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Keeping your home safe for both children and adults is something that most parents try to do, but they often overlook some safety measures. Organizing hazardous areas can help you look at things with fresh eyes, so experts recommend looking for safety risks in each room.
The following list covers some of the basics, but you should adjust your childproofing and safety measures based on the features of your own home:
- Drowning is the second most common cause of accidental children’s deaths. It would be best if you never left a small child alone in the tub. It’s also dangerous to leave buckets of water or other liquids around unsupervised children. Other safe practices in the bathroom include:
- Keeping toilet lids and bathroom doors closed
- Making sure hot tubs and pools are fenced, covered, and gated
- Rewiring any frayed cords on bathroom appliance
- Putting appliances for grooming unplugged out of children’s reach
- Keeping space heaters away from curtains and other flammable items
- Using non-skid mats on the floor to prevent slips and falls
- Storing medicines in locked cabinets out of children’s reach
- Removing bathroom toys after a child finishes bathing
- Encouraging family members to remove grooming items from around the tub when they finished using them.
- Fire Prevention. Fire prevention measures are critical for family safety, and you should review your fire safety systems, get fire extinguishers checked and recharged, and test detector batteries. Use smoke detectors on every level of the house. Look for safety hazards like a child, noticing what might attract the children’s attention and entice them into unsafe or daredevil activities. Crawl around on your hands and knees to uncover hidden threats lurking under furniture. Other fire prevention measures include:
- Look for fire hazards in the home — such as electrical cords under rugs, cord tripping hazards, and frayed cords.
- Make sure there are plug protectors on all unused electrical outlets.
- Keep small electrical appliances plugged when not in use.
- Keep lighters and matches out of children’s reach where they won’t be noticed.
- Place a secure barrier around fireplaces, space heaters, etc.
- Kitchen Safety. Your first priority for kitchen safety is to store toxic products safely under lock and key. You should try to cook on back burners to prevent curious fingers from getting burned and always turn pot handles toward the back. Store knives, scissors, and other sharp or pointed utensils in a place where kids can’t reach them. It is important to keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and make sure adults and older teenagers know how to use it. If your child sits in a high chair, make sure to secure the straps. One kitchen hazard that’s often overlooked is tablecloths. Using tablecloths around children can result in hands grabbing the cloth to stand or kids deliberately trying to yank the tablecloth away without disturbing the dishes.
There are many other safety tips available online for bedrooms, garages, outdoor areas, and family rooms, but this overview of the most dangerous areas for kids should help you spot other risks by knowing what kinds of things represent potential hazards.
Performing Regular Inspections
Unsafe premises happen due to careless placement of sports equipment, bicycles, toys, and clothing. These things change places constantly, so you should remain vigilant about storing things away properly and getting other family members to do the same.
Children can drown in as little as an inch of water, so keep your home safe by emptying all buckets and turning them upside down. Also, turn your water heater’s thermostat to 120-degrees Fahrenheit or lower to prevent children from scalding themselves.
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