Safe Kids Clark County News Articles

Written on Tuesday, March 1st, 2005


Childproof Your Home To Make It Safe

Each year more than 2,000 children, mostly ages 4 and under, die from unintentional injuries in the home, and 4.5 million kids are treated in emergency rooms for unintentional injuries occurring at home. Most fatal injuries at home are caused by fire or heat sources, drowning, suffocation, choking, poisoning, falls or firearms discharged unintentionally.

SAFE KIDS Clark County urges parents and caregivers to check their homes at least once a year for basic safety precautions. The first step in childproofing a home is to explore every room at a child's eye level. This means getting down on your hands and knees and looking for objects that may be dangerous for your child. If it can fit inside a regular 1" toilet paper tube, it is a possible choking hazard. Cleaning products should be stored out of reach, and don't forget that alcohol is also a hazard and should be kept out of reach of children.

SAFE KIDS Clark County also recommends these precautions:

    Set your water heater no higher than 120 degrees F. At higher temperatures, it only takes three seconds to burn a child's skin severely enough to require surgery.

  • Memorize this phone number: 800-222-1222. From anywhere in the United States, this toll-free number will connect you to the local Poison Control Center. Call this hotline if a child has ingested any substance that isn't food — but if a child is choking or having trouble breathing, call 911.
  • Test your smoke alarms every month. Make sure you have working smoke alarms in every sleeping area. Don't put off replacing batteries! Also check for fire hazards such as frayed electrical wires or flammable materials near heating appliances.
  • Install carbon monoxide detectors in every sleeping area and near fuel-burning appliances. This invisible, odorless gas can be fatal to a small child.
  • Put safety gates at the top and bottom of every stairway. Gates installed with hardware are safer than pressure gates. Pressure gates should never be used at the top of a stairway.
  • Cover unused electrical outlets. You can buy plastic outlet covers or just use duct tape.
  • Keep firearms unloaded and locked out of reach. And lock up ammunition in a separate place.
  • Post emergency numbers by every phone. In addition to the numbers for police, fire and emergency medical services, keep numbers for the pediatrician and a neighbor handy.
  • Check your first aid kit to make sure it is fully stocked. Make sure babysitters know where to find first aid supplies and how to handle an emergency.
  • Visit the Safety Tips page at www.safekids.org for more childproofing suggestions. You'll find information about kitchen safety, window blinds, cribs, windows, furniture and more.