thisplace.com.au - Making Your Home Child-Resistant

Every day in Australia thousands of children require medical attention as a result of accidents round the home. Parental supervision combined with safety precautions can greatly reduce the risk of accidents and household injuries. Make sure you keep a First-Aid book handy and always have a list of emergency numbers close by the phone.

Below you will find some more tips for in and around the home

Fire/Electricity

the installation of an electrical safety switch is imperative for homes where young children either live or visit regularly - it is a life saving device which can be installed for around $200 by a licensed electrician - it will ensure the mains power is cut-off within a fraction of a second should a child tamper with electricity
install smoke detectors and regularly test batteries - also have a fire extinguisher and/or fire blanket in your home
use caps on all electricity outlets to prevent your child from shock hazards
never overload wall outlets or extension cords and don't use unsafe electrical equipment such as frayed or broken cords
use a licensed electrician for all repair jobs
place all lighters and matches out of reach and sight of children
store all flammables (paint, thinner, kerosene) in a locked shed

Burn/Scalds

don't allow young children to use the microwave oven - not all items can be safely used in a microwave
install a stove guard to prevent kids from inadvertently on the burners and pulling objects off the cook top
install anti-scald devices on faucets and install a bath tap cover
if you have a fireplace, install a proper screen/grill and fire-arresting devices
have your chimney professionally cleaned each year to ensure safe operation

Poisons

lock away all medications, cosmetics and cleaning products
choose products that have child resistant caps and packaging
make sure all other poisons are safely locked away (eg fertilisers, insecticides) and are also out of reach
install shelving in the bathroom so that shampoos, soaps and razors are not in the bath area
beware of certain types of plants around the home that could be poisonous if ingested - talk to your local nursery about what plants to avoid
keep rubbish bins covered or out of reach
if your child swallows poison do not try to make them vomit - pick up the poison's container and ring the Poison Information Centre, which has a 24 hour hotline on 131 126 - keep this number stored in your phone's speed dial

Other Tips

place a sound monitor in the child's bedroom
choose garage doors openers with automatic stopping devices - these will automatically re-open if they sense an obstruction
keep blind cords out of reach - toddlers can easily become entangled in cords so tie them up near the top of the blind
use gates to prevent kids from playing on stairs
make sure handrails and banisters are secure- banister rails should be no more than 100mm (4 inches apart) - larger openings permit children to place their head between rails and get injured
don't place furniture under windows- children love to climb
pool gates should be self closing
consider a fenced play area away from the driveway

Source: from the Building Services Authority, for more information log onto the BSA website