We have all heard the horror stories about school accidents in Nigeria, but did you know that there are 4 types of school accidents in Nigeria?
There are the ones where the students are just run over by a car, or when someone falls off the step or roof of their school and gets killed. And then there is what happens when one student goes up to another student, grabs their hair, and pulls them down resulting in serious injuries.
Every year, thousands of children are injured at school across Nigeria. Home accidents are also a thing but we will be focusing on school here. Some of these injuries are minor but many others can be very serious. Make sure your child is safe at school today. Ensure also that the school chooses the best HMO for their students.
In this article, we will look at the 4 types of school accidents, their causes and how to prevent them.
About the common four Types of School Accidents
The four types of School accidents in Nigeria mentioned in this article are very common and have a huge impact on the health of children and adults alike.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 3,000 children die in school-related accidents every year around the world. In Nigeria, where education is compulsory, this number is even higher since students attend school at an earlier age and are under the care of teachers who must provide them with proper education.
According to statistics, more than 80% of school accidents occur during transportation or walking from one place to another. This is why it is important for parents to keep an eye on their children while they are in school so that they can ensure that they do not get into any kind of trouble while going about their daily activities.
Most school accidents happen because children do not know how to use safety equipment properly or do not know what dangers exist around them due to lack of awareness from parents or teachers who oversee their education.
Some people believe that school injuries are inevitable but this is not true since there are ways through which you can prevent them from happening. Getting health insurance is one of the ways to tackle it when it occurs.
4 Types of School Accidents in Nigeria
There are many types of school accidents but the most common 4 types of school accidents in Nigeria are:
- Falling from trees,/climbing over fence or building
- Getting hit by a car while coming to school
- Getting injured by a sharp object on their way to school or within the school
- Falling from the roof,/step
1. Falling from trees,/climbing over fence or building
It is a school accident that occurs when a student climbs the trees in the school compound or jumps the fence. In this type of accident, the students involved are likely to be injured.
The school needs to raise the fence as high as possible, so students won’t be able to jump or set a required punishment for anyone who tries to climb the tree or jump the fence.
2. Getting hit by a car while coming to school
It is a school accident that occurs when a car crashes with another vehicle at a school. In this type of accident, both the driver and passengers are likely to be injured.
Car accidents are another common type of school accident in Nigeria. If a car hits a school bus full of children, it can result in injuries or death for everyone involved.
Some children may also be injured when they get caught up in traffic while trying to get home from school late at night or early morning hours after working all day long without any rest time during breaks.
3. Getting injured by a sharp object on their way to school or within the school
This type of accident happens when a pupil walks into an object on their way to school, within the school compound or back from school and gets hurt badly by it.
That of the injuries within the school can be taking care of by the school authorities making sure that all sharp objects like log of fallen trees, damaged tables and chairs are properly kept.
4. Falling from the roof/step
This type of accident is also called a “trip and fall Accident”. It occurs when a student trips and falls on the staircase of the school or near it.
In this type of accident, a student can also climb the roof to get an item he or she threw up and it gets stuck on the roof and falls and gets injured badly.
7 Other Types of School Accidents
There are many types of school accidents and they are:
- Fire Accident: The most common type of school accident in Nigeria is fire. Fires usually cause injuries and death to students who are trapped inside the school building or on their way to school.
- Drowning Accident: Drowning accidents are also very common in schools because there are no lifeguards on duty. If a child gets caught in the water while going to or returning from school, they may not be able to swim and could drown if they try to escape.
- Sexual Assault Accident: Sexual assaults happen at schools as well especially on campuses where alcohol is present during parties (which are often held during holidays like Christmas break). Alcohol-fueled sexual assault is one of the most common types of school.
- Crushing to death by a falling building
- Collapsed building
- Collapsing ceiling
- Collapsing wall.
11 Causes of School Accidents in Nigeria
School accidents are not uncommon in Nigeria. There are many reasons for this, but some common ones are:
- Poor maintenance of school buildings can lead to students getting hurt or killed.
- School Accidents are common as poor health and hygiene can be among the many factors.
- Bad road conditions
- Lack of proper teaching equipment maintenance and repair
- Poor building design and construction
- Unsafe placement of equipment and furniture
- Faulty equipment laying carelessly
- The negligence of school authorities
- In general, schools in Nigeria are not well-maintained. Most of them do not have proper security measures in place, and they are often built with materials that are not safe for students.
- In addition, there is a lack of awareness regarding safety practices among school teachers and administrators. This means they may not know how to help students who get hurt or injured during school hours.
- There are also many instances where students cheat on tests or otherwise use their education time to study other things instead of focusing on what needs to be done in class. This can also lead to accidents when someone forgets something important or makes a mistake due to fatigue or distraction while taking notes or answering questions during class discussions.
10 Preventions of School Accidents
The following are some tips to avoid such accidents:
- Ensure that you have a valid medical certificate with you at all times when at school
- Ensure that there is an emergency exit plan in place for your school
- Make sure that there is an emergency phone number and contact person available
- Keep a fire extinguisher in every classroom
- Practice self-rescue skills like abdominal breathing exercises before entering a burning building or any other hazardous situation
- Make sure to wear seatbelts every time you go on a car ride
- Do not eat or drink anything during class hours as this will distract you from studying
- Always maintain good hygiene by washing your hands before eating or drinking anything
- Parents should consider whether or not their children will get a good education and be safe at that particular school. If they do not feel they can trust the teachers and other staff members to provide them with a good education and safety, they should consider other options.
- Another important thing that parents should consider is whether or not there are any safety issues at their chosen school.
Conclusion
School accidents are not just rare, they are often very serious. Many children are killed each year by falling out of bed, being struck by vehicles and other incidents.
School accidents are often preventable, with 63% of them occurring during recess or lunch breaks. This means that parents should be aware of their child’s surroundings at all times and make sure they are safe when they are outside of class.
It’s also important for schools to have an organized system in place for reporting any injuries or issues with students so that proper action can be taken immediately.