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There are some simple steps you can take to make your home a safer place for children.

One of the unexpected ‘plusses’ of raising grandchildren is that you end up with friends who are your children’s age. You also go to kids’ sport (it keeps you young) and school functions with other ‘young’ parents. Enjoy the last busy spurt before you go to a well-earned retirement.
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SAFETY IN THE HOME

Homes are very special places. At home we feel comfortable and safe. But for children our homes are just not safe enough. Injuries are the biggest health problem our children face.
The good news is that you can protect children from harm. There are some simple steps you can take to make your home a safer place for children.

If you don’t already have a list of emergency phone numbers placed near your phone, take the time to complete the list on page 31 and tape it in a prominent spot.

It’s a good idea to learn first aid. Resuscitation is a skill every parent should have. Look in the Yellow Pages under First Aid for organisations such as St. John Ambulance or Red Cross that run courses.

Poisoning

Poisoning is one of the leading causes of injury to young people. Common poisons are medicines, cleaning products, fertilisers and pesticides for the garden, chemicals and cosmetics.

Take these steps to protect children:

  • Lock away all poisons when not in use. When using them, close the container immediately and place up high as a temporary safeguard.
  • Install child-resistant catches on cupboards where you store poisonous products. They can be installed quite simply and don’t interfere with your normal use of the cupboards.
  • Keep poisons in their original containers. Never transfer a poison into another container.
  • Never call medicines ‘lollies’. Remember your headache pills and vitamins can be dangerous to children. Read all labels carefully.
  • Use a child resistant medicine cupboard in either the bathroom or your bedroom. Medicines such as sleeping tablets should not be left on bedside tables or in drawers.
  • If you think a child may have swallowed a poison, take the container with you to the phone and call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26. They will tell you what to do. It helps if you can tell them what the substance is and how much the child has taken.

Electrocution

To make your home safe, take these steps:

  • Use electrical safety switches. These turn the power off when there is a fault before people are injured. They are installed by an electrician to your switchboard. OR, instead, plug-in safety switches can be used in each power point.
  • Unplug electrical appliances as you finish with them and put them out of reach and out of sight. This is essential with hair dryers and shavers.
  • Don’t use electric floor heaters in the bathroom. Only use the wall-mounted type, placed up high.
  • Use plug-in covers to stop children poking things into the power points.

Drowning

If you have a swimming pool you need pool fencing that isolates the pool from the rest of the yard and the house. This fencing should meet Australian Standard AS 2812 and have a self-closing, self-latching gate. The building surveyor at your local council can help you with more details. Keep the gate and fence in good condition, and never leave climbable items against the fence.

You can take these steps to protect a child from drowning:

  • Always watch children near water. Always.
  • At bath time, take babies and young children with you if you must answer the phone or leave the room.
  • Ensure nappy buckets have a firm lid and are stored up high.
  • Empty paddling pools immediately after use.
  • Cover ponds with a fixed grill.

Burns and Scalds

Take these steps to protect children from burns:

  • Make sure your microwave oven is out of children’s reach. Turn it off at the power point if it is low.
  • Have a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket in the kitchen, or use a large pan lid to help smother small fires.
  • Use stove guards and curly cords on electric kettles to avoid children pulling down hot liquids.
  • Keep hot irons away from children. Put them up high to cool after use.
  • Keep matches and cigarette lighters out of reach of young children.
  • Control your bathroom hot water to 50°C. Ask your plumber for advice.
  • Fill the bath with cold water first, add the hot water and then a little more cold water to cool the tap. Put the child in last.
  • Install a smoke alarm on each floor of your home, and one in each child’s bedroom. These will warn you early that there is a fire, and give you time to get out safely.
  • Develop a fire escape plan with your family. Rehearse having to get out of your home. Make a game of it for children. Keep a torch by your bed.
  • Teach children to “STOP, DROP, ROLL” if their clothes catch fire, and “GET DOWN LOW AND GO” in case of a house fire.
  • Use place mats instead of tablecloths.
  • If your child is burned or scalded, cool the burn or scald immediately in or under cool running water for 10-20 minutes. Remove any clothing at once if you can. Clothes hold in heat and can cause a deeper burn or hide other burned areas.

Falls

Falls are the most common cause of injuries to children. Take these steps to make your home safe:

  • Steps and stairs should be well lit. Children should be able to reach light switches or else use night-lights.
  • Use gate barriers to keep young children away from steps, stairs and balcony rails.
  • Kidsafe advises against baby walkers. These are especially dangerous around hazards such as fireplaces or stairs.
  • Be aware that babies can roll off changing tables. Have everything you need to use close by when changing the baby. Always keep one hand on the baby.
  • Store toys for play down low so the children can reach them easily without having to climb.

Outside the Home

To make outside your home safe, take these steps:

  • Fence off safe play areas for children to keep them away from hazards like cars, driveways and pools.
  • Cut off sharp branches that hang at the child’s eye level.
  • Keep garages and sheds locked. Store tools, chemicals, climbing hazards, petrol and other fuels here.
  • Insist that children wear shoes when outside. Dress them in hats and use sunscreen.
  • It is difficult to see children when reversing, so always check around your car before driving off.
  • If you live on a farm, you will need to think about the particular hazards on your property.

Further Information

For more information on keeping your children safe, contact Kidsafe Queensland on (07) 3854 1829 or go to www.kidsafe.com.au.

The information above was provided by Kidsafe Queensland (Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia).