How To Childproof

Your Home.

About two million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year.  The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple safety devices on the market today.  Any safety device you buy should be sturdy enough to prevent injury to your child, yet easy for you to use.   It’s important to follow instructions carefully.  In addition, if you have older children in the house, be sure they re-secure safety devices.  Remember that no device is completely child proof, determined children have been known to disable them.

You can childproof your home for a fraction of what it would cost to have a professional do it.  Safety devices are easy to find, you can buy them at hardware stores, supermarkets, drug stores, and through mail order catalogues.

Here are some child safety devices that can help prevent injuries to young children.

Use safety latches and locks for cabinets and drawers in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas to help prevent poisoning and other injuries.  Safety latches and locks on cabinets and drawers can help prevent children from gaining access to medicines and household cleaners, as well as knives and other sharp objects.

Look for safety latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, but are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs from kids.  Safety latches are not a guarantee of protection, but they can make it more difficult for children to reach dangerous substances.  Even products with child resistance packaging should be locked away, out of reach.

Use safety gates to help prevent falls down stairs and to keep children away       from dangerous areas.  Look for safety gates children cannot dislodge easily, but adults can open and close without difficulty.  For the top of stairs, gates that screw to the wall are more secure than “pressure gates”.  New safety gates that meet safety standards display a certification seal from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA).  If you have an older safety gate, be sure it doesn’t have “V” shapes that are large enough for a child’s head and neck to fit into.

Use Door Knob Covers and Door Locks to help prevent children from entering rooms and other areas where possible dangers exist such as swimming pools.  Be sure the knob cover is sturdy enough not to break, but allows the door to be opened quickly in case of an emergency.  Locks should be used in addition to fences and door alarms.  Sliding glass doors, with locks that must be re-secured after each use, are not an effective barrier to pools.

Use Anti-Scald Devices for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns from hot water. Anti-scald devices for regulating water temperature can help prevent burns.  Consider using anti-scald devices for faucets and showerheads.  A plumber mat is needed to install these. 

Use Smoke Detectors on every level of your home and near bedrooms to alert you to fires.  Smoke detectors are essential safety devices for protection against fire deaths and injuries.  Check smoke detectors once a month to make sure they’re working.  If detectors are battery operated, change batteries at least once a year.

Use Window Guards and Safety Netting to help prevent falls from windows, balconies, decks and landings. Window guards and safety netting for balconies and decks can help prevent serious falls.  Check these safety devices frequently to make sure they are secure and properly maintained.  There should be no more than four inches between the bars of the window guard.  If you have window guards, be sure at least one window in each room can be easily used for escape in a fire. Window screens are not effective for preventing children form falling out of windows.

Use Corner and Edge Bumpers to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces.  Be sure to look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or hearth edges.

Use Outlet Covers and Outlet Plates to help prevent electrocution.  Be sure the outlet protectors cannot be easily removed by children and are large enough so that children cannot choke on them.

Use a Carbon Monoxide Detector outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning.  Households that should use CO detectors include those with gas or oil heat or with attached garages.

Cut Window Blind Cords and replace with Safety Tassels and Inner Cord Stops to help prevent children from strangling in blind cord loops.  Window blind cord safety tassels on miniblind and tension devices on vertical blinds and drapery cords can help prevent deaths and injuries from strangulation in the loops of the cords.  Inner cord stops can help prevent strangulation in the inner cords of window blinds.  For older miniblinds, cut the cord loop, remove the buckle, and put safety tassels on each cord.  Be sure that older vertical blinds and drapery cords have tension or tie-down devices to hold the cords tight.  When buying new miniblinds, verticals, and draperies, ask for safety features to prevent child strangulation.

Use Door Stops and Door Holders to help prevent injuries to fingers and hands.  Door stops and door holders on doors and door hinges can help prevent small fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors and door hinges.  Be sure any safety device for doors is easy to use and is not likely to break into small parts, which could be a choking hazard for young children.

Use a Cordless Phone to make it easier to continuously watch young children, especially when they’re in bathtubs, swimming pools, or other potentially dangerous areas.