|
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.
|
|
|