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full screen The preschool where the boy died. Photo: Patrick Trägårdh
The fatal accident at the preschool in Umeå arouses strong reactions around Sweden.
Many municipalities are now acting and reviewing or stopping the use of reflective vests on preschool children.
– When something tragic like this happens, we have to review the routines, says Tina Persson, Eskilstuna’s pre-school director to the Eskilstunakuriren.
All preschools on Gotland as of today, is stopping reflective vests on children until further notice.
– Right now we need to wait for an investigation into the accident – but until then we need to take some caution, says Region Gotland’s preschool director, Lena Gustavsson to P4 Gotland.
The vests are also being removed in several other parts of the country. According to P4 Skaraborg have all preschools in Skövde, Falköping and Skara stopped using vests in connection with play.
IN GothenburgAlingsås, Kalmar and Vänersborg, the same decision has been taken.
Urges safer alternatives
Falkenberg’s and Filipstad’s municipalities have both decided to withdraw the reflective vests that have a zipper.
– We have tested reflective vests with Velcro and they dissolve. We don’t know how the accident happened, but we believe we have enough information to act, says principal Katarina Magnusson to NWT.
The city of Stockholm will also issue a recommendation on Tuesday after the accident.
– Until we know more about the accident in Umeå, we want you to use vests with velcro straps, says Sofia Lindestad, communicator at the pre-school administration at Stockholm city to SvD.
More information is expected
In Eskilstuna, the municipality calls on preschool principals to investigate how they use vests on children.
– When something as tragic as this happens, we have to review the routines here in Eskilstuna, says Tina Persson, head of the pre-school in the municipality to The Eskilstuna courier.
Even more municipalities are discussing the issue, without a sharp decision on the west stop yet being taken. IN Karlstad, Årjäng, Arjeplog and Luleå are ventilating the subject and new information is expected shortly.