How to Prevent an Accident Waiting to Happen

If you have kids at home, it’s important to be aware of the potential safety hazards lurking in your home. Because children have an uncanny ability to find themselves in unsafe situations, your job as a parent is to be aware of all potential safety problems that may be in your home, and also to take steps to prevent them. Here are some of the dangers and what you can do about them.

Stairs: A Deadly Fall

A flight of stairs can be extremely dangerous for a little one. Because the steps are designed for an adult stride, it can be difficult for little legs to keep steady. Falling down the stairs can be deadly even for an adult, but for a child, that fall is much bigger. Children can end up with sprained muscles, broken bones and even major head and spine injuries from falling down the stairs. To keep your little ones safe on the stairs, you can install a gate that will prevent them from going near the stairs unsupervised.

Clutter: A Choking Hazard

Small items, like electronics, keys, coins, and wires might seem harmless to an adult, but can be a choking hazard for a toddler. Young children often put things in their mouths that they should not, and these items can be accidentally lodged in the throat. To prevent choking, keep all small items far out of reach. As a rule of thumb, if you can fit an item through a roll of toilet paper, it’s a potential choking hazard.

A Wood Stove: Risk of Burning

Wood stoves and fireplaces are especially dangerous. Make sure to keep young children far away from that cozy fire. You may also need to install a gate around the fireplace to limit a child’s ability to get close.

Standing Water: A Downing Risk

If you have a fountain or a koi pond in your garden, be aware that it can be a safety hazard. One slip, fall, and bumped head can leave a child facedown in the water and at risk of drowning. Even a small amount of water can be a potential downing hazard. For prevention, make sure to install a fence around any sources of standing water and only allow children near standing water under supervision.

Where to find help

In the event of an accident, you should always know where to find help. Keep emergency numbers in plain view and coach older children and babysitters in how to dial the appropriate numbers. You can also take a course in first aid to help keep a victim stabilised until professional help arrives. Finally, it may also be beneficial to be aware of the different legal services available to you, such as those from Irwin Mitchell.

In any case, the number of hazards in the home is astounding. Take charge today and prevent an accident by being aware of them and taking steps for prevention!