How to Keep Children Safe at Home
As a loving parent, you’ll naturally want to keep children safe at home. However, this can be easier said than done. Children are naturally curious about the world around them. And as they explore, learn, and grow, the home is often where they do this the most. Unfortunately, for an inquisitive child, even everyday household items can pose significant health risks.
Then, of course, there are other threats they can be exposed to, including the risk of fires and home invasion. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to ensure you and your family live in a safe and secure environment. Here are eight initial measures you should implement.
1. Install Security Systems
Sadly, around 195,000 homes get burgled or broken into every year in Australia.
This can have traumatic effects on children, particularly if they see the intruder. So, it is important to take steps to prevent unwanted individuals from entering your property. Some good ways to do this include putting double-lock keyholes, chains, lock bolts or a keypad entry on all of your external doors.
You should also consider putting smart technology solutions like CCTV, video doorbells, burglar alarms and motion sensor lighting around your home to further safeguard it. Additionally, your property should be ringed by fencing, which not only adds an extra layer of protection from intruders but also shields against snakes or aggressive dogs.
2. Fit smoke alarms throughout your home
Every year, over 17,000 Aussie homes experience a house fire, many of which have fatal consequences. To give yourself the best chance of dealing with such a situation when it arises – especially if you are sleeping at the time – it is important to install smoke alarms in every room and floor of your home. Doing so better detects and warns you of toxic smoke and dangerous fires in your home. Just make sure you get them fitted to code by a qualified professional and tested on a regular basis.
It is also a sensible idea to have fire extinguishers located at easy-to-access spots around your home to help you neutralize a fire before it turns into a blaze, or you can also opt for a fire sprinkler system installation for added fire protection.
3. Lock away dangerous substances
Most households in Australia keep a range of dangerous liquids and gasses. This includes the likes of petrol for lawnmowers, paint thinner, aerosols, linseed oil, kerosene and polishes, which have the potential to be flammable in worst-case scenarios or deadly if ingested.
For this reason, it is important to store them in safety cabinets that can prevent your children from accessing them and reduce the risk of further damage being done to your home if fire comes into contact with them.
4. Put your tools away
If you are into home renovations and DIY, there is a good chance you will have a number of power tools, such as nailers, drills, saws, impact wrenches and angle grinders, as part of your collection of tools.
As necessary as these tools are to help you work as efficiently as possible, they can also present a significant danger to children who could injure themselves if their curiosity gets the better of them. For this reason, it is vitally important that you put these tools away in a lockable cabinet or toolbox when you are not using them to ensure your children can’t access them.
5. Safely store cleaning products and medicines
In addition to the many dangerous substances and chemicals kept at home, there are usually plenty of medicines and general household cleaning products, such as detergents, bleach and toiletries, around the house, too.
It is important to put these items out of reach of your curious children. Otherwise, the potential for harm is great if they ingest or otherwise come into contact with them. Here are some of the risks associated with the improper use of bleach.
6. Electrical Outlet Covers
While electrical outlets power our household appliances, many of the ones that aren’t being used are at an accessible height for most young children. This can make them a very interesting proposition to curious minds and fingers, which can result in potentially dangerous situations.
For this reason, you should always use outlet covers or plates to prevent children from inserting objects into the sockets. Additionally, you should avoid plugging multiple appliances into a single outlet and teach your children at a young age why electrical outlets are off-limits.
7. Anchor Heavy Furniture and Appliances
Children love to climb, and large pieces of furniture, such as bookshelves, dressers, or triple bunk beds can be prime targets. However, if they are not anchored down, they can easily tip over if climbed on or pulled at, which can cause them serious injury. Therefore, you should use furniture anchors or straps to ensure these heavy items are secured to the wall.
At the same time, avoid placing tempting items (like toys) on top of furniture items, as this will naturally result in your kids wanting to access them.
