Safety and Injuries
Injury is a serious public health issue with a major impact on the lives of Canadians. It is the leading cause of death of children and young adults and is among the leading causes of hospitalization for children, young adults and seniors. Injury is also a major cause of long and short-term impairment and disability for Canadians. (source: "Injury Surveillance in Canada: Current Realities, Challenges" Health Canada 2003)
Defining Injury
An injury is the physical damage that results when the body is suddenly subjected to levels of energy beyond the body's ability to absorb, or the result of a lack of vital elements such as air, water or warmth.
Injuries can be either intentional or unintentional:
- Intentional injuries are either self-directed (such as suicide, or self harm) or directed at others (family violence, child abuse, assault, murder).
- Unintentional injuries are just that -- unintended and result
from such events as motor vehicle collisions, falls, fires and
poisonings.
Injuries differ from other diseases in that they have an immediate
onset. An individual goes from being perfectly healthy one minute
and seconds later is injured, disabled or fatally wounded. You
may know injuries as "accidents," but injuries are preventable.
The term "accident" is misleading as it suggests nothing could
have been done.
Health Canada's Role
Health Canada works with partners across Canada including the
Public Health Agency of Canada, public health units, hospitals,
academic institutions, law enforcement and not-for-profit and voluntary
organizations dedicated to safety promotion and injury prevention.
Health Canada is involved in various aspects of injury prevention
and safety promotion such as:
- National injury surveillance and research.
- Product safety -- under the authority of the
 Hazardous
Products Act.
- Information and messages for public awareness and knowledge.
- Injury prevention programs directed at parts of the population
that are at higher risk of injury (children, First Nations and
Inuit and seniors).
Once an injury occurs, it is usually the health system that is
involved in treatment and rehabilitation. But safety and injury
prevention is applicable in every aspect of our lives -- at home,
at work, on our roads, in our playgrounds and sport facilities
and in our natural environments.
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