Childproofing Your Home

Nearly 4.5 million children, ages 14 and under, are injured in the home, states the National Safe Kids Campaign. Even more alarming, is the fact that nearly 2,700 children die each year from chance injuries sustained within their own homes. Sadly, most of these injuries could have been prevented.

Your child is naturally curious about his surroundings, and does not always realize the danger associated with touching an electrical outlet, or playing near a hot oven. Childproofing your home is one of the best ways to avoid accidental injuries.

Parents must provide a safe environment where children are free to explore without fear of injury. There are a wide variety of products available to make that job a little easier. Safety devices should be simple to install, yet sturdy and effective. It is always important to consider that if a child is determined enough any safety devices can be defeated. Remember, however, that nothing is as effective as your own supervision.

The Kitchen

• Always unplug appliances when not in use. If it is an appliance that you are unable to unplug, such as a garbage disposal, consider using a Switch Lock. You are still able to use the appliance, but your child is protected from accidentally turning it on.
• Use Cord Shorteners to minimize the length of your appliance cords. Children can easily become entangled in long cords, or can pull appliances down upon themselves.
• Install Outlet Covers, Outlet Plugs, and Plug Locks on all outlets and cords that are not currently in use.
• Always turn handles to the center of the stove so children are unable to pull pots and pans on top of themselves.
• Use Stove Knob Covers and Oven Locks to ensure that children are not able to burn themselves.
• Install Safety Locks and Latches on all cabinets and drawers to safeguard against children finding sharp utensils and household cleaners.
• Keep all kitchen wraps, and food storage bags out of the reach of young children. Serrated edges on boxes, and plastic bags always present a danger for youngsters.
• If your countertops do not have rounded edges, consider investing in Corner Cushions, to help guard against scrapes and bruises.
• Secure swinging doors with a hook-and-eye latch, or with a Grip & Lock door catch to keep children from pinching their fingers or bumping their heads.
• Always keep a fire extinguisher in an easy-to-reach location, and know how to properly use it.

The Bathroom

• Install a childproof lock on your medicine cabinet, no matter how high it is located on the wall. Keep all of your prescription medications in child-resistant containers, and lock up all cleaning supplies.
• Set your water heater no higher than 120 degrees to prevent scalding burns to small hands. It is also a good idea to install anti-scald devices to all faucets. It takes just three seconds of exposure to 140° water for children under the age of 5 to receive a third degree burn requiring hospitalization and skin grafts, says the National Safe Kids Campaign.
• Install non-slip services and grab bars in the tub and shower areas. Also, be sure that your shower enclosures are constructed of safety glass.
• Do not leave any electrical appliances near the bathtub or sink, where young children could easily pull them in.
• Never leave your child unattended in the bathtub. A child is able to drown in less than 2 inches of water, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Install a safety gate or Doorknob Cover to keep inquisitive youngsters out of the bathroom when you are not around.
• It is a good idea to put a spout cover over the bathtub faucet, and tub-knob covers on the knobs to prevent a child from turning the hot water on.
• Opt for floors with non-slip surfaces such as vinyl or carpet, and install Swivel Outlet Covers on all electrical outlets.

The Living Room

• Install Window Locks on all open windows to prevent crushed fingers, and escapes to the outdoors.
• Eliminate the loop in two-corded horizontal blinds and in pleated and cellular shades, and in the case of vertical blinds, install a cord tie-down device to prevent strangulation.
• Never position a piece of furniture or large object near a window where a child can climb up the level of the glass.
• Remove any unstable furnishings that a child could easily pull over.
• Remove or tighten all knobs of furniture that a child could easily pull off and swallow.
• Invest in Corner Cushions and edge bumpers for sharp corners and rough edges on tables and chests.
• Make sure that if you own a liquor cabinet or bar it is kept securely locked.
• Install a plastic lock shield on your VCR to keep inquisitive fingers from front-loading units.
• Install Outlet Covers, Outlet Plugs, and Plug Locks on all outlets and plugs that are not currently in use.

The Bedroom/ Nursery

• Make sure that crib bars are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, or the width of about three adult fingers, so that the baby cannot become caught. Check to see that decorative cutouts are small enough to keep a baby's head from becoming trapped. Also, make sure that corner posts are no higher than 5 inches above the end boards.
• Find a mattress that fits well enough that there is room for no more than 2 fingers between it and the sides of the crib. As for bumper pads, make sure that there are at least six ties to secure it, and the ties are no more than 12 inches long. Remove the pads as soon as the child is able to stand and lower the mattress to at least 26 inches below the top of the side rail, so that the child is unable to crawl out.
• Install Door Knob Protectors to ensure that young children will not lock themselves in.
• Install window guards, and window locks to prevent falls and crushed fingers.
• Use an intercom system or a monitoring device, so that you are able to observe your child at all times. A cellular or cordless phone is also a good idea, since you can carry it through the house with you- always keeping your child in sight.
• Install Outlet Covers, Outlet Plugs, and Plug Locks on all outlets and plugs that are not currently in use.
• Consider using ceiling lights instead of lamps, which a child could pull down on top of himself, or become entangled in the cord.

General Information

• Install hardware-mounted secure safety gates at the top and bottom of any stairways in your home. Consider using Door Knob Protectors on any doors that open into a stairway to prevent fall-related injuries.
• Make sure that the gaps between the upright posts on railings are not more than 4 inches apart. If they are, cover the railing with a fine, heavyweight netting so a child cannot become caught between the rails.
• Make certain that the doors to walk-in closets and pantries can be opened from the inside as well as the outside.
• Decorate glass doors with colorful decals so that a child does not attempt to run though what he could mistake for an open space between rooms or to the outside.
• Ensure that old-fashioned radiators are inaccessible to infants and small children by blocking them with heavy pieces of furniture or decorative screens.
• Secure area rugs with nonskid pads or heavy pieces of furniture. Children could easily slip and bruise themselves on unsecured rugs.
• Avoid thick pile carpeting if at all possible. Small objects such as buttons and sewing needles can hide within the pile, easily finding their way to your child's mouth. Opt for tightly woven, flat-weave, or low-pile carpeting.
• Replace worn electrical cords.
• Padlock fuse boxes.
• Keep a light bulb in every socket.
• Always keep a fire extinguisher in an easy-to-reach location, and know how to properly use it.