The first step in providing a safe environment for your child is to prepare your home properly:
- Keep matches and lighters out of reach
- Place safety latches on all doors and cabinets, especially where cleaning products and medicines are located
- Remove all small magnets from the refrigerator; small items can easily be lodged in a toddler’s throat
- Move all glassed items in the refrigerator to the higher shelves
- Use the back burners on the stove and turn all pot handles towards the back of the stove
- Lock all cabinets and drawers containing glass, knives, scissors, and other small objects
- Keep electrical cords that are connected to cooking appliances out of reach
- Keep containers that have hot drinks inside away from the edge of tables
- Do not place hot fluids on tablecloths in case the child pulls on the tablecloth
- Never hold or pass hot liquids over your child
- Dispose of any plastic grocery bags and dry cleaning bags immediately; these can cause suffocation
- Lock the kitchen door, or use a safety gate to prevent children going into the kitchen especially when no one is around
- Use a safe crib with
a snug-fitting mattress that cannot get pulled away from the corners.
You should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the edge of
the mattress and the crib
- Make sure the crib has no areas with gaps more than 2 inches so the child's head cannot get stuck
- If possible, don’t place the crib near or under a window. If the crib
is placed near the window, ensure that all windows are securely
latched or use a window guard. A toddler can climb out of the crib, and
through the window
- Remove the draperies and blind cords from around the crib. These can lead to strangulation deaths
- Never lock a toddler into a room
- Make sure closets can be opened from the inside, so that your toddler doesn't get locked in
- Always check bath water temperature before putting a child in the tub
- Never leave your toddler in the bathtub alone, even for a short time.
Toddlers can drown in as little as two inches of water
- Don't keep large buckets or containers of liquid around the house,
children can fall head first in to the container and not be able to get
out
- Place a lock on all the toilets
- Lock up cabinets containing perfumes, make-up, and other similar bathroom items
Follow these seven easy steps to safe and stable furniture in the home:
- Select safer furniture with broad and stable bases rather than legs. Be particularly mindful of freestanding bookcases, television stands and chests of drawers.
- Carefully test the furniture in the store to make sure it is stable. Pull out the top drawers of a chest of drawers and apply a little pressure to see how stable it is. Make sure that the drawers do not fall out easily.
- Secure unstable furniture, such as bookcases and television stands, to the wall using angle braces or anchors screwed into wall studs. Secure any furniture unit that is higher than three feet.
- Choose tables that will not tip if a child climbs on them. Glass tables should be made of thick, toughened glass.
- Use child resistant locks on all drawers to prevent children opening them and using them as steps.
- Always discourage children from climbing on furniture.
- Never place tempting items, such as feeding bottles, favorite toys, or remote controls, on top of furniture. This encourages children to climb up and reach for them.
Please contact us with questions or comments by emailing us at [email protected].
