Bathrooms
- Install toilet locks. These locks will prevent the toilet lid from being lifted by young children.
- Remove sharp utensils and appliances from the bathroom. Razors and scissors are better kept in an adult’s bedroom or high up in a cupboard out of children’s reach.
- Keep all medications, cosmetics, and mouthwash safely out of children’s reach.
- Install anti-scald devices on shower heads, tub spouts and sinks.
- Always check bath water temperature with your wrist or elbow before putting your baby in to bathe. This will prevent burns to a baby’s delicate skin.
- Place a non-slip mat in the bathtub to prevent falls.
- Don’t ever leave your baby alone in the bathtub, even for a minute.
- Never leave any electrical appliances plugged in near water.
Kitchen
- Always store glasses and precious china in a lockable cabinet or up high and out of reach.
- Keep knives and other sharp tools, such as electric mixer blades, in latched drawers.
- Use safety latches on drawers and doors where dangerous items are kept.
- Never leave anything on the edge of a bench or table as your child could easily pull it off.
- Install a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Only attempt to extinguish a fire if it’s small and contained. Otherwise, get your children out of the house and call the fire department from a neighbor’s home.
- Never leave a child unattended on furniture.
- Don’t leave your baby alone in a highchair; always use all safety straps. This will prevent injuries and deaths from the baby climbing out, falling, or sliding under the tray.
- Lock household cleaning products, knives, matches, and plastic bags away from children. This will prevent poisonings, bleeding injuries, burns, and suffocation.
- All tablecloths should be secured to the table, so your child cannot pull anything off onto him/herself.
- Keep rubbish bins locked, so that your baby does not have access to them.
Living Room
- Electric sockets should be protected with safety covers.
- Keep windows locked to prevent your child from falling outside.
- Remove or shorten any cord that your child can reach. Cords from blinds or drapes can cause strangulation.
- If you have glass doors either replace them with wooden ones or have safety glass put in.
- Make sure all furniture is secure, so your baby cannot pull anything over on himself/herself.
- Attach corner and edge bumpers to the sharp corners of a coffee table.
- Cover fireplace hearths to soften falls and prevent injuries.
- Never leave a baby/toddler in a room when a fire is lit.
- Keep floors clean and vacuumed. Babies have an amazing sense for small objects that end up in their mouth and could cause choking.
- Fix and repair all wobbly furniture and make sure all knobs are securely tightened. Position furniture so that it can’t be pulled over.
Bedrooms
- Keep pillows out of the crib until your baby is over a year old.
- Keep small jewelry, perfumes, belts, scarves, and ties out of reach from your baby.
- Never lock a baby in a room.
- Make sure closets can be opened from the inside, so that your toddler doesn’t get locked in.
- Never allow your baby to sleep with a bib on.
- Keep older children’s toys out of reach of your toddler.
- All windows should have safety latches on them.
Stairs and Hallways
- Sockets should be protected with socket covers.
- Install safety gates at the top and bottom of your stairs.
- Hallways and stairs should always be well lit.
- Don’t leave toys or other items on stairs.
- Don’t let your baby play in a baby walker near stairs.