Questions people asked about WALKODILE®
Q. Why is a safety product like WALKODILE® needed?
A. We know from many years of extensive research that childcare staff & parents want a product like WALKODILE®. What’s more, road safety organisations agree that walks with children outwith school or nursery premises creates many risks.
For example, transport & road safety bodies say children make unpredictable pedestrians - traffic coping skills are complex therefore children do not have the ability to judge speed, distance and danger accurately until at least 8 years old. Of course young children are much smaller than adults and therefore more difficult to see.
Q. How do you know WALKODILE® works?
A. We know it works because our customers love it! We receive fantastic feedback from schools, nurseries & playgroups telling us how much safer & more enjoyable their walks are thanks to Walkodile. Furthermore, during the product's development phase it was tested it many times - both formally and informally, with staff confirming that WALKODILE® helped them manage the outing better and kept children much safer then ever before on a walking trip. The real test though came when the product was formally trialled in six primary schools under the auspices of Aberdeenshire Council’s Education Department. Feedback from these trials was extremely positive, with staff confirming that WALKODILE® kept children much safer then ever before on a walking trip.
Q. How does WALKODILE® work?
A. The product links a maximum of six children to a central flexible spine, which they can hold on to whilst they walk. To start using it each child is fitted with a high visibility, adjustable harness and the sections of the WALKODILE® spine are joined together. When the group is ready, staff link the children to the central spine using secure connectors. Finally, staff put their high visibility vests on and with everyone safe the group is ready to go.
Q. What is WALKODILE® made from?
A. The product is made primarily from polypropylene and nylon components. These materials give the product the flexibility it needs so the children are comfortable and have good freedom of movement. These materials are also very strong which means the product is robust and durable.
Q. What happens if a child using WALKODILE® falls over?
A. Nothing - a falling child will not lead to the rest of the group falling over too. Individual children have fallen over during trails and no effect was evident to the rest of the group. In fact, the Ergonomics & Safety Research Institute have said that if the mass of the other five children is greater than the mass of the falling child, it’s impossible for the falling child to make the rest of the group fall too. Furthermore, in their report they stated that a child falling whilst linked to the product is an advantage. This is because the falling child will have more time to react to the fall as they’re falling at a slower rate because they’re linked to the other children in the group.
Q. Where does the adult supervisor position themselves during the walk?
A. Adult supervision on the walk will need to be decided by the person responsible for completing the risk assessment for the trip. However, WALKODILE®works well with an adult at each end of WALKODILE®, holding onto a child's hand. Both supervisors should be on the same side of the group, on the pavement between the children and the traffic.
Q. Does using WALKODILE® mean that schools and nurseries can use less staff to accompany children on a walk?
A. Definitely not. WALKODILE® is not meant to lead to less supervision on a trip. The same number of supervisors are still required, although they will be better able to manage the group of children because they are using WALKODILE®.
Q. What about if the children are crossing the street, and a vehicle approaches at speed and they need to get off the road quickly – won’t WALKODILE® make their escape more difficult?
A. Not at all – in fact the product actually gives all childcare staff an advantage in that they are now able to steer up to six children out of harm’s way in the event of such an emergency.
Q. What do parents & children think about the product?
A. Parents like the product very much as it gives them peace of mind knowing their children are safer when taken on a walk outside school or nursery premises.
We’ve also gauged reaction amongst children and they like the bright colours and think using WALKODILE® is a great adventure.
Q. What ages of children can use the product?
A. WALKODILE® can be used by Primary 1 & 2 pupils and also nursery age children – so all children in the 3-7 year old age range bracket.
Q. Can the children negotiate stairs when using the product?
A. A key feature of WALKODILE® is its flexibility. It allows significant freedom of movement and has been designed to articulate in the vertical plane so the group can go up and down stairs.
Q. What happens if one child misbehaves while using WALKODILE®?
A. Children have the capacity to misbehave whether they are using WALKODILE® or not, and the product is not intended to stop this. If a child does misbehave whilst using the product, this situation would be handled by the supervisor.
Q. How many children can use the product?
A. A maximum of six children can use WALKODILE®. It can also be set up for four children to use.
Q. How do you know the product is safe for children to use?
A. Many successful trials have shown the product is safe for children to use. In addition, the Ergonomics & Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at Loughborough University were commissioned to carry out a safety audit on the product’s design. This was completed and several design improvements were suggested which were incorporated into the final design. ESRI commended the product and in fact applauded Red Island for its intelligent and thorough approach to design. Furthermore, the product has been tested by STR Laboratories in Reading - Europe's largest childcare product testing facility. They subjected Walkodile to all the relevant testing carried out on similar childcare products and Walkodile passed each test.
