Take Steps To Childproof Your Home
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 2.5 million children are injured or killed by accidents in the home every year. While there are many potential hazards in any home that could be dangerous to a child, there are also simple safety devices that you can easily install in your home to help protect kids from injury.
The CSPC lists a number of safety items that you can install yourself to childproof your home:
Install safety latches & locks on cabinets and drawers in the bathrooms, and kitchens to prevent access to cleaning supplies, medicines, or injuries from sharp objects. Use safety gates to prevent kids from falling down stairs and keeping them out of dangerous areas. You should have smoke detectors installed on every level of your home and near bedrooms to alert you of a possible fire. Check each of them once a month to make sure they are working. Use corner and edge bumpers to make help protect kids in your home from falls against sharp furniture or counter corners. Cover unused outlets with outlet covers to prevent electric shocks and accidental electrocutions.You want to make sure to choose sturdy, well-made products that will help protect your kids from injury, but you also want them to be easy to use. The CSPC also advises that nothing is entirely childproof, and if you have older children, be sure to re-secure safety devices that they may undo. Check out this CSPC guide for even more information on safety devices...