The Wooden Horse’s Weblog

In the workplace, policies and procedures are created to avert accidental injury and death. More often than not, home safety is not as thought out. For the welfare of your children, several guidelines are worth knowing. This article is not comprehensive in scope, but a preliminary point for further investigation and research by a concerned childcare community.

There are eight critical areas requiring attention.

Blind and Curtain Cords

There is a possible strangulation hazard for babies and young children who have access to looped or long curtain cords. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that there is an average of 12 children deaths annually from window cords. Keep the cords out of the reach.

1. Up or down, tie the cords out of the reach of children. Use a clip, clothespin, or a big twist tie. Alternatively, cut the cords short when the blinds are fully down. To prevent strangulation, you MUST install safety cord stops on pull cords as inner cords can form a loop, which may strangle a child.  Install safety cord kits.

2. Never put a crib, bed, high chair, furniture, or playpen near a window or a patio door where a child can reach a curtain cord.

Bunk Beds

Health Canada warns that children under 6 years of age should never use the upper bed of a bunk bed. Since 1985, a number of deaths were reported when children, less than 6 years of age, were placed in the upper bunk.  Typically, the children suffocated when their bodies slipped between the guardrail and the mattress.

Therefore, the bed must:

1. Be in good condition.

2. Have guardrails on all sides on the upper bunk. The spaces in the guardrail are small enough so that a child cannot slip through.

3. Have mattresses that fit snugly.

4. Meet the requirements of the current ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) International bunk bed standards.

Change Tables

If the change table has safety straps, use them to keep the baby in place while being changed. If you leave the room for any reason, always take the baby with you.

Cribs

Cribs, made before September 1986, do not meet current safety regulations and should not be used. In Canada, it is a criminal offence to advertise, sell, or import a prohibited crib. There should be a label that shows the name and date of manufacture. Since the regulations went into effect, no deaths involving a crib, which met the specifications, have been reported to Health Canada

What should be checked?

1. Is the mattress support system is secure? Shake the crib from side to side, thump the mattress from the top, and push up hard on the mattress support from underneath the crib.

2. The space between the mattress and the sides of the crib should not exceed 3 cm (1 3/16 in). The mattress should not be more than 15 cm (6 in) thick.

3. The distance between a slat and any adjacent slat must not exceed 6 cm (2 3/8 in)

Nonetheless, falls are a primary cause of injuries. Between 1990 and April 2002, 75 percent of crib injuries were the result of falls when a child climbed over the rail and out of the crib. The high rate of falls underscores the need to eliminate toeholds that enable a child to climb out of the crib

Playgrounds

1. Remove cords and drawstrings from hoods, hats, and jackets.

2. Bicycle helmets can get caught on equipment and strangle a child.

3. Check playground equipment for ropes. Do not let children tie ropes or skipping ropes to playground equipment.

Playpens

A playpen should be a place where a baby is safe.

1. Never leave a baby in a playpen with the side down; babies can suffocate if they roll into the space between the mattress and the mesh side.

2. Avoid playpens that have sharp edges or hinges that can pinch, scrape, or cut fingers.

3. Never put scarves, necklaces, or cords in the playpen or around their neck. These items can catch on the playpen and strangle a baby.

Toy Boxes

Heavy lids can fall on children’s heads and necks causing death. Use a toy box without a lid, or use a toy box with a lightweight lid sturdy supportive hinges, and air holes. Avoid airtight storage bins. Access to these types of storage products could lead to suffocation if a child climbs inside.

Toys

Recently, a study of children, admitted to hospital emergency rooms, revealed that nearly 50% of household items removed from the breathing system were toys

In summary, use common sense.

1. Buy a choke hazard tube. It shows if an item is smaller than 4.5 cm (1 ¾ in) and may be a choking hazard.

2. Supervise children closely. When visiting family and friends, be aware that not everyone will take the same precautions ensuring an area is free of hazards and safe for children.

3. Check for recalls on children’s equipment by contacting the manufacturer or local government agencies.

4. Verify that furniture is stable on its own. When placing furniture, such as a wall unit, make sure the item is securely fastened to the wall or floor. Place televisions on lower furniture as far back as possible. Serious injury can result when children climb these items by causing the item to fall on them. Install anti-tip brackets on freestanding ranges and stoves. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that an average of 22 deaths per year are caused by furniture tip over.

5. Scan your home from a child’s point of view; crawl on your hands and knees to look for possible hazards and then remove the hazard.

Childhood is a carefree time. Young children are seldom careless. They cannot anticipate danger in many ever day things or activities. We can teach them, watch them, love them, and protect them.

Consult these web sites.

American Society for Testing and Materials:  http:// www.astm.org

Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov