You probably have heard and are aware of many of the suggestions listed below. However, if you’ve just moved into a new home or you’re moving into a new home in the near future–there may be certain things you’ve never thought about before because they didn’t apply at your old home. It’s always a good idea to remind ourselves to practice safety measures in our homes.
- Install safety latches on all cabinets and drawers.
- Use the stove’s back burners, and always turn pot handles toward the back of the stove to keep them out of reach.
- Keep kitchenware and appliances out of reach and away from tables and counters.
- Put visual reminders (like Mr. Yuk stickers from poison prevention centers) on potentially hazardous or poisonous items.
- Install toilet locks to keep toilet lids closed. (Children can lean over and fall in toilets easily, and it only takes one inch of water to drown.)
- Install anti-scalding devices on faucets and shower heads to prevent burns. Also, set the water thermostat on 120 degrees. (It takes only three seconds for a child to get third degree burns from water temperatures of 140 degrees.)
- Unplug hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and hot rollers after use to prevent electrocution and to keep away from curious children.
- Cover unused outlets with protective plugs or caps. Make sure outlets in the kitchen and bathroom are updated with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI’s), which turn off electricity if appliances fall into water. For outlets in use (especially ones low to the ground), there are devices that make it difficult to unplug the appliance.
- Use safety gates at both the top and bottom of stairs (don’t use ones with expanding pressure bars), as well as in front of doors to rooms filled with hazards.
- Use doorknob covers to keep children away from rooms or other areas that are hazardous (such as swimming pools).
- Put corner and edge bumpers on furniture and other items (like fireplace hearths) to protect against injury.
- Keep furniture away from high windows (to keep children off windowsills). Screens aren’t strong enough to keep children from falling through them.
- Make sure that window blinds do not have looped cords and always lock blinds in place (whether they are up or down).
- Prevent furniture from tipping over by securing bookcases, shelving, and heavy furniture to walls with brackets and anchors. When storing items, put heavier items on low shelves.
- Use smoke alarms on every level of your home to alert you to fires and smoke.
Do you know of any other great safety measure for childproofing your home that we may have missed? Share them with us!