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Install child-resistant
covers on all electrical outlets.
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Keep dangerous chemicals
out of children's reach.
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For strings and ribbons,
follow the six-inch rule.
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| |
Always use a safety belt on
your baby when she is sitting in a bouncy seat or a swing.
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| |
Shorten curtain and blind
cords.
|
| |
Place furniture well away
from windows.
|
| |
Use corner bumpers on
furniture and fireplace-hearth edges.
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| |
Place houseplants out of
children's reach.
|
| |
Know the names of all
plants in case a child eats one of them.
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| |
Keep cigarettes, matches,
and lighters out of children's reach.
|
| |
Safeguard heating and gas
systems against accidents.
|
| |
Be sure that furnaces,
fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, space heaters, and gas appliances are vented properly.
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| |
Place screened barriers
around fireplaces, radiators, and portable space heaters.
|
| |
Install carbon-monoxide
(CO) alarms outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning.
|
| |
Install smoke alarms
outside each bedroom and on every level of your home.
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| |
Remove the plastic end caps
on doorstops or replace the stops with a one-piece design to prevent choking.
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| |
Consider placing plastic
guards along the hinge side of frequently used interior doors to prevent the doors from
pinching fingers.
|
| |
Safety-proof windows and
fire exits.
|
| |
Make a fire evacuation plan
and practice fire escape routes at least twice a year.
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| |
Keep firearms and
ammunition safely locked away.
|
| |
Secure unsteady
furnishings.
|
| |
Avoid household water
hazards.
|
| |
Test homes built before
1978 for lead paint.
|
| |
Learn first aid and CPR.
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|
Hallways and staircases:
|
| |
Avoid dark hallways and
rugs that slip.
|
| |
Safety-proof stairs.
|
| |
If possible, install
carpeting on stairways to protect from falls.
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Kids' rooms:
|
| |
Position your child's crib
away from all drapery, electrical cords, and windows.
|
| |
Make sure the crib meets
national safety standards.
|
| |
Make sure the mattress fits
snugly.
|
| |
Be sure the crib sheet fits
snugly.
|
| |
If you use a crib bumper,
make sure it's firm (not fluffy) and secured tightly with at least six ties.
|
| |
Remove mobiles and other
hanging toys from the crib as soon as your child can reach up and touch them.
|
| |
Place infants under one
year on their backs to sleep.
|
| |
Never use an electric
blanket in the bed or crib of a small child or infant.
|
| |
Place night-lights at least
three feet away from the crib, bedding, and draperies to prevent fires.
|
| |
Always use a safety belt on
your infant when you have her on a changing table, and never leave her unattended.
|
| |
Provide padding for falls.
|
| |
Check age labels for
appropriate toys.
|
 |
Be vigilant about choking
hazards.
|
| |
Use side railings for
children just getting used to "big kid" beds.
|
| |
If bedrooms are on second
or third stories, be sure to have a fire-escape ladder in each room.
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|
Bathroom:
|
| |
Put a lock on the medicine
cabinet.
|
| |
To prevent poisoning, lock
away all vitamins and medicines.
|
| |
Install toilet-lid locks to
prevent drowning.
|
| |
Lower the household water
temperature.
|
| |
Always test the water first
before bathing a child.
|
| |
Make sure bathtubs and
showers aren't slippery.
|
| |
Use electrical appliances
carefully.
|
| |
Install ground-fault
circuit interrupters on outlets near sinks and bathtubs.
|
| |
Never leave a young child
alone in the bathroom.
|
|
|
|
Kitchen:
|
| |
Keep knives, cleaning
supplies, and plastic bags out of children's reach.
|
| |
To avoid fires and burns,
never leave cooking food unattended.
|
| |
If stove knobs are easily
accessible to children, use protective covers to prevent kids from turning them.
|
| |
Teach your kids how to
respond to fire.
|
| |
When they're not in use,
unplug electrical appliances.
|
| |
Replace any frayed cords
and wires.
|
| |
Keep chairs and step stools
away from counters and the stove.
|
| |
Keep activated charcoal
(helps absorb some poisons) and syrup of ipecac (used to induce vomiting) on hand.
|
| |
Beware of foods that
children can choke on.
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|
Yard:
|
| |
Store tools, garden, and
lawn-care equipment and supplies in a locked closet or shed.
|
| |
Don't use a power mower to
cut the lawn when young children are around.
|
| |
Don't allow children to
play on a treated lawn for at least 48 hours following an application of a fertilizer or a
pesticide.
|
| |
Know the types of trees on
the property in the event children ingest berries, leaves, or other plant life.
|
| |
If you have a swimming
pool, install a fence (with an automatic childproof gate) that separates the house from
the pool.
|
| |
When you barbecue outdoors,
never leave kids unattended around the grill.
|
| |
Store propane grills where
children cannot reach the knobs.
|
|
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|
Other resources for
childproofing your home:
|
| |
To find outlet covers, cord
shorteners, cabinet latches, and toilet-lid locks, check with your local hardware store.
|
| |
For consumer-product and
home-safety information, contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
|
| |
For details about child and
home safety, contact the National Safe Kids Campaign.
|
| |
For information about child
lead poisoning, read the "Lead Hazard Information" pamphlet from the department
of Housing and Urban Development.
|
| |
For information about safe
drinking water, contact the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water.
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