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FACT: 
9 OUT OF 10 
HOME RELATED ACCIDENTS NEVER HAVE TO HAPPEN!

KITCHEN SAFETY
The kitchen can be the most dangerous room in the house!
	Always supervise young children in the kitchen.
	Keep sharp objects out of child's reach.
	Always turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward so that children can't reach them. Safer yet use the back burners!
	Be careful not to leave cups or other containers of hot fluids where children can reach them.
	Keep the temperature of hot water below 120 degrees F (49C) by turning down the temperature of your hot water heater.
	ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN!

By necessity, this is an abbreviated list of potential problem areas found in most homes. Our intent here is to get you to ask yourself questions about your home as your toddler sees it. Starting with this list of questions is good, but a trained professional will still find many more trouble spots. When in doubt, call in the experts.

Click on the area of the house you would like to read about. Printable version of Safety for Toddlers - In Home Safety Tips (opens a new window to print page)

Kitchen

Bathroom

Nursery or Child's Room

Master Bedroom and Other Bedrooms

Living Room/Den/Office

Electrical Outlets

Staircase and Banisters

Kitchen

• Keep all hazardous products from under kitchen sink and laundry rooms locked up in a high cabinet away from a child’s reach.   This also includes knives, skewers, pizza cutters and other sharp objects. 

• Keep all lower cabinets and drawers in your triangle area (stove, sink, and refrigerator) latched so that you will not encourage your little one to be under your feet when you are trying to prepare meals. 

• If you cannot cook on just your back burners, please use a stove guard.  If the knobs are on the front of your stove, take them off and put them out of reach.

• Don’t forget to keep liquor locked up too.  A small amount of liquor could make a little child very sick.

• Keep your child out of the refrigerator and freezer with a good refrigerator latch.  Do not use Velcro. (This is easy for a child to open) Often there is glass as well as heavy items on the shelves.

• Keep your dishwasher latched at all times. Try not to let the child see how you open it.  This just buys you time.  Add soap only when you get ready to turn the dishwasher on. (Most soap contains lye)

• We recommend that you get on your hands and knees and see the world from a child’s eyes.  Make sure all cords or heavy appliances on the counters are not in reach.  A child learns all too soon how to get a chair to the counter.

• Always have an ABC fire extinguisher in the kitchen.  Do not keep near the stove or under the sink.  It should be located near an exit.  Keep emergency phone numbers on your phone as well as the # 911 and your address.  

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Bathrooms

• Bathrooms are the sites of such tragedies as electrocutions, burns, falls, cuts, drowning and poisonings.

• Keep bathroom doors shut with an overhead door lock when not in use.  Install good dexterity latches on all cabinets and drawers in these rooms.  If you to not have a high cabinet that you can lock your medicines in, there is a keyless medicine safe available.    

• Do not leave any electrical appliances plugged in.  Keep in locked cabinets.  Remember that no cord should be more than 7 inches in length.  Water and electricity are a fatal mix.

• To prevent scalding, keep the water temperatures between 120-130 degrees.  The fire department now recommends 120 degrees.  LOWER YOUR THERMOSTAT.

• A child can drown in just two inches of water, so keep the toilet locked.  This also prevents the child from plugging the toilet with toys, toilet paper and various other things.

• NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED.  Wrap your child in a towel and take him with you even if you plan to leave for a few seconds.  

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Nursery or Child's room

• If you do not have a new crib, make sure that the width is no more that 2 and 3/8 inches. Do not place crib or any other furniture under the window.

• Make sure that all drapery and mini-blind cords are wrapped up high on a cord cleat.  Do not leave the cords dangling at any length.  Remember 7” maximum for child length (this includes belts, neck ties, handbags, clothing, etc.)

• Lower crib mattress to bottom as soon as the infant can sit on his own.  Be sure to remove the crib mobiles by six months and have only one busy box toy in crib on the wall side so child cannot get a foot hold to try and get out of crib.

• Use window locks (maximum opening is four inches) or mounted vertical slated gates on all upstairs windows to prevent a tragic fall.  Window screens are for bugs only; they do not hold a child in.

• Remember to lockup baby powder and medicines, etc. as your baby gets older and starts to become more mobile.

• Keep cribs and beds away from baseboard heaters.

• Older homes – beware of non-tempered glass.  Apply security film to the windowpane.  

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Master Bedroom and Other Bedrooms

• Check floors for dangerous items i.e.:  Sewing materials, cosmetics, jewelry, buttons, manicure tools, etc.

• Keep all drapery and blind cords tied up on cord cleats.

• Keep older children’s toys away from infants because of the small parts.

• Keep a flashlight and portable radio in a latched drawer in each bedroom in case of a power outage.   Make sure you always have extra batteries in the house.  

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Living Rooms/Den/Office

• Furniture should have rounded corners or use edge cushions.  Keep furniture away from windows. Make sure that floor lamps are hidden behind furniture or secured to a wall.  Wrap excess cords around legs or tape behind furniture and along baseboards, so that baby cannot bite or pull on cords.  When your infant is young, try to keep them out of your office. These areas usually have to many dangers. 

• Replace rubber tip doorstops with an all rubber stop. They love to play with these. 

• Use a hearth guard for the fireplace hearth. Do not burn a fire while the child is awake.  Remember a glass fire screen can cause third degree burns.

• Keep plants away from children. Some can be poisonous!  Know your plants.  

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Electrical Outlets

• Avoid using the plugs.  They are a choking hazard and an infant can bite off the prongs.  If you do not need a screwdriver to get the plugs out, you need to replace with a plate cover that has a sliding door from left to right.  Try to hide as many outlets with furniture as you can.  There is also a power strip cover available. Do not have extension cords out, as these cannot be protected.  

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Stairs and Banisters

• Vertical slated gates should be securely bolted to top and bottom of staircase.  You should use mount boards bolted to studs in the walls (or strapped to a banister post) and then attach gate to mount board. Use only vertical slated gates so that the child cannot get a foothold to climb over the top.  You can also use gates to confine a child to the kitchen/family room areas. Banisters should not have openings more than 4 inches.   If wider than the 4-inch code, please use plexiglas or firm unclimbable  plastic mesh.

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