Making your home a safe place to live may involve more than what you think. There are so many things that can happen to young children in various parts of the home that one may not realize is a hazard until an accident happens.
Karen Sparkes, who has been in the safety field for eight years, opened a store in the city of Barrie, Ontario two years ago called Safe Living Inc. Her store specializes in child safety products but also caters to the safety needs of older folks.
"I had a customer come in the other day that told me her toddler broke his arm while trying to climb out of his crib." Karen explained. "This is something that he had never attempted to do before his fall. This could have been prevented"
There is a product called the Crib Tent made by a company called Cozy that would have kept the child in the crib. This tent is made of mesh-like walls and it acts as a roof to your infant's crib, keeping dangers (such as pets and bigger siblings) out and keeping little ones in. It can hold 60 lbs. on top of it. This is just one example of the many products that can be used to diminish the risk of accidents in the home.
Below is a checklist of some of Karen's suggestions for how to make your home a safe place for children:
Bathroom Safety:
-Lower the water heater to 120 to prevent scalding
-Install Toilet Locks to prevent children from throwing objects in and also to prevent the child from falling in
-Lock all medicine cabinets or move medications to a higher out-of-reach cabinet
-Electrical outlets should have Outlet Covers installed
-Use full size Non-Slip Bath Mats to prevent slipping
-New Tub-Time Bumper Pad prevents the child from injuring themselves on the side of the tub
-Place Spout Covers over the tub faucet to prevent head bumps
-Unplug and put away hair dryers, etc. with dangling cords
-Install Cabinet Latches to safeguard toiletries and cleaners
-Install an Emergency Door Lock Release on your door to prevent lock-ins
-Install additional Safety Grips to help prevent falls in the bath/shower
-Do not place used razors & other dangerous items in accessible waste baskets
-If your little one keeps playing with the toilet paper, turn your toilet paper roll over so that the paper comes out from the bottom
-Be very careful of laundry hampers, sharp edges inside can seriously hurt a child
Kitchen Safety:
-Keep your dishwasher latched at all times. Add the detergent only when you are ready to use it. Baby can access knives, glasses, etc…
-Use the back burners on your stove, and turn the handles to the back and/or install a Stove Guard.
-Use an Oven Lock to prevent access to the hot oven and to prevent the child from standing on the door which can easily tip the oven over, lock the bottom drawer as well…sharp edges inside will hurt the child
-Install Cabinet Locks on the lower cabinets and drawers or move dangerous items to a higher out-of-reach cabinet
-Keep a Fire Extinguisher in the kitchen
-Move appliances to the rear of the counter, and secure dangling cords with Cord Shorteners
-Use Stove Knob Covers to prevent accidental use
-Use a Refrigerator Lock to keep the child out as there are many glass items in the fridge. Also, it is very important to install a lock on your freezer
-Move all refrigerator magnets out of reach, they can be a choking hazard
-Do not let little ones play with pots & pans, these items are not toys and can easily hurt the child
-Be careful of dangling tablecloths
Nursery Safety:
-Move all furniture, including the crib, away from windows
-Secure all furniture to the wall with Furniture Safety Brackets
-Secure all dangling drapery cords and blind cords with a Cord Wrap or Blindwinder mounted out of reach
-Use Window Stops so windows do not open more than 4", or window guards to prevent a tragic fall
-Install smoke detectors on all levels of the home
-Install a carbon monoxide detector on each level of the home
-Crib slat spacing should not be more than 2 3/8" apart
-Install Crib Sheet Security Clips prevents crib sheet from loosening
-Remove mobiles from the crib when the infant starts to reach for them
-Once your baby can pull him/herself up and stand, set the crib mattress to the lowest position or install a Crib Tent
Electrical Safety:
-Cover all vacant child accessible outlets with an Outlet Cover -Use Outlet Protectors that cannot easily be removed, and are large enough so that children cannot choke on them. The Shoc Stop has a spring loaded door that closes automatically to cover the outlet -Cord Shorteners can help secure excess lamp & appliance cords -Use a Power Strip Safety Cover to protect exposed power bars -Use a Wire Guard to cover exposed cord or speaker wire along a wall -Keep fans and portable heaters out of baby's reach -Install Light Switch Extenders so the child can reach the light switch without the use of a chair -Install Shock Shield Electrical Cord Clips to prevent potential shock hazards -Do not run cords under any carpets or mats as they may fray
Karen Sparkes is the owner of Safe Living Inc. ( www.safelivingbarrie.com ), a home safety store that provides products and advice. If you have any safety questions please contact her at 705-735-4333.
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