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30 July, 2008 |
Childproof Your Home
All children are curious by nature and most like to try and be ‘grown up’ and utilize the
kitchen. Unfortunately this can often lead to children finding themselves in dangerous situations. For the safety of your own and visiting children there are a number of steps you can take to protect them in every area of your home.
Kitchen
- Appliances - Always place appliances at the back of the work top or counter and ensure all electric cords are well out of reach. It is also a good idea to unplug small appliances when they are not being used so children cannot operate them. This should also prevent any shocks if the appliance is accidently pulled into a water filled sink.
- Stove – Exercise Extreme Caution when using the stove in the presence of young children. Always cook on the back burners and ensure that all pan handles are turned out of children’s line of sight and reach. If the stove knobs are within a young child’s reach use safety covers and keep stools or chairs well away. Make sure children’s favorites such as chocolates and cookies are stored well away from the stove.
- Plastic Bags - Ensure plastic bags are always out of children’s reach and tie the plastic bags into knots this will deter children from playing with them and should prevent accidental suffocation.
- Safety Latch – Using child safety latches on all the cabinet doors will prevent youngsters from gaining access to dangerous chemicals, cutlery and breakable plates. If your children enjoy and ‘insist on helping you in the kitchen’, perhaps keep one cabinet door unlocked and keep plastic cups and plates for the child to play with.
- Knives - knives should always be beyond reach of curious little hands. They should be placed at the top or to the rear of your cabinet or dishwasher.
- Pet Food – Keep pet food and water bowls away from toddlers as to them it may seem like a fun idea to mimic the actions of the family pet!
- Teach older kids how to use kitchen appliances safely and with supervision, including the microwave oven.
- Table Tops – Avoid using table clothes as they are easily pulled down, place drinks or food in the center of a table or at the very back of a worktop.
- Dustbin – Place the dustbin (with lid) inside a cabinet with a safety latch. This will help prevent access to potentially dangerous and dirty waste.
Bathroom
Never leave a baby or young child alone in the bath tub or shower, not even for a second. A toddler can drown in an inch of water. And don't leave any water in an unattended tub. Use this checklist to cut down on other risks.
- Adjust water heater temperature down to between 100° and 120°F -- hot enough for an adult shower, but not so hot that it could scald a child. Make it a habit to turn all faucets and taps off tightly so they're not easy for children to turn on.
- Purchase a soft cover for the bathtub spout to protect kids from painful knocks and collisions with the tub spout.
- Keep perfume, bubble bath, make-up and other hazardous products in a closed cabinet, out of reach and sight.
- Keep hair dryers and other electrical appliances unplugged, out of reach, and away from sinks and bathtubs to prevent burns and electrocution.
- Use tub mats to prevent slipping. Check the size and style of the strips, Nonslip strips and appliqués are often are too widely spaced to protect children and should be avoided.
Stairs
Falls and accidents on stairs is one of the most common causes of injuries to children in the home. A few simple precautions can significantly reduce these dangers.
- Use safety gates – Only use gates that meet current UK and EU safety standards. Avoid older gates, particularly accordion style as they can trap a small child’s head, leg or arm.
- Wooden stairs and socks or slippers make a slippery combination. Carpeted stairs are safer, especially if they have no raised metal edges or screws for the child to trip over. Keep stairs and landings free of clutter.
- Balusters should be close together to keep children from falling through or getting their body parts stuck. Balusters shouldn’t be more than 4 inches apart, if they are install a barrier while your kids are young. Be sure the railing is strong and sturdy, and discourage even supervised sliding down the banister, since a youngster is pretty sure to then try it on his or her own in your absence.
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