About 2−1/2 million children are injured or killed by
hazards in the home each year. The good news is that
many of these incidents can be prevented by using
simple child safety devices on the market today.
You can childproof your home for a fraction of what it
would cost to have a professional do it. And safety
devices are easy to find. You can buy them at hardware
stores, baby equipment shops, supermarkets, drug
stores, home and linen stores, and through mail order
catalogues.
Here are some child safety devices that can help prevent
many injuries to young children. The red numbers
correspond to those on the image following the text.
1. Use Safety Latches and Locks for cabinets and
drawers in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas to help
prevent poisonings and other injuries. Safety latches and
locks on cabinets and drawers can help prevent children
from gaining access to medicines and household
cleaners, as well as knives and other sharp objects.
Look for safety latches and locks that adults can easily
install and use, but are sturdy enough to withstand pulls
and tugs from children. Safety latches are not a
guarantee of protection, but they can make it more
difficult for children to reach dangerous substances.
Typical cost of a safety latch or lock: less than $2.
2. Use Safety Gates to help prevent falls down stairs and
to keep children away from dangerous areas. Safety
gates can help keep children away from stairs or rooms
that have hazards in them. Look for safety gates that
children cannot dislodge easily, but that adults can open
and close without difficulty. For the top of stairs, gates
that screw to the wall are more secure than "pressure
gates."
Typical cost of a safety gate: $13 to $40.
3. Use Door Knob Covers and Door Locks to help prevent
children from entering rooms and other areas with
possible dangers. Door knob covers and door locks can
help keep children away from places with hazards,
including swimming pools.
Be sure the door knob cover is sturdy enough not to
break, but allows a door to be opened quickly by an adult
in case of emergency. By restricting access to potentially
hazardous rooms in the home, door knob covers could
help prevent many kinds of injuries.
Typical cost of a door knob cover: $1 and door lock: $5
and up.
4. Use Anti−Scald Devices for faucets and shower heads
and set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees
Fahrenheit to help prevent burns from hot water.
Anti−scald devices for regulating water temperature can
help prevent burns.
Typical cost of an anti−scald device: $6 to $30.
5. Use Smoke Detectors on every level of your home and
near bedrooms to alert you to fires. Smoke detectors are
essential safety devices for protection against fire deaths
and injuries.
Check smoke detectors once a month to make sure
they're working. If detectors are battery−operated,
change batteries at least once a year or consider using
10−year batteries.
Typical cost of a smoke detector: less than $10.
6. Use Window Guards and Safety Netting to help
prevent falls from windows, balconies, decks, and
landings. Window guards and safety netting for balconies
and decks can help prevent serious falls.
Typical cost of a window guard or safety netting: $8 to
$16.
7. Use Corner and Edge Bumpers to help prevent injuries
from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces.
Corner and edge bumpers can be used with furniture and
fireplace hearths to help prevent injuries from falls or to
soften falls against sharp or rough edges.
Typical cost of a corner and edge bumper: $1 and up.
8. Use Outlet Covers and Outlet Plates to help prevent
electrocution. Outlet covers and outlet plates can help
protect children from electrical shock and possible
electrocution.
Be sure the outlet protectors cannot be easily removed by
children and are large enough so that children cannot
choke on them.
Typical cost of an outlet cover: less than $2.
9. Use a Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector outside
bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning. A carbon
monoxide (CO) detector can help prevent CO poisoning.
Consumers should install CO detectors near sleeping
areas in their homes. Households that should use CO
detectors include those with gas or oil heat or with
attached garages.
Typical cost of a carbon monoxide (CO) detector: $30 to
$70.
10. Cut Window Blind Cords; use Safety Tassels and
Inner Cord Stops to help prevent children from strangling
in blind cord loops. Window blind cord safety tassels on
miniblinds and tension devices on vertical blinds and
drapery cords can help prevent deaths and injuries from
strangulation in the loops of cords. Inner cord stops can
help prevent strangulation in the inner cords of window
blinds.
For older miniblinds, cut the cord loop, remove the
buckle, and put safety tassels on each cord. Be sure that
older vertical blinds and drapery cords have tension or
tie−down devices to hold the cords tight. When buying
new miniblinds, verticals, and draperies, ask for safety
features to prevent child strangulation.
11. Use Door Stops and Door Holders to help prevent
injuries to fingers and hands. Door stops and door
holders on doors and door hinges can help prevent small
fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors
and door hinges.
Typical cost of a door stop and door holder: less than $4.
12. Use a Cordless Phone to make it easier to
continuously watch young children, especially when
they're in bathtubs, swimming pools, or other potentially
dangerous areas.
Cordless phones help you watch your child continuously,
without leaving the vicinity to answer a phone call.
Cordless phones are especially helpful when children are
in or near water, whether it's the bathtub, the swimming
pool, or the beach.
Typical cost of a cordless phone: $30 and up.
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