Do you trust child accident prevention to fate? Then THINK! first and prevent accidents within the home and elsewhere.
Should the worst happen you may want to speak to a legal specialist about the possibility of making an accident claim.
Insure against your child having an accident by following some of this advice and child safety tips.
Child accident and toddler danger UK statistics show that falls are the most widespread accidents amongst children. The second most common accidents amongst children occur when they bump into people, things or are hurt by falling objects. Burns and scalds occur as the third most common, mostly from hot drinks and hot water from a kettle. Poisonings from medicines, garden and household chemicals are the fourth most frequent accidents within the home.
See “A Dangerous Day on the Farm”.
Children's accidents are a major health problem throughout the UK.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents death amongst children is caused the most by accidental injuries over the age of one.
Avoid these tragedies by applying a little thought and care for your toddler's health.
See “The Dangerous Pirate Treasure”.
Some safety tips for child proofing your house and general toddler advice:
First of all, it is not a bad idea to get down on all fours and scan the house at this level. This is what a young child sees and may reveal hidden dangers that are not always obvious to an adult.
Use covers on electrical sockets and locks on cabinets.
Set the temperature of your hot water heater to 60 degrees to prevent possible scalds.
Prevent poisoning by keeping household cleaners, chemicals and medicines completely out of reach and always store them in their original container. Preferably, do not store them under the sink where an inquisitive child might find them.
As well as keeping all medicines out of reach of children, seemlingly harmless vitamin and iron pills can cause poisoning. See “The Deadly Sweet Cupboard”
Secure large pieces of furniture that might tip over.
Use stair gates and window guards for toddler safety.
Install smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in the house. Also, invest in a fire blanket, especially for fat fryers.
Buy flame retardant or flame resistant furniture.
Remove furniture with sharp edges or apply some soft padding.
Arts and crafts are always popular with children. Please note that some glues are not healthy to be inhaled and may be highly imflammable.
Never leave an iron on unattended. A child might trip over the lead and be injured by a falling, hot iron.
Use nonskid backing on rugs and make sure carpets are secured.
Remove breakables and sharp objects from low tables and shelves.
Remove small toys and other choking hazards from around your child.
Tie blind and curtain cords out of reach.
Do not carry hot liquids near your child. Do not allow your child near stoves, heaters or other hot appliances. When cooking, use the back burners and turn pot handles inward. Never leave a hot drink balanced on the edge of a table or radiator. A hot drink remains potentially damaging up to 15 minutes until it has cooled down enough.
Moth balls can be a great danger for young children. Apart from the possibility of them being swallowed they can cause irritation of the eyes, the nose, and the lungs. During a long time exposure they are known to cause many very serious illnesses.
To prevent drowning, empty all water from baths and keep the door to the bathroom closed. Never leave your child alone near any container of water or garden pond.
Always keep your eye on young children near a swimming pool. A young child can drown in only a few inches of water.
Keep a list of emergency, doctors, police and ambulance numbers near your phone.
Also keep a map reference code available to inform the emergency services of your address, especially if you live in an isolated spot in the country.
Do not allow your young children into an unsafe room.
Go on a local first aid course and learn what to do in an
emergency and how to save a life.
