Safety – Child proofing at home

Child proofing basics Around the house ‐ ♥ Check for fire hazards. Never run electrical cords under rugs. ♥ Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs to keep infants and toddlers out of harm’s way. ♥ Cover all unused electrical outlets. ♥ Install window guards on all windows that are not emergency exits. ♥ Secure bookcases, shelving, and heavy furniture to walls with brackets and anchors. Avoid using pedestal tables to hold heavy items. Supervise children and toddlers at all times around furniture. ♥ Install smoke detectors on every level. Install carbon monoxide detectors in every sleeping area and check batteries often. Exposure to even low levels of this poisonous gas can be fatal to a small child.

In each area you visit, Rover will give you important safety tips. For the five hazards circled above, Rover says: • Keep newspapers and other items that could catch fire away from the fireplace • Don’t overload electrical sockets—too many plugs in one outlet could cause a fire • Keep toys off of stairs AND out of walkways to help prevent falls • Keep toys with small parts away from younger kids who could choke on the pieces

Firearm Safety Guns kill more that 10 children every day. Adults need to teach children that guns are not toys and must not be handled by children.

Child Proofing basics In the kitchen: ♥ Keep hot foods and liquids away from young children. ♥ Use the back burners on the stove and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. ♥ Keep glassware, knives, appliance cords, placemats and tablecloths out of reach and away from the edge of counters and tables.

• Make sure pot handles are turned away from stove’s edge—they can be knocked off the stove and burn somebody • Do not touch poisons or cleaning supplies—they contain chemicals that can be dangerous

Child proofing basics In the bathroom: ♥ Set the thermostat of your hot water heater no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to reduce the chance of scald burns. It takes just three seconds for a child to sustain a third degree burn from water at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. ♥ Lock medicine cabinets. Even items as seemingly harmless as iron pills and mouthwash can be dangerous for a young child. ♥ Request child‐resistant packaging, but keep in mind that child‐resistant containers are not childproof. ♥ Install toilet locks.

• Lock medicines in cabinets away from children; they can hurt you if not taken properly • Keep electrical items away from water and unplugged—they can cause dangerous shocks • Wet floors can be dangerous because they can cause falls; use non-slip bath mats inside and outside of the tub to prevent falls

Bathing Children Safely Is it safe to leave a child alone in the bathtub?

Child proofing basics In the bedroom: ♥ Beware of old cribs. Sharp edges, corner post protrusions and dangerously spaced slats can be deadly. ♥ Keep cribs and low‐standing furniture (beds, bookshelves, toy boxes, chairs) away from windows, preferably against another wall. ♥ Infants and toddlers can pull on inner or “lift” cords of window blinds creating loops large enough to pull around their necks and strangle. Always lock blinds whether they are up or down. ♥ Make sure that your home has working smoke alarms in every sleeping area.

Making Cribs and Beds Safe Why should all stuffed animals and fluffy blankets, and pillows be removed from the crib when child is sleeping?

Child proofing basics ♥ Keep first aid supplies on hand. ♥ Post emergency phone numbers by the telephone.