At Home

For all parents, watching their child grow up is one of the greatest joys that they’ll ever know. One minute squirming helplessly on a blanket, the next charging around at high speeds, exploring everything within reach. Tragically though, for some South African parents, this is a joy that they’ll never know. Numerous children’s lives are cut short every year in our country by accidents that could have been prevented.

Children are naturally curious and are constantly striving to learn about the world around them by tasting, touching and feeling. As a result, the home is unfortunately where most accidents happen, and so ER24 would like to give parents a few tips about making their homes safer for their children.

Falls

Keep your child away from slippery floors, teach them to avoid wet floors, tiling and paving, and teach them to wipe wet feet before walking over slippery surfaces.

Remove all loose rugs from your home, or place anti-slip rubber underneath them.

Install safety catches or locks on second-storey and other upper-storey windows.

If you have stairways in your house, you will need to make sure that you have a properly installed stair gate or barrier at the top and bottom of your stairs.

Make sure that your stairs are well lit. Teach your children not to walk up or down stairs in socks or other slippery footwear, as this increases the likelihood of them slipping.

Check the rails around landings and balconies to make sure that your child can’t fall through, crawl under or climb over them.

Supervise your child at all times when he or she is in his high chair, and fasten the restraining devices.

Walking rings should have a wide wheel base with wheels that don’t lock sideways, a strong, non-detachable seat, and a locking system to prevent it from accidentally folding.

Use a sturdy changing table and never leave your child unattended on it.

Remove bulky toys or cushions from your child’s cot, as he or she could stand on them and topple out of the cot. Small children can easily suffocate on big fluffy pillows as their respiratory strength is still developing.

Don’t allow small children to climb or sleep on bunk beds.

The top bed of a bunk bed should have a railing that goes all the way around.

Make sure that your child’s pram is stable and can’t tip over easily.

Always use the restraining devices in your child’s pram.

If you have a fish pond or water bowls for pets, ensure they are covered or fenced so that your children cannot fall into them.

Fractures, bruising or concussion

Don’t put pot plants or other heavy objects on tables or shelves where they can be pulled down.

Use doorstoppers at the top of doors to prevent children from closing doors and trapping their fingers.

Make sure that bookshelves and other large pieces of furniture are sturdy and cannot topple over.

Use corner or edge cushions to cover sharp corners and edges of furniture.

Keep garden tools locked away.

Never close the garage door or gate unless you know exactly where your child is.

Make sure that you know where your children are when reversing in your driveway.

Cuts

Wrap any disposable sharp objects up before throwing them in the bin.

Store knives, food processor blades, razors and other sharp objects out of reach.

Use child safety latches on your kitchen drawers.

Always store breakable items out of reach of children.

Only use fans with closed mesh covers.

If your child drinks out of a glass, make sure that he or she doesn’t bite it, as even an unseen crack can cause the glass to shatter in his or her mouth.

Electric shocks

Make sure that all electrical appliances are correctly installed and safely earthed.

Don’t plug too many appliances into one socket.

Keep electrical cords and wires out of the way so that toddlers can’t pull, trip or chew on them.

Cover electric sockets with heavy furniture or safety covers when not in use.

Repair all worn wires and broken plugs.

Lock away screwdrivers and other objects that could be inserted into plug holes.

Never keep electrical appliances in the bathroom.

Choking, suffocation or strangulation

Suffocation is the leading cause of accidental deaths in children under the age of 4, many of which occur when the child is sleeping. Hence, the baby’s cot should be carefully examined for hazards:

The bars of cots and playpens should be vertical, and should be no more than 5cm apart so that a baby can’t slip its head between them. If you are concerned about the gaps in the cot, weave some cloth between the bars to fill them up.

Make sure the mattress fits snugly in the cot, with no gap between the edge of the mattress and the bars.

Do not use plastics of any kind to cover the mattress in the cot. It can easily come loose ad find its way into baby’s mouth.

Don’t use pillows in cots for small babies.

Remove all ribbons and strings from cots and playpens.

Babies should sleep on their backs.

Never let baby sleep in the same bed as mom and dad. There are many reports of tragic deaths every year where the infant suffocates in the heavy bed linen, on the pillows, or even against the body of a parent.

Cot toys should have strings no longer than 20cm.

Because children tend to put whatever they find in their mouths, other major dangers include choking and strangulation:

Keep small items such as buttons, rings and deflated balloons out of the reach of children.

Be wary of foods that are small and may become lodged in a child’s windpipe e.g. grapes, olives, small bits of sausage.

When installing safety gates avoid accordion style safety gates with large openings that children could fit their heads through.

Keep toys with long strings or cords away from infants and young children. A cord can become wrapped around an infant’s neck and cause strangulation.

Store plastic bags out of the reach of children.

Teach your children never to play with plastic bags or put them over their heads.

Don’t let young children play with toys with small parts.

Follow safety warnings and age limit guidelines.

Keep older children’s toys away from the under threes.

Throw away or repair broken toys and games.

Get rid of small pieces of crayon, and make sure that crayons and clay are non-toxic.

Don’t allow small children to play with beads, buttons, coins, bits of torn plastic etc.

Check regularly for holes and tears in dummies

Don’t tie a dummy to a pram or to strings or ribbons around your child’s neck.

A toddler’s sun hat should not have chin strap. This can easily hook on things while the child is playing and suffocate him or her.

Tie blind cords and curtain tie-backs high-up, out of the reach of children.

Drowning

Don’t leave water or other liquids in buckets, basins, sinks or baths - a child can drown in just a few centimeters of water, and small children can easily topple over and fall in.

Never leave a baby or a child under four alone in the bath, not even for a moment.

Use a non-skid rubber mat in the bathtub.

Get lockable covers for jacuzzi's or sunken baths.

Install toilet locks.

Never leave children alone in or near the pool, not even for a moment.

Swimming pools must be properly fenced off – use a SABS-approved fence and make sure that the gate to your pool self-closes and that children can’t reach the latch.

Cover your pool with a professionally installed pool safety net.

Inflatable swimming aids are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children a false sense of security.

Swimming programmes for children under four should not be seen as a way to entirely prevent drowning, they merely decrease the risk.

Enforce pool rules such as no running, no pushing, no dunking and never swim alone.

Empty paddling pools when not in use.

Fish ponds should be covered with a net or mesh if you have small children..

Enclose the pool area using a SABS-approved fence with vertical bars no further than 10cm apart, and which has a self-locking, self-closing gate with a latch that children cannot reach. Never leave items of furniture near the fence, as children might use these to climb over it, and if the house forms part of the barrier around the pool, the doors leading from the house to the pool should remain locked and be protected with an alarm that produces sounds when the door is unexpectedly opened.

Cover your pool with a professionally installed pool safety net.

If your pool has a cover or a net, make sure that it is completely off when you and your family are swimming as someone could easily become tangled in a net or cover that is half in the pool and panic.

Empty all containers such as paddling pools and tubs after you are done with them, no matter how small or shallow they may seem.

Get lockable covers for jacuzzi's or sunken baths.

Place an ER24 084 124 sticker in a visible place in the pool area, and make sure that all members of the family know to call 084 124 in a medical emergency.

Learn CPR, and make sure that your babysitter learns CPR. If your child attends day care, make sure that at least one caregiver on duty at the day care knows first aid and CPR Click here for a list of courses offered by ER24.

Burns

Remember that a young child’s skin is far more sensitive to temperatures than our skin and any carelessness in this regard could result in serious burns.

A baby’s bath should not be much warmer than body temperature. Always run the cold tap first and check the temperature of bathwater with your wrist or elbow before your child gets into the bath – be extra careful about this once your child is old enough to bath without help. Don’t allow infants in a Jacuzzi or hot tub.

Turn your hot water thermostat to 37 - 40°C or less to avoid scalds.

Keep kettles, toasters, irons and other appliances (including their cords) far back on working surfaces so that they can’t be pulled down, and shorten their cords if necessary.

Don’t fill the kettle with more water than you need (this saves on water too).

Pack heavy appliances (irons, electric woks etc.) away when they’re not in use.

Keep your child at a safe distance from the stove when you’re cooking.

Always use the back rings of the stove, and turn handles away from the front of the stove.

Keep young children away from the front of ovens, and don’t open the oven door when children are close by.

Always keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen.

Never smoke, use matches or drink hot beverages while holding a child.

Never leave burning cigarettes unattended.

Always cover hot water bottles, and remove them from the bed before your child gets in.

Always use flameproof materials for bedding and clothing.

Never burn candles where children can reach them, and make sure that they are out before going to bed.

Only use heaters that comply with safety standards.

Don’t use heaters with open grilles.

Don’t hang clothes over heaters to dry, and be sure to keep flammable material away from heaters.

Always switch off heaters when leaving the house or when sleeping

Never run electrical wires under carpets.

Put up a fireguard in front of your fireplace and fix it to the wall.

Always extinguish fires before going to bed.

Don’t use tablecloths as young children can pull hot food and drinks down on themselves.

Children should be taught from a young age that matches are not toys. Adults should not encourage this thought by igniting lighters and matches in front of them.

Don’t let your child sit on the kitchen table while you are busy cooking or near the stove.

Ensure that your child is not around your feet in the kitchen, as you might trip or bump against them and spill hot liquid or food on them.

Never leave matches, lighters or cigarettes lying around.

When having a braai, don’t allow your children near the open flames, and make sure that they wear shoes in case they step on a hot coal.

Bear in mind that certain items, such as hot taps, heaters and fireplaces, are not always hot. A child could touch the item once safely and the next time receives a severe burn.

Poisoning

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children and install child locks on your medicine cabinet.

Buy medicines and cleaning products with childproof packaging.

Lock all potentially poisonous substances (cleaning products, garden chemicals, pool chemicals etc.) out of reach and out of sight of your child.

Never store non-food products in empty food containers (e.g. paraffin in a jam jar).

Do not store active products or active cleaning materials near water or other liquids as this can result in a chemical reaction at extremely high temperatures. If spilled, do not wash away or use any rubberized cloths or brooms, as this may also cause a chemical reaction.

Install child locks on your kitchen cupboards.

Remember that some items stored in your fridge and kitchen can be harmful to children (e.g. alcohol, medicines, lighters), so make sure either that these are locked away or that your child cannot reach them.

Store beauty products (perfume, nail polish, nail polish remover etc.) out of reach of children, and don’t carry them in your handbag..

Only add detergent to your appliances just before use, and make sure that they are empty when finished.

Move chemicals out of reach if you are called away in the middle of using them.

Store toilet cleaning material, including the brush, out of the reach of children.

Don’t use detachable toilet fresheners or block cleaners inside the toilet bowl.

Store batteries out of reach of children.

Remove all poisonous plants from the house and garden, or place them well out of children’s reach, and don’t use insecticides on plants.

Be careful when visiting other people’s houses with your child, as they may not be as careful as you.

Road accidents

Install a fence around your property so that your children can’t run across the road.

Make sure that children can’t get through gaps in fences or open gates, and don’t leave boxes or any other objects near the fence in case your child climbs on top of it to climb over the fence.

Always supervise young children near traffic, and teach older children simple traffic safety rules (children are only old enough to cross the road unaided by about 9 years of age).

This list is by no means exhaustive, but provides a reasonable guide to prevent a number of possible accidents in the home.

Accidents do happen, even to the most careful of us, and when they do it is important to be able to react fast.

Save ER24’s emergency number, 084 124, onto your cell phone..

Teach ER24’s emergency number to whoever takes care of your kids, as well as to your kids if they’re old enough.

Collect an ER24 sticker from your nearest ER24 base and stick it onto your home phone.

Visit Branches to find out where your nearest branch is and for more tips on avoiding accidents.