment, to identify potential fall hazards and suggest practical solutions. About 100 elderly people a year attend the 70th birthday medical examination. In this way it is possible to cover most of the 70-year-old age group and introduce preventive measures at an early stage. The accident statistics show that there is a marked increase in the number of home accidents after age 80.

2. High risk individuals, i.e. those who visit their doctor after a fall or who are considered to be at great risk of falling, will be offered a home visit by an ergo therapist or physiotherapist. The aim of these home visits is to get an indication of the level of functionality and pattern of behaviour, to identify fall hazards and encourage the elderly person to think in terms of preventive measures aimed at reducing the risk of falling. A checklist has been drawn up for use during these home visits.

3. The same checklist is used in assessing new users of the home care services and when home care agreements are due for renewal. This guarantees the systematic registration of fall hazards and helps focus on preventive measures so that users can continue living at home for as long as possible.


At the following environments:

Home:
Se the programs for elderly people and for children

Traffic:

"The Road Safety Plan 2001-2008" was drawn up by a broad cross-sectoral group. Lower secondary school pupils have also made an important contribution. The concrete aim of the road safety plan is to achieve a 35% reduction in the number of accidents in the plan period, divided 10-15% over the first 5 years. The plan contains a number of large-scale, high-cost physical measures as well as more limited safety and safety awareness-raising projects.


Occupational:
The injury prevention programme contains no specific measures aimed at business and industry. The Working Environment Act, the Internal Control Regulations (health, safety and environment) are adequate tools for companies in relation to the prevention of occupational accidents and illness. The municipality and larger enterprises are members of the Occupational Health Service and there has been cooperation with the health service on accident registration.

School:
Individual schools conduct injury prevention activities, such as regular fire drills, road safety education, cycling competitions, cycling certificates, permissible age limits for cycling to school, cooperation with the police on e.g. technical checks of bicycles, personal safety equipment requirements in connection with roller-skating, skate-boarding etc., first aid training for teachers and other school employees, safety procedures for school outings and other school-organised events.

Sports and leisure:
During 2002, the DagROS campaign will be introduced to sports clubs and other organisations, to encourage them to apply these principles to their activities in the interests of better safety. The tool can be applied in analysing the regular activities they run, e.g. football training, climbing courses, BMX cycling. The clubs will also be encouraged to apply DagROS in connection with special arrangements such as when the football team is playing away in cup matches, the scouts/guides (etc.) are going camping or when the athletics team is arranging big meetings. Through applying DagROS, those responsible for administration and activities will be trained in pro-active thinking, will become more aware of risk and be able to take sensible action. It is important that clubs and organisations should develop competence in terms of both prevention and preparedness.

Violence prevention:
A special program for personnel working with users/clients whose behaviour can be aggressive. From 1995, systematic work has been done on the prevention of violence and accidents among this group of personnel.
Measures taken include:
· Training in tackling aggressive behaviour in a therapeutic way, a 3-year programme
· Implementation of a 2-year project aimed at safeguarding personnel who are exposed to violence in the course of their work. This is a joint project involving the social security office, the occupational health service and the municipality
· Additional staffing resources
· The establishment of an emergency preparedness system with alarms and security guards
· Improved injury registration form in the HSE (health, safety and environment) system


Suicide prevention:
Special program aiming at persons who have tried to take their own life. The aim is to develop a system for following up, and improved internal competence is the key element in this suicide prevention work.


Programs aiming at "High risk-groups":
program aiming at
- intoxication and crime
- employees who are particularly vulnerable to violence and injury
- measures aimed at refugees
- the functionally disabled
- suicide prevention


Surveillance of injuries:
The emergency medical services (casualty dept.), three medical centres and the occupational health service.
Numbers per year: 1,200
Population base: 14,000 inhabitants   
Started year: 1999


Publications:
Produced information material, pamphlets: DagROS,- a simple guide to the ROS method (risk and vulnerability). The guideline will be issued in English, Norwegian and the language of the Laps (Norwegian minority group). DagROS will be linked to websites, giving good examples and material about how the method can be used.

Staff                   
Number: 7
Professions:  environmental protection coordinator, chief municipal health officer, chief municipal engineer, teacher, child development leader, agricultural consultant, occupational therapist
Permanent: yes
Organization: Co-ordinator connected to the municipality chief administrative officers staff. An interdepartmental resource group is established.
Specific intersectoral leadership group: yes
General public health/health promotion group: yes

International commitments:
Study visits: Mariager, Denmark
Participation in Safe Community conferences: Røros, Oslo, Aksdal, Sirdal
Hosting Safe Community Conferences: 2002
Hosting "Travelling Seminars": no
Other: DagROS (english version) will be distributed through the Safe Communities Network.

For further information contact:

Ragnhild Aanestad
Klepp Town Hall
Sola vn. 1, Postboks 25
NO- 4358 Kleppe
Norway
Phone: +47 51429800       
Fax: +47 51429822
ragnhild.aanestad@klepp.kommune.no
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Klepp, Norway - Application to Become a Member of the Safe Community Network

Updated by Moa Sundström, 2002-10-29 14:39.