Infants & Toddlers
If you have an infant; does the crib mattress fit snuggly against the railing and are the slats less then 2 3/8" apart? These kinds of small openings can cause spaces that infants can get stuck in and suffocate. Remember also, that toasty warm waterbeds and big ol' comfy bean bag chairs can be very dangerous, as infants cannot raise their heads to breathe.
A very determined toddler will be motoring around faster then you can keep up, in no time at all. It's a good idea to tour your house from their prespective... on your hands and knees! See what can be pulled down, pushed over, opened and closed and all the neat little holes their fingers will fit into, then you will be better prepared to prevent any future boo boos, crashes and zaps!
Let's not forget how toddlers love to play games. On a rainy day what better game to play than 'hide and seek.' Do you have "great" hiding places such as, dryers, fridges, freezers? Safety latches can be bought for the appliances you use. Appliances that are no longer in use should be chained and/or locked shut or the doors should be completely removed. These pre-cautions will prevent a child from serious harm or worse while playing a favorite game.
Around the Home
Each year, more children die in home accidents then from all childhood diseases combined. Watch your children as they play--nothing can substitute for careful supervision.
Know where the 'danger' items are--medicine, bleaches, oven and drain cleaners, paint and paint solvants, polishes and waxes. Lock them up... high up. Look for items with child resistant packing and child proof clips for your cupboard doors.
Keep thin plastic wrapping materials, such as dry cleaning bags, produce bags, trash bags and saran wrap away from the kids. NEVER use thin plastic material to cover mattresses or pillows-- it can cling to a child's face and suffocate them.
Guard against electrical shocks. Cover un-used outlets with safety caps. Disconnect electric rollers, hairdryers, curling irons; not only can they get burned, some children have been electrocuted when these items have fallen into bathroom sinks and tubs.
Keep children away from open windows. Avoid placing furniture near windows to keep kids from climbing to a window seat or sill. REMEMBER: Window screens keep insects out, not children in.
TOO MANY children are killed every year by guns. Senseless and preventable 'accidents' that happened in their own homes. Keep your guns locked up and un-loaded. Ammo should be kept in a separate place, also locked up. If you don't have a gun, chances are your child will visit a home that has guns. Your best defense is to educate your child well about the dangers of guns and teach them; DON'T TOUCH IT: GO AWAY FROM IT: TELL AN ADULT.
Around the Neighbourhood
Knowing your neighbours and your neighbourhood will be a big help in the safety of your children.
A Block Parent Association is an ideal place to start. All members are screened by the local police department to ensure the safety of your children and your peace of mind. Teach your child to know the signs and where to look for them, so if there is a time when they need help they know where they can go safely.
A neighbourhood that is decorated with Block Parent or Neighbourhood Watch signs will discourage un-wanted visitors, making it a safer place for your children to play.
Ensure your child knows their phone number and their address. Do NOT place their names or other personal information in a visible place, for example, outer clothing, lunch pails or individually named on the family plaque.
Playground Safety
Is the playground that your child plays at safe? Have you even thought about it? Here is a checklist that will help you determine if the playground is safe or not. If you mark any of the steps, speak with the school or the park official to correct these hazards.
- Protective surfacing - The surfaces under and around play equipment should be soft enough to cushion falls. For most play equipment, these surfaces should contain a minimum of 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel.
- Fall zones - To cushion a fall, the shock absorbing material should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions from stationary pieces of play equipment. In front of and behind swings, the material should extend a distance equal to the height of the suspending bar.
- Equipment spacing - Play structures should be spaced at least 12 feet apart to allow children space to circulate or fall without striking another structure. Moving pieces of equipment should be located in an area away from other play structures so children have adequate room to pass from one play area to another without being struck by a moving swing or by another child exiting from a slide.
- Catch points and protruding hardware - There should be no dangerous pieces of hardware, such as protruding bolt ends and narrow gaps in metal connections or open 's' hooks at the top and bottom of swings. Exposed hardware can cut children, puncture skin, or catch clothing drawstrings, which could strangle a child.
- Openings that can trap - Openings in guardrails, and spaces between platforms and between ladder rungs, should measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches. Children can get trapped and strangle in openings where they can fit their bodies but not their heads through the space.
- Pinch, crush, shearing and sharp hazards - Equipment should not have any sharps edges that can jab poke or cut your children. Moving pieces of equipment should not have any accessible moving parts that might crush or pinch your child's fingers.
- Tripping hazards - There should be no exposed concrete footings, abrupt changes in surface elements, tree roots, tree stumps, and rocks that can trip people.
- Guardrails - There should be guard rails on any elevated surface to prevent the child from falling off.
- Routine maintenance - Find out if your playground has a designated official who inspects the equipment on a regular basis. This would include maintenance and preventive maintenance.
- Supervision - Is your playground designed so that adults can observe children playing?
Awareness Tips
Children like to play cops and robbers, but it's always best to leave the crime-fighting to the professionals. What should you do if you catch someone in the act of a crime, stumble across evidence of a crime, or witness suspicious activity?
Here are some things to keep in mind.
- No matter the crime or the emergency, call the police first. Do not try to deal with the situation yourself-wait until the police arrive. Keep the phone number of the police department by the phone, and remember the 911 emergency line.
- Call 911 only for true emergencies: homicide, assault, robbery, burglary, gun shots, person with a weapon, police officer in trouble, suspicious person or vehicle, fire or explosion, and other serious accidents, as well as for fire and medical emergencies.For other non-emergency situations-such as vandalism, unnecessary noise, loose dogs and reporting lost property -- call the regular police line.
- When you call the police, identify yourself by name and address first, then describe the nature of the crime or activity and the exact location. Crimes in progress receive first priority.
- Stay in contact with the police dispatcher until they have all the necessary information. While you're relaying the information, police help has already been sent to the scene of the emergency. Additional information helps the police determine the emergency response requirements, such as more cars or special equipment.
- If you return to your home or car and see possible evidence of a break-in, such as a broken window, don't even wait to see if you're right. Leave the scene and call the police. Sure, someone may have just thrown a rock through your window -- but it's also possible that a burglar is still inside the home.
- Being a good neighbour and responsible citizen means keeping an eye out for suspicious activity: strangers lurking on the street or in the hallway, or cars watching a convenience store or bank machine. Be alert to signs that someone is "staking out" the area for a robbery or burglary, such as ringing the doorbell at one house after another, or behaving oddly at the door.
- When in doubt about suspicious noises or someone's behavior, be safe, not sorry -- call the police. Someone who needs help may not be in the position to call for it.
Holiday Season Safety Tips
As the holiday season approaches, we are all looking forward to special gatherings with friends and loved ones. Our homes will be decorated to enhance the atmosphere of the holidays. Holiday decorations can be joyful but also dangerous if improperly used, especially for children. Every year thousands of needless injuries and deaths are caused by decorations. Some caution and planning while decorating will help you avoid tragedy during the upcoming holiday season.
TREES: Buy a fresh Christmas tree. If the needles are already falling off, the tree is too dry and should not be purchased. The most important safety factor is freshness. The higher the moisture content the less likely it is to dry out and become a fire hazard. Check for freshness by examining the needles. Bend them between your fingers. They shouldn't break. Tap the tree gently on a firm surface, if many needles fall off, the tree is too dry. Do not rely on the tree colour, many are sprayed green. Once a tree is selected, leave it outside until it is time to decorate it. To keep your tree fresh longer, cut off two inches of the trunk and make sure the tree is securely fastened in a sturdy holder filled with water and water it regularly. Locate the tree away from fireplaces, wall furnaces and other heat sources. Do not block stairs or doorways. Dispose of the tree when needles begin to fall off in large quantities. Christmas lights should always be turned off when no one is home or whenever everyone has retired for the evening.
Artificial trees should bear the CSA label. Never use electric lights on metal trees. To avoid electric shock on metal trees, use coloured spotlights securely mounted above or below the tree, never fastened directly on it. When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly. As with natural trees, keep away from heat sources.
HOLIDAY LIGHTING: Use only CSA approved lighting. Inspect electric lights for broken or cracked sockets and frayed wires, replace if necessary. Do not use indoor lights outdoors or visa-versa. Do not overload extension cords, and do not connect more than three sets of lights to one cord. Outlets should be readily accessible for quick disconnection if necessary. Never use lighted candles on or near a tree or other decorations. All lights should be securely fastened to the tree. No bulbs should come in contact with needles or branches.
Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores). Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire. Outdoor lights should be weatherproof and clearly identified as designed for outdoor use. Remove outdoor lighting as soon as the season is over. Even these lights are not designed to withstand prolonged exposure to the elements.
POISONOUS DECORATIONS: Beware of toxic decorations. Mistletoe and holly berries may be poisonous if more than a few are swallowed. Old tinsel may contain lead. Discard old tinsel if you are not sure of its composition. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children. Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. If your child consumes any of these possibly hazardous substances, immediately call your physician or the Poison Control Centre.
TREE ORNAMENTS AND TRIMMINGS: In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them. Avoid placing small or breakable ornaments on lower branches where children or pets can reach them and knock them off. Every year many children are treated for cuts from broken ornaments, or from swallowing broken pieces and small parts.
FIREPLACES: Fireplaces are very popular during the holidays. Before starting a fire, remove all decorations from the area and be sure that the flu is open. Do not burn wrappings or evergreen boughs. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely. Safely dispose of wrapping paper with your normal trash collection. Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.
Residential fires during the holiday season are especially tragic. Celebration and joy can quickly turn to sorrow and anguish because basic fire safety guidelines were neglected. "It can happen to you," so be careful and have a safe and carefree holiday season.
Protecting Your Child
The biggest responsibility for parents is the protection of their children.
The most important key to child safety is effective communication with your child. Remember, children who are not listened to or who do not have their needs met in the home are more vulnerable to abduction or exploitation.
The first step you should take is to establish an atmosphere in the home in which your child feels truly comfortable in discussing sensitive matters and in relating experiences in which someone may have approached the child in an inappropriate manner or in a way that made the child uncomfortable. The simple truth is that children are often too afraid or too confused to report their experiences and their fears.
In some ways, you should treat your children as you would your adult friendsÑallow them to speak freely about their likes and dislikes, their friends and their true feelings.
Unfortunately, the rising awareness of crimes against children has left many families with a real sense of fear. You and your child need to be careful, but you do not need to be afraid. Talk to your child in a calm and reasonable manner, being careful not to discuss the frightening details of what might happen to a child who does not follow the safety guidelines.
What can you do to prevent child abduction?
- Know where your children are at all times. Be familiar with their friends, their friend's parents, lifestyles and daily activities. If your child is stay after school, or going to the park a lot, double check and make sure that is really happening. Build a trust.
- Keep current photos of your children on hand always. Make a habit if taking new pictures at least once a year.
- Be sensitive to changes in your child's behaviour, it could be a signal to you that you should sit down and talk to your child about what has caused those changes.
- Be alert to a teenager or adult who is paying unusual amount of attention to your children or giving them inappropriate or expensive gifts. Also, be aware of cars, vans and adults hanging around parks, schools, etc. If necessary, write down license numbers, descriptions. Pass on to the police just to double check.
- Teach your child to trust their feelings (their "funny feelings"), and assure them that they have the right to say no to what they feel is wrong.
- Teach you child that no one would approach them or touch them in a way that makes them fell uncomfortable. If someone does, they should tell their parents immediately.
- Be careful about babysitters, daycare centers, and any other individuals or agencies who have temporary custody of your children. Check them out and get referrals.
- Most importantly, make your home a place of trust and support that fulfills your child's needs, so that he or she won't seek love and support from someone else.
Preventing Childhood Poisoning
Most people regard their home as a safe haven, a calming oasis in an often-stormy world.
But your home can be a dangerous place when it comes to accidental poisoning, especially accidental poisoning of your children. One tablet of some medicines can wreak havoc in or kill your child.
Childhood poisoning caused by accidental overdoses of iron-containing supplements are the biggest concern of poison control experts, consumer protection groups, and health care providers. Iron-containing supplements are the leading cause of pediatric poisoning deaths for children under 6.
FDA is taking steps to protect children from iron poisoning by proposing regulations what Willamette it harder for small children to gain access to high-potency iron products. (30 milligrams of iron or more per tablet). FDA is also taking steps to ensure that health-care providers and consumers are alerted to the dangers associated with accidental overdoses of iron-containing products, including pediatric multi-vitamin supplements that contain iron.
Although iron poisoning is the biggest concern when it comes to childhood poisoning, there is also concern about other drugs.
Over-the-counter diet pills have the potential to be lethal to children, as do OTC stimulants used to keep you awake and decongestant tablets. Pediatric vitamins are also a cause for concern because they are marketed to look like candy or cartoons and it does not seem like medicine.
Lastly, children often mimic their parents and want to do as they do, so those who watch their parents take pills may also want to do so with potentially fatal results.
Poison Proofing Your Home
Poison proofing your home is the key to preventing childhood poisonings. In the case of iron-containing pills or medication:
- Always close the container as soon as you've finished using it. Properly secure the child-resistant packing, and put it away immediately in a place where children can't reach it.
- Keep pills in their original container.
- Keep iron-containing tablets, and all medicines, out of reachÑand out of sightÑof children.
- Never keep medicines on a counter top or bedside table.
- Follow medicine label directions carefully to avoid accidental overdoses or misdoses that could result in accidental poisoning.
For other substances, but the least hazardous products that will serve your purposes. When buying art supplies, for example, look for products that are safe for children. For hazardous products such as gasoline, kerosene, and paint thinners that are often kept on hand indefinitely, but only as much as you need and safely get rid of what you don't use. Never transfer these substances to other containers. People often use cups, soft-drink bottles, or milk cartons to store leftover paint thinner or turpentine. This is a bad idea because children associate cups and bottles with food and drink.
The kitchen and bathroom are the most likely unsafe areas. Medicines should never be stored in the bathroom for another reason: a bathroom's warm, moist environment tends to cause changes or disintegration of the products. Any cabinet containing a potentially poisonous item should be locked.
"Child-resistant" are child-resistant NOT child-proof. The legal definition for child-resistant is that it takes more than five minutes for 80% of 5 year olds to get into it: that means that 20% can get in in less time! Kids are inventive, and can often figure it out.
Alcohol can cause drunkenness as well as serious poisoning leading to seizures, coma and even death in young children. Children are more sensitive to the toxic effects of alcohol then adults are, and it doesn't take much alcohol to produce such effects. Alcohol-laced products, such as some mouthwashes, aftershaves or colognes can cause the same problems.
In the living room or family room, know your plants and their poison potential. Although most house plants are not poisonous, some are. Plants have a high capacity for making you sick, but are usually low risk for life-threatening symptoms. To be on safe side, keep house plants out of the reach of children.
Signs of Poisoning
How can you tell it your child has ingested something poisonous? Most poisons, with the exception of lead, work fairly quickly. A key is when the child was otherwise well and in a space of hours develops unusual symptoms: They can't follow you with their eyes, they are sleepy before it's their nap time, their eyes go in circles. Any unusual or new symptoms should make you think of poisoning as a possibility. Poisons typically affect the stomach and central nervous system. If a child suddenly throws up, that can be more difficult to diagnose.
Other signs of poison ingestion can be burns around the lips or mouth, stains of the substance around the child's mouth, or the smell of a child's breath. Suspect a possible poisoning if you find an opened or spilled bottle of pills.
If you suspect poisoning, remain calm. For medicines, call the nearest poison control center or you doctor. For household chemical ingestion, follow first-aid instructions on the label, and then call the poison control center or your doctor. When you call, tell them your child's age, height, and weight, existing health conditions, as much as you know about the substance involved, the exposure route (swallowed? inhaled? splashed in the eyes?) and if your child has vomited. If you know what substance the child has ingested, take the remaining solution or bottle with you to the phone when you call.
