Household dangers: Child Safety Week

The pandemic is piling extra pressure on families, and with young children spending far more time at home, there are risks and serious injuries that are likely to be heightened during lockdown. Here we look at how to keep your child safe in lockdown and beyond!

Child Safety Week is an annual community education campaign run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT). This year is all about lockdown and the extra risks and dangers children can come into contact with at home. With the pressures on the NHS, many parents are worried about a trip to A&E with their child, so here are a few things to watch out for!

Burns and Scalds

As you get through your day with copious amounts of coffee and tea, remember hot drinks pose a danger to little hands that grab things when our backs are turned. From working at home, cooking endless amounts of lunch and dinners, to schooling the children, there’s a lot to deal with and accidents can easily happen.

• Put down your hot drink somewhere safe out of reach of little hands and always put your hot mug down before picking up your child.
• When cooking on the hob, use the back rings of the stove and turn all panhandles in to prevent children from running past and knocking hot food down themselves.
• Keep hot hair tools out of reach of children while you’re using them. Always leave them in a heat-proof bag on a high shelf.

Poisoning  

We’ve been busy scrubbing and cleaning our homes and hands, but doctors are worried that young children stuck at home during lockdown may be at higher risk from coming into contact with poisonous cleaning products and colourful medication that might look appealing to children.

• Check where you keep cleaning and laundry products and move them to a safe spot in a high up cupboard.
• Never leave cleaning products out, always put them away after you’ve used them.
• Store medicine in a locked cupboard or high up on a shelf out of reach of children.

Falls

Scrapes and bruises are inevitable especially with little ones around, but a fall from a highchair or windowsill can cause a bad head injury because babies are top-heavy and the impact from a fall could mean a trip to A&E.

• Children are good at climbing once they get the hang of it, so don’t leave chairs or tables in front of windows especially in children’s bedrooms.
• Remove large toys from your baby’s cot, if they can stand they might fall out of their cot by climbing onto things.
• If you have a trampoline in the garden, use a safety net or cage so children can’t be thrown off.