Blog - Nursery Talk

Safety in the home

Every year, over 2 million children are taken to a hospital after accidents and around half of these accidents happen at home. With the summer holidays just around the corner we have put together this handy guide to help prevent common accidents and keep your little ones safe:

Slips, trips and falls – remember to tidy the floor of toys and other objects regularly. As little ones start to toddle around it is important to remove or cushion furniture that has sharp edges or corners to avoid unnecessary bumps. Any furniture and tall kitchen appliance that are at risk from being pulled over should be secured to the wall.
Fit a safety gate at the top and bottom of stairs but make sure that they are taken down once children are two years old as they are able to climb and could fall!
Where possible try fit child resistant window restrictors but remember to make sure you can get out easily in an emergency.

Burns and scalds – keep small children out of the kitchen whenever possible! Never hold a hot drink and a child at the same time and put hot drinks out of reach and away from the edges of tables and worktops. Never leave young children alone in the bathroom. When running a bath turn the cold water on first and always test the water temperature with your elbow before letting a child get in.

Choking and strangulation – choose toys appropriate to the age of the child and ensure that small objects such as marbles and small toys are kept out of reach of children under three years old. Encourage older children to keep their toys away from their younger playmates. Pull cords on curtains and blinds in all rooms should be kept short and kept out of reach.

Poison prevention – children are naturally curious so it’s vital to be vigilant around everyday household liquids. Keep medicines and chemicals out of sight and reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard and wherever possible, buy products in child resistant containers.

Garden safety – when the sun comes out we all spend more time in the garden. Ensure that all tools, paint and chemicals are kept safely out of the reach of children. Remember some plants and berries are poisonous or can cause an allergic reaction so avoid buying and planting these if possible. Take special care when visiting other people’s gardens as they might not be as childproof as your own.

Water safety – children can drown in less than 3cm of water. They should be under constant supervision when in or near any water including baths, paddling pools and ponds.