Child-Proofing Your Home

Your home can be a safe place for your child if you are alert to typical household hazards, and take a few simple precautions.
If your child is under age three, turn a yardstick on end to create an imaginary line around your house, yard, and garage; everything below the yard mark should be child-safe. You should also:

• Purchase plastic safety plugs to reduce shock hazard of electrical outlets.
• Store all household chemicals out of the reach of children. This includes detergents,cleaning products and cosmetics, as well as commonly recognized hazards such as medicines, pest killers, and liquid fuel.
• Keep household chemicals, including cleaning products, in their original packages. Don't store them in cups, soda bottles, cans or bowls - which children associate with eating and drinking.
• Protect your child from scalds by reducing the temperature of your hot water to between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit by turning down the control on your hot water heater.
• Always turn pot handles away from the edge of the range.
• Install nylon netting across deck, porch, and balcony railings to prevent kids from squeezing through or getting trapped.
• Install steel window guards inside the frames to prevent falls since windows may be opened or merely screened.
• Keep adult sporting goods such as archery sets, dart sets, and hunting knives in locked cabinets. Store guns unloaded and locked up out of reach, and store ammunition in a separate location.
• Install bump guards on furniture and appliances with sharp edges.
• Check to see if your household and garden plants are poisonous. Ask your physician or Poison Control Center.