Beterem Warns of Rising Child Injuries in Homes Undergoing Renovation

The Beterem Child Safety Foundation has issued a stark warning regarding the significant dangers children face in homes undergoing renovation or under construction, based on new data. The report highlights a high number of unintentional injuries to children aged 0-17 in recent years, occurring during building, renovation, maintenance, and development work.

Beterem emphasized that their statistics, which rely on media reports, do not capture the full extent of the problem, estimating that many incidents go unreported. The types of accidents include falls from heights such as roofs, windows, balconies, stairs, and scaffolding, as well as structural hazards like collapsing walls, electrocution, poisoning from gas or chemicals, and drowning in paint buckets or water.

Between 2021 and early 2026, Beterem documented 278 such injuries nationwide, with 28 occurring in 2026 alone. Within the Arab community, 74 injuries were recorded during this period, representing approximately 26.6% of the total. This underscores a critical need for increased safety awareness and preventative measures in Arab communities during home construction and development.

Children under five years old are the most vulnerable demographic, accounting for over 51% of all reported injuries (142 children). Notably, in the Arab community, children aged 0-4 represent over 60% of their total reported injuries (45 children). This heightened risk is attributed to their natural curiosity, lack of risk perception, and the potential dangers posed by construction materials and falls, especially without adequate parental supervision.

Other age groups also sustained injuries, with children aged 5-9 experiencing 51 injuries (11 in the Arab community), 10-14 year olds having 38 injuries (8 in the Arab community), and 15-17 year olds having 18 injuries (6 in the Arab community) between 2021 and 2025. In 2026, 24 injuries were reported in the Jewish community and 3 in the Arab community.

In response to these alarming figures, Beterem urges parents to completely seal off renovation areas, keep tools, chemicals, and water buckets out of children's reach, install safety measures, and maintain vigilant supervision to prevent these severe domestic accidents.