7 home safety tips

A messy home can be a risky place for you and your family. From falling furniture to slippery floors and then some.

Avoid the mess, the risk and keep your mind at ease with these 7 tips to keep your home safer:

1. Secure heavy furniture and appliances to the wall, including cupboards, television sets and bookcases to prevent those from falling over if your child climbs on the furniture.
2. Secure windows and balconies, especially on the second floor so that explorative kids don’t topple out of them.
3. Consider installing gates to prevent children gaining access to dangerous areas in the home where there may be hot appliances, bodies of water, electrical equipment or household chemicals. You may like to have a specific play area where the children now they have to stay when asked to.
4. If you’re home alone with the kids and need to use the telephone or toilet (or some other activity which may distract you from them), ensure that they are safe before doing so and that household hazards have been eliminated. Turn off the stove, for example, and don’t allow access to the bathroom if a bath has been filled if you can’t be there to supervise.
5. Tidy up as much as possible so that clothing on the floor doesn’t conceal other hazards. Leaving old food/plates or even nappies lying around is an obvious health hazard.
6. Don’t expect the TV to be a babysitter and ignore your children. If they are old enough to keep themselves busy while you’re cooking, for example, do check on them frequently.
7. Loud noises should be investigated, as should total silence.Whether this family suffered these tragic deaths as a result of neglect will be investigated, but many parents will question just how easily a tragedy can take place even in a relatively safe environment.

Source: Parent24

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