 |
Install child-resistant covers on all electrical outlets.
|
| |
Keep dangerous chemicals out of children's reach.
|
| |
For strings and ribbons, follow the six-inch rule.
|
| |
Always use a safety belt on your baby when she is sitting in a bouncy seat or a swing.
|
| |
Shorten curtain and blind cords.
|
| |
Place furniture well away from windows.
|
| |
Use corner bumpers on furniture and fireplace-hearth edges.
|
| |
Place houseplants out of children's reach.
|
| |
Know the names of all plants in case a child eats one of them.
|
| |
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.
|
| |
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.
|
| |
Remove the plastic end caps on doorstops or replace the stops with a one-piece design to prevent choking.
|
| |
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.
|
| |
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.
|
|
|
|
Hallways and staircases:
|
| |
Avoid dark hallways and rugs that slip.
|
| |
Safety-proof stairs.
|
| |
If possible, install carpeting on stairways to protect from falls.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
