Family Safety Talks 1 Keeping kids safe Safety

Family Safety Talks 1: Keeping kids safe

Safety facts: Accidents are the biggest killer of children and young people. Every year 450, 000 under-5 s end up in A&E after an accident at home. . . That's almost a child a minute!

In a You. Gov survey, two thirds of parents said they didn’t get enough information to keep their kids safe. Yet it doesn’t have to be like this!

What can you do? Accidents at home don’t have to happen. Simple steps can give you peace of mind. Here are our tips. And help keep kids safe. . .

Look at your home from a child’s point of view. . . Get down on your hands and knees and take a look around. Notice any sharp edges, dangling cords, cleaning product bottles and small ornaments in easy reach. Take simple steps to move things out of reach, or make them secure.

Make blind cords safe Better still, buy cordless blinds. Secure looped cords out of reach. Tie them up, or wind round a cleat in a figure of eight.

Fit a safety gate Fitted gates Safety gates are from best. They Falls stairs or designed to be Fitted gates areused best windows cause some won’t come until a child is won’t two, because they ofout theout most serious and it’s recommended come of place if a of place if injuries to young that they goon atthem the child leans a and child leansof children top bottom a staircase on them.

Fit window restrictors Avoid placing furniture or beds where a child could climb up to Remember that you might reach an open need to escape out of awindow. window if there’s a fire, so your family and any guests need to know how to easily open a window restrictor!

Stay close at bath time The within biggest cause Stay arm’sof childhood scalds is hot When running ayour bath, the reach when drinks, them best advicesoiskeep always to run child is in the bath. outwater of reach. They canand cold before hot, Young children bemix hot enough to to well to avoid drown quickly and scald even after hot spots quietly! 15 minutes

Lock away cleaning products and medicines Liquid laundry capsules can look like sweets to a toddler.

Grille, fence, or fill garden ponds While children are young enough to be at risk.

Anchor furniture to the wall Most furniture Always sure Even ifmake furniture that TVs, chests of is now sold with seems secure, pulling drawers and shelving anti-tip wall drawers open can units are securely straps or destabilise. . . as this anchored to the wall brackets. video shows!

Keep cots simple, and nappy sacks out of reach Nappy sacks can cause suffocation and choking in babies under a year old.

Quarter small foods To avoid choking, cut small foods like tomatoes, grapes and blackberries into quarters. Ensure sausages are cut into very small pieces.

Find out more! Visit Ro. SPA’s Parent Hub for more tips : www. rospa. com/keepin g-kids-safe Got a child safety question? Call Ro. SPA’s Freephone helpline, Lifeline for advice you can trust.