Preventing Accidents in the
Home
From a young age we are taught by our parents to look
both ways before crossing the road. In turn we repeat
those words of wisdom to our children. However, this
principle doesn't apply only to children or only to
crossing roads. This principle not only will prevent
road accidents, but can also be applied to the home and
prevent accidents there. How so? When children are
taught to look both ways before crossing the road they
are actually being trained to see accident traps. As
children grow up and become parents themselves, they
need to be well trained to see accident traps in the
home. The following is a list of some ways to prevent
young children from being hurt in the home:
1. Make sure that all electrical outlets are properly
covered, especially those within reach of little ones.
Throw away frayed electrical cords.
2. Do not allow young ones to play with matches,
lighters, broken or other pieces of glass, or anything
else that has sharp edges such as knives or scissors.
3. Do not permit them to play with toys that, if
broken, will make pieces that can inflict cuts or choke
the child.
4. Place pots and pans on the stove so that the
handles are pointing toward the center of the stove.
5. Medicine, detergents, alcohol, aerosol sprays, and
any other hazardous chemicals should be kept out of the
child's reach in an out of the way place. Never place
such in bottles that would normally be used for drinking
or cooking purposes.
6. Make sure that all sinks, bathtubs, and washing
tanks are firmly attached to the wall so that they
cannot be easily tipped over by the child.
7. When cleaning or polishing the floor, avoid using
naphtha, gasoline, or other flammable liquids. A spark
from the polisher may set the fumes on fire.
8. Make sure that there are no poisonous plants in
the home.
9. If you have to have firearms in the home make sure
they are unloaded, locked up somewhere, and when you
take them out, handle them with extreme care. Best not
the keep firearms in the home.
10. Prevent young ones from falling out of a window
or down stairs by installing a grate, a gate, or a bar.
Remove any obstacles, keep the floor in good repair. If
you polish the floor and place carpeting on top, make
sure the carpet is fastened down. This way the carpet
will not slide if someone runs across it.
11. Drape cords should be out of reach of children.
12. Keep at least one fire extinguisher in the home
and make sure that anyone of responsible age knows how
to use it.
13. Never leave a child in a bathtub unsupervised.
Keep electrical appliances, such as the radio, away from
the bath tub or sink.
14. When you warm up a child's food in the microwave
remember that it can get hot very quickly, even though
the container may be just lukewarm.
15. Keep children at a safe distance from a hot
barbecue grill.
16. Make sure the child knows never to run underneath
a moving garage door.
17. Your iron, including its cord, should be kept out
of reach of the child.
If your child has a toy chest, ensure that it is
equipped with air holes and hinges that prevent it from
dropping all at once.
18. Make sure the smoke detectors in your home are
clean and checked regularly. Replace the batteries once
a year.
19. Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home.
Have your furnace checked from time to time for carbon
monoxide leaks. If this list of the key hazard
preventions is followed then the home can truly be a
haven for the parents and especially for the children.
Remember the principle of looking both ways before
crossing the road. It is impossible to list every
conceivable accident in an article such as this one, but
if we keep that principle in mind then we can be trained
to see accident traps and thus take the necessary
preventive measures.
