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Home is a special place when you are growing up. It’s a place to explore, to have adventures and to play. Unfortunately, the home is also the most common place for young children to be injured.
Most accidents are predictable and preventable. Try to make the home environment as safe as possible before the baby arrives and before your child starts crawling.
Make your home safe for toddlers
One of the best ways to reduce the risk of injury is to make some physical changes to the house. Look at your home and think about what the obvious risks and hazards are. Remove the risk or hazard, if possible, or add a safety product to minimise the risk. For example, if you have a low table with sharp corners, you can attach corner covers or you can simply remove and temporarily store the table elsewhere.
You could also change the way you go about your daily routine. For example, you could change the layout of the room, move objects such as furniture, remove something that is potentially dangerous or guard the item with a safety product.
If you are building or renovating your house, you can incorporate specific safety features in your design. The time to start making some changes or additions is well before your baby begins to crawl.
Choose carefully from a range of safety products
There is a range of safety products available. Be selective and choose safety products that:
- Suit your particular situation
- Are appropriate to your child’s age
- Are affordable.
Some products are essential for your home, such as a first aid kit. Others are mandatory (required by law), such as smoke alarms.
The following products are also worth considering.
Door and stove barriers
Use a door barrier or a safety gate to keep a young child out of the kitchen, particularly at busy times such as when dinner is being prepared. This will still enable you to see what’s happening on the other side. Door barriers are also an important safety feature for both the top and bottom of stairs. You can buy barriers to fit doorways or open spaces of various sizes.
One of the most dangerous parts of the house is the kitchen, where the stove and oven are located. A stove guard fitted around the hot plates can protect children from serious scald injury from pots and pans. You can buy stove knob covers that make it difficult to turn on the stove or oven, or you may be able to remove the knobs altogether.
Locks and safety catches
There are many dangerous chemicals and cleaners kept in the kitchen. Keep these locked away in an out-of-reach cupboard 1.5 metres high.
There are various locks, catches and latches available that can be attached to cupboards and drawers. A plastic catch may be sufficient to use on a cupboard or drawer containing crockery. However, a plastic catch is not adequate if the items are poisonous, such as cleaning products. A magnetic lock or ‘elbow catch’ offers greater protection. Alternatively, you can buy a small lockable poisons cabinet to store medications and a large cabinet to store cleaning products.
Other safety products
There are many more safety products to choose from including:
- Safety tap caps – these are designed to prevent household hot water burns and can be easily installed without the assistance of a plumber or handyman.
- Finger protection strips – these are an innovative yet simple design to prevent children from trapping their fingers between the door and door hinge.
- Power point covers – these prevent electrocution from open power sockets by covering the point and preventing objects being inserted into them.
- Doorknob covers – these prevent a child entering a room.
- Blind cord windups – these help prevent strangulation by ensuring long cords are not left dangling.
- Foam doorstoppers – these help protect little fingers from being slammed in doors.
The Royal Children’s Hospital has a Child Health and Safety Resource Centre, which sells a comprehensive range of specialised safety products and parenting books and can also offer individual advice. A safety product and book catalogue is available from the Resource Centre’s website.
Do a home safety check
For a step-by-step general guide through your family home, do a home safety check. The Child Health and Safety Resource Centre provides a Home Safety Checklist to assist you – this is also available on their website. Remember that every home is different, so contact the Safety Centre Telephone Advisory Line on (03) 9345 5085 for advice on specific action plans and safety products for your home.
Where to get help
Things to remember
- Home is the most common place for children to be injured.
- The best way to reduce the risk of injury is either to remove a potentially dangerous item or add a safety product.
- Many safety products are available but it helps to speak to an expert about your needs.
- Ensure the inside of your home is safe. Parents should also consider the hazards of outdoor areas particularly the driveway, front and rear gardens, pool and barbeque areas, garden sheds, play areas and cubby houses.
You might also be interested in:
Baby care - moving from cot to bed.
Baby care - safety issues.
Burns and scalds - children.
Child poisoning in the home - symptoms and treatment.
Child poisoning in the home – prevention.
Child safety - bikes.
Child safety - children and animals.
Child safety - children and road safety.
Child safety - hot weather.
Child safety - playground equipment.
Child safety - reducing injuries.
Child safety in the car.
Choking - children.
Electricity - safety issues.
Farm safety - children.
Toddlers and choking.
Water safety for children.
Want to know more?
Go to More information for support groups, related links and references.
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