According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents every year more than 1 million children age under 15 are taken to accident and emergency (A&E) after being injured in or around the home. As well as this many more children are treated at home by their parents, home-carers or GP.
As stated in the NHS website, UK accidental injuries are the most common cause of death in children and those under five years of age are at most risk from an injury sustained in their own home.
Faced with these sobering facts it is vitally important that we do everything we can to make sure our homes are as safe as possible in order to minimise the chance of an accident.
Following the simple steps below, you can help keep your home safe for your child:
To protect a child from falling down stairs use stair-gates that can be installed easily at the top of the flight of stairs and also at the bottom of the stairs. Make sure that the handrails are secure. Also, make your child aware of the possible dangers of stairs and remind them it is not a suitable place to play. Make sure the areas around the stairs and steps are well-lit and free of objects like toys or boxes which will be potential hazards for tripping and causing injuries.
Use socket covers on all electrical sockets. Get to know where your fuse box is located and know how to use the circuit breaker so you can switch off the power in the event of an electrical related accident.
Make sure your child is supervised in the kitchen when hot food is being prepared. Turn all cooking handles inwards and away from children and if possible use the back burners on the rear of the stove top. Also, use a lock on the oven to prevent children from opening a hot oven. Make sure that all dangerous substances e.g. bleach, cleaning products, washing up liquid etc are locked securely away using cupboard locks.
The number one rule is never leave a child unattended in the bathroom, especially if they are in the bath. Make sure that the bath water is a suitable temperature by using a thermometer. You might also want to consider using a bath cradle for your baby, although remember they must still remain supervised at all times. As in the kitchen, remember to keep toxic substances such as shampoo, hair bleach etc in a locked cupboard, preferably high up.
Make sure that living areas of the house are safe. Clear away clutter and toys periodically to avoid your child falling over them. Also look around and check where there might be sharp corners eg a sharp edged table and use protective corner cushions to keep these areas safe.
Keep your child's room safe - use a bedrail to avoid your child having a nasty fall out of bed and keep the room at a nice comfortable temperature, using a room thermometer. For young babies keep them safe and comfortable in their cot by avoiding putting stuffed toys around it and use a baby monitor to check they are OK throughout the night.
Following these steps as well as keeping a watchful eye on your child will help keep them safe from harm.
Article Source
As stated in the NHS website, UK accidental injuries are the most common cause of death in children and those under five years of age are at most risk from an injury sustained in their own home.Faced with these sobering facts it is vitally important that we do everything we can to make sure our homes are as safe as possible in order to minimise the chance of an accident.
Following the simple steps below, you can help keep your home safe for your child:
1. The Stairs
To protect a child from falling down stairs use stair-gates that can be installed easily at the top of the flight of stairs and also at the bottom of the stairs. Make sure that the handrails are secure. Also, make your child aware of the possible dangers of stairs and remind them it is not a suitable place to play. Make sure the areas around the stairs and steps are well-lit and free of objects like toys or boxes which will be potential hazards for tripping and causing injuries.
2. Electrics:
Use socket covers on all electrical sockets. Get to know where your fuse box is located and know how to use the circuit breaker so you can switch off the power in the event of an electrical related accident.
3. The Kitchen:
Make sure your child is supervised in the kitchen when hot food is being prepared. Turn all cooking handles inwards and away from children and if possible use the back burners on the rear of the stove top. Also, use a lock on the oven to prevent children from opening a hot oven. Make sure that all dangerous substances e.g. bleach, cleaning products, washing up liquid etc are locked securely away using cupboard locks.
4. The Bathroom:
The number one rule is never leave a child unattended in the bathroom, especially if they are in the bath. Make sure that the bath water is a suitable temperature by using a thermometer. You might also want to consider using a bath cradle for your baby, although remember they must still remain supervised at all times. As in the kitchen, remember to keep toxic substances such as shampoo, hair bleach etc in a locked cupboard, preferably high up.
5. Living Areas
Make sure that living areas of the house are safe. Clear away clutter and toys periodically to avoid your child falling over them. Also look around and check where there might be sharp corners eg a sharp edged table and use protective corner cushions to keep these areas safe.
6. Bedroom
Keep your child's room safe - use a bedrail to avoid your child having a nasty fall out of bed and keep the room at a nice comfortable temperature, using a room thermometer. For young babies keep them safe and comfortable in their cot by avoiding putting stuffed toys around it and use a baby monitor to check they are OK throughout the night.
Following these steps as well as keeping a watchful eye on your child will help keep them safe from harm.
Article Source
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