PCD Objective 2.02

Ways to Prevent Injuriesat Home

Childproofing the Home

The best way to find the dangers a child might encounter is to explore the home at his or her level – by getting down on your hands and knees.

“You may feel silly, but a few self-conscious

minutes are better than years of regret.”

What does this statement mean?

Explain what you think this means in your own words.

Childproofing the Home

What is the best way to go about looking at childproofing the home?

Childproofing the Home

• Examine every room, asking yourself what looks tempting and what is within reach of a small child.

• Look for potential dangers between the floor and about 40 inches above.

• Check carpets for buried dangers like buttons, pins or coins.

Childproofing the Home• Cover all unused electrical outlets. • Don’t be afraid to say…….“No!”• Throughout a child’s toddler years (ages 12

months to 3 years) this word will probably be used often.

• Keeping a child safe means saying “no,” and setting limits for a child.

• To avoid constantly saying “no,” simply remove dangerous products from the home, place them out of reach, out of sight or lock them up.

What are safety precautions that parentsneed to follow in the kitchen to keep children

free from injuries?

• Keep young children in a secured chair or out of the kitchen while preparing meals.

• Young children should never be in the kitchen unsupervised.

Can you think of any safety precautions that deal with

glasses or knives and forks?

• Hot food/Beverages

• Glassware/knives– should be kept

away from the edges of counters and tables.

How can tablecloths, placemats and appliances be hazards to children?

• Appliance cords

• Placemats

• Tablecloths– must be kept out of reach to prevent children

from pulling hot items down on themselves

How should the pot handles be turned when cooking?

•Turn pot handles toward the center or back of the range

•Use the back burners on the range

What do you need to do to make the

bathroom safe for achild?

Bathroom Safety

• Paint hot water faucet with red fingernail polish to help our children remember which faucet is hot.

• Keep personal care products, medicines, and cleaning products out of child’s reach.

• Unplug bathroom appliances when not in use.

Safety in the Bathroom

• Install a toilet lid lock.• Install a safety cover on the door knob or a

hook-and-eye lock near top of door to prevent children from entering without an adult’s knowledge.

• Put a rubber-covered guard over tub faucet and knobs

• Never store appliances plugged in near a bathtub or sink.

Safety Around Heat Sources

• Keep guards around open heaters, radiators, and floor furnaces

• Teach children that the heat source is “hot”

What do you need to teach children about home fires?

• Keep matches, lighters, cigarettes, and candles out of the reach of children.

• Install smoke detectors in every bedroom and near the kitchen.

• Have working fire extinguishers near kitchen and fireplaces.

• Plan escape routes and teach to all, even very young children.

Firearm Safety

• Guns kill more that 10 children every day.

• Adults need to teach children that guns are not toys and must not be handled by children.

What else do you know aboutfirearm safety?

• Take ammunition out of firearms• Lock the firearms out of the reach of children and use

quality trigger locks• Store the ammunition in a locked container apart from

firearms• Keep the keys to firearms and ammunition cabinets in

an area separate from other household keys• Lock up gun-cleaning supplies because they are

poisonous

Is it safe to leave a child alone in the bathtub?

• NO, NEVER leave child alone at bath time

• Use nonslip mat in the tub

• Set water below 120oF

• Use only 2 to 3 inches of water when bathing a child

How can parent’s prevent

falls in the home?

Preventing Falls

• Children like to explore openings– Make sure window/door are shut and locked

• Safety guards on all windows and doors

– Screens are designed to keep bugs out• Make sure children are not pushing screens out of the

windows

– Use safety gates at both the top and bottom of stairs

• Falls on stairs tend to result in severe injuries

Preventing Falls

• Young children love to climb on furniture using drawers and shelves as steps – Can sustain crush injuries as furniture can

easily tip over on them– Secure bookcases, shelving, and heavy

furniture to walls with brackets and anchors – Store heavy items on bottom shelves and in

bottom drawers

• Supervise children and toddlers at all times around top heavy furniture

Making Cribs and Beds Safe

How far apart do the slats need to

be in a crib to keep a baby’s head

from becoming stuck?

No more than 2 3/8 inches apart.

Making Cribs and Beds Safe

• IF crib is old and paint is flaking/chipping it may contain lead (poisonous) and should be smooth.

• Have all corner posts the same height as the sides to prevent baby’s clothing or bedding getting caught.

Making Cribs and Beds Safe

• Mattress should fit firm--no gaps• Lowered crib sides

– 9 inches above the mattress to keep baby from falling out

• Raised crib sides– At least 26 inches above the

mattress

• The latch to raise and lower sides should lock securely

Why should all stuffed animalsAnd fluffy blankets, and pillowsBe removed from the crib whenchild is sleeping?This could cause suffocation.

Keeping mealtimes safe

Children love to try new foods. What are foods that children do not need totry early in life because of allergic reactions?

• Babies should not be fed the following foods during their 1st year of life. – Eggs– citrus fruits– Honey– Peanut butter**– Corn– Shellfish

Keeping mealtimes safe

• Handle foods properly to prevent food poisoning• Avoid foods that could get lodged in a baby’s

throat• Some of these food include raw vegetables, hot

dogs, nuts, scoops of peanut butter, whole grapes, candy, chips, pretzels, and popcorn

• Avoid any hard round food can get stuck in a baby’s throat

Preventing suffocation

• Remove all stuffed animals from the crib at night

• Keep plastic bags away from children

Preventing poisoning

• Child-resistant does not mean childproof.

• Medicines need to be locked out of reach.

Toy SafetyThis is a tube tester. What do you think it might be used for?

Small toys and toy parts can choke young children. When needed, use a small parts tester or choke tube.

Toy Safety

Avoid accidental choking!

If a toy or object fits into the cylinder, it's a potential danger to the child.

The U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission states that items that fit into this tube are too small to be safe for children 3 years of age and younger.

This product was engineered to meet the Small Parts Test Fixture guidelines outlined by the Office of Compliance Small Parts Regulations.

Buy only age-appropriate toys for your toddler.

Toy Safety

• Some people will suggest using a toilet paper tube to test if something poses a choking hazard.

• This test is a somewhat adequate test in the absence of an actual choke tube tester; however it should be noted that toilet paper rolls have a larger inside diameter than the consumer product safety commission recommends for a small parts test fixture.

Preventing lead poisoning

• Can anyone tell us what lead poisoning is and what it comes from?

• If the house or apartment was built before 1978, have a professional test for lead-based paint

• If there is lead paint in the home, the paint should be completely removed or covered with an approved sealant

Emergency

• Keep a first aid kit on hand and emergency numbers by every phone in the home.

• Include the national toll-free poison hotline: 1-800-222-1222.

• 911!!!

Make sure your child has a safe, secure

environment at home.