Safetyworks! is a multi-agency interactive safety centre serving the community of Tyne & Wear. It provides an innovative, enjoyable learning experience enabling visitors to participate safely in realistic situations illustrating everyday hazards and how to prevent them.
SafetyWorks! is operated and managed by Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue Service.
The Aim of SafetyWorks is to:
- Act as the focal point for fire safety, community safety and crime prevention education in Tyne & Wear
- Improve the quality of life and community safety of those living and working in Tyne & Wear
- Provide realistic and interactive scenarios which enable practical learning in a safe, controlled environment
- Promote good citizenship by encouraging visitors to consider the consequences of their actions on themselves and other groups who wish to use it
- Encourage the development of wide-ranging community safety education and training for statutory, voluntary and private sectors.
SafetyWorks! education involves visiting a prepared scenario, identifying the dangers and learning what steps and actions to take to avoid the risk. By making the scenarios as realistic as possible and allowing for full participation the messages have greater impact and significance to visitors, and an enhanced level of knowledge is acquired and remembered.
Our partners provide a significant contribution to SafetyWorks! and currently include:
To meet our strategic aims and those of our Partner agencies our priorities include:
- Older people
- Children and young persons (including students)
- Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups
- People with learning or physical difficulties
- People with mental illness or drug or alcohol problems
- People in poor or temporary housing
- People who smoke in the home
Following an extensive refurbishment, the remodelled centre re-opened on 14th October 2009. lt has fourteen new scenarios including an Accident & Emergency Unit, House (with kitchen living room, bedroom, bathroom, burning room, burnt-out room and a flooded room), a dark alley, metro station, busy road, park/open water area, police station, courtroom, building site and shop. Footage beamed onto walls complements life-size images and real roads, pavements, street furniture and sound bring each set to life, ensuring a truly interactive learning experience.
Despite being closed from mid July to mid October, the Centre welcomed 5,600 visitors during 2009/2010.
SafetyWorks! provides advice and information on:
- Fire Safety
- Home Safety
- Road Safety
- Safer Travel
- Water Safety
- Consequences of Crime
- Drugs and Alcohol Awareness
- Internet Safety
- Personal Safety
- Consequences of Vandalism
- Dealing with Emergencies
- First Aid
- Assisted Living
- Environment Sustainability
