Childproofing Your Seattle area home

Posted by sonnykwan

July 29, 2008

Childproofing Your Seattle area home

Did you know that accidental injuries from burns, drowning, suffocating, choking, falling, poisoning, and firearms are the leading cause of death in children 14 years of age and younger? A third of these incidents in Seattle happen in the child’s own home. Though we can’t prevent all accidents, a few simple childproofing measures can help make your home safer for young ones. · Turn your water heater to no higher than 120 degrees to prevent scalding.· Use safety latches on doors that lead to swimming pools, hot tubs, or other potentially dangerous outdoor areas.· Secure heavy furniture and bookshelves with devices that adhere them to walls. Also, place furniture away from windows.· End caps on door stoppers can be choking hazards. Remove them.· Plastic bumpers on sharp corners of coffee tables, entertainment centers, and other furniture can prevent bumps, cuts, and bruises.· Gate off stairways and entrances to rooms that contain dangerous or fragile objects.· When cooking, turn pan handles inward or use the back burners if possible.· Keep dangerous chemicals and poisons up high and in a room that is not accessible to youngsters. Even a latched cabinet can’t always keep diligent youngsters out.· Place covers over all electrical outlets.· Use a cordless phone so you never have to leave a child unattended while you answer the phone. Keep it close in case you need to call someone quickly. · Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors on every floor of your house. Check the batteries regularly. While supervision is the best way to prevent unfortunate accidents, any parent knows that you can’t watch small children every second. Following some or all of these tips should help make your home a little safer, and offer you peace of mind.