Child safety in the home

Child proof your home - Tips from AA Home Insurance

• Place childproof covers on your electrical outlets.
• Keep your hallways and doorways well lit and free from obstructions.
• Shorten cords on window blinds or use cord wind up devices to prevent strangulation hazards.
• Keep windows and doors locked to prevent your children from attempting to climb out or catch their small fingers.
• When you do open windows make sure they have a lock fitted so that they can’t open anymore than 10cm.
• Put decorations on sliding glass doors so that they know not to crawl or run into them.
• Put safety gates at the top and bottom of stairways and keep your stairs free from anything that is likely to be a trip hazard.
• Make sure that bleach, cleaning agents, medication and other dangerous chemicals have child proof caps and are kept out of reach of children or in a locked cupboard.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers in the house and use flame retardant sleepwear.
• Remove furniture with sharp edges or use soft guards.
• Consider using a wall anchor for the cooker and large pieces of furniture that cannot tip over.
• Use non-skid backing on rugs and make sure carpets are securely tacked down.
• Remove breakables from low tables and shelves.
• Don’t carry hot liquids or food near your child and don’t allow your child near cookers, heaters or other hot appliances (especially curling irons). When cooking, use the back burners and turn pot handles inward.
• Lock rooms that are not child proof.
• Lock garden sheds and garages laden with sharp objects and hazardous substances.