Childproof
your home, free safety kits, kithcen safety, bathroom safety, staircases
safety
| Childproofing
Your Home
 To
make sure that your home is a safe haven for your children - and
you - learn to spot and eliminate hazards throughout the house.
This checklist will show you how. Register
with ClubMom to customize this checklist by assigning due dates,
adding new tasks, scheduling email reminders, and more.
Register with ClubMom now to customize this list. Safety
measures for every room: |
 |
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. |
||
|
|||
Window
Safety
The
Window Covering Safety Council offers free window cord safety kits. The
kits consist of eight safety tassels, eight cord stops, instructions on
how to install these safety devices, and a brochure entitled, "A Parent's
Guide to Window Safety: Protecting Children from Cord Hazards." Tie-down
devices for use on vertical blinds and other continuous loop coverings
and drapes are available upon request. All window treatments ordered through
Eddie Z's already adhere to safety standards.To order the kit at no charge,
please call, toll-free, 1-800-506-4636. The hotline is operated 24 hours
a day by the Window Covering Safety Council.You may order online by completing
the form below, or you may phone your order to the Window Covering Safety
Council's toll-free number at 1-800-506-4636.