If you have a home with young children you are aware of the dangers within the home. The emergency room is full of cases that are preventable if the parents had paid particular attention to certain safety procedures. While it is true that the bumps and bruises are part of the growing up process, you do not want to have to deal with this all the time. It therefore behooves you to make sure that your house is safe for your children or any other children who may visit your home. Any personal injury lawyer Toronto will tell you that you are liable for any child within your home whether yours or not.
How To Keep Your Home Safe
So how can you make your home safe? Follow our tips below and keep your children safe.
Water
Do not leave buckets full of water and unattended. It takes a very short time for a child to drown if he or she loses balance and falls into the bucket headfirst.
Do not leave a child unattended in the bathtub and you use an anti-slip mat so that the child has support when bathing. Always keep toilet lids down and the bathroom doors closed.
If you have a pool or a hot tub, make sure it has a fence and a lockable gate so that the child cannot access it. If they’re playing in the pool always ensure that there’s someone watching them.
Fire and Burns
Do not let your children play with matches or be around the cooking area because of spillage from the cooking pots. Install smoke detectors in all the rooms so that you get an alert immediately a fire breaks out. Have a fire extinguisher within the home but in case of a fire outbreak your first instinct should be to run out and not try to put out the fire, especially if it is a big one.
If you’re a smoker do not share the room with a child because you can fall asleep with a lit cigarette that could cause a fire to break out. Keep flammable liquids away from the reach of children.
Turn the handle of the pot away from the edge of the cooker. Be careful about the temperature of the water if you are using it to bathe the child.
Electricals
Ensure that there are no exposed wires and keep electrical appliances away from the children especially in the bathroom.
Install plastic covers on all electrical outlets because children are prone to investigating things and they can stick their fingers into the electrical outlets.
Keep cords from appliances out of the children’s reach.
Choking Hazards and Poisons
Children can swallow small objects so keep them away from the child’s reach. Be careful about the kind of toys you buy because children explore using the mouth and can easily swallow the parts. Make sure that the caretakers have first aid training in case of choking.
Keep cleaning products and medicines in locked cabinets that the children cannot open.
Keep your home safe with these simple tips and you’ll avoid trips to the emergency rooms.