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2/2/22 blog post

safety at home: a room by room guide to protecting your child

Injuries can happen fast, especially around the house

Home Safety Room by Room  

Injuries can happen fast, especially around the house.  “Young children under age 5 make up the majority of injuries seen around the home,” says Abbey Pettiford, injury prevention coordinator.  “These injuries tend to happen quickly and can be prevented by taking a few simple steps around the house.”  

Common home injuries include:  

  • Burns 

  • Unintentional ingestions  

  • Falls   

  • Struck by an object 

  • Strangulation and Suffocation 

Dayton Children’s has tips to keep kids safe in every room of the house.   

 

Living room: 

  • Secure TVs and furniture to walls to avoid tip-overs 

  • Discuss fall risks around decks, windows and stairs with children, use gates to prevent falls for young children, pay special attention to features that are new to your child  

  • Use outlet covers, cabinet locks and other child-proofing devices 

Bathroom and laundry room  

  • Keep all medications, chemicals, and alcohol out of your children’s reach 

  • Keep all chemicals and cleaning products in their original containers 

  •  Properly dispose of medications and chemicals you no longer need   

  • Give young children your full and undivided attention when they are in the bathtub or around water 

  • Make a list of emergency phone numbers and place near a phone, include poison control 1-800-222-1222 

Kitchen  

  • Warn children of potential causes of burns (scolding hot water, food, steam, open flames)   

  • Store sharp objects or breakables out of reach of children 

  • Turn pot handles on the stove inward or on back burners where your children cannot reach them  

  • Unplug all appliances and turn off oven when not in use 

  • Install and check smoke alarms regularly 

Bedroom 

  • Attach screens to windows, or use window locks to prevent falls 

  • Check toys to make sure there aren’t any small parts that could cause a child to choke 

  • Follow the ABC’s of safe sleep, babies should sleep alone, on their backs and in a crib  

Garage and shed 

  • Keep tools up or away from children  

  • Never leave a grill unattended while cooking, keep young children away from the grill  

  • If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting. Don’t leave a car, SUV or motorcycle engine running inside a garage, even if the doors are open 

Check out the Make Safe Happen App to learn more about how to keep kids safe around the house.   

Do you have questions or concerns about keeping your children safe around the house?  Ask them here!