Home safety is an important consideration for parents. We invite you to consider the following 5 ways to make your home safer for children.
1. Lock the Medicine Cabinet
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that, every year, close to 2,500 Australian children are poisoned so severely that they need to be admitted to a hospital. It?s quite common for children to poison themselves by ingesting common household medications including sleeping pills, antidepressants and heart medications. These substances should ideally be stored in a locked medicine cabinet. If you keep any medications in your purse, ensure the purse is also stored out of your children?s reach.
2. Transition to Using Non-Toxic Substances as Household Cleaners
Household cleaners are another possible source of poisoning ? sometimes because children swallow them, and other times because these substances can cause burns on the skin or harm to the eyes. These tragedies are largely preventable, because it isn?t necessary to use harsh, chemical-based cleaners that could poison your family. It is possible to thoroughly clean and sanitize your home with harmless, non-toxic cleaners such as vinegar, baking soda and plain castile soap.
3. Stock a First Aid Kit, and Learn How to Use It
A basic first aid kit would be useful to any household with children. Consider including the following items in your family?s first aid kit:
- Food-grade activated charcoal
- Gauze and bandages
- Tweezers for removing debris from wounds
- Splinter probes
- Scissors
- Sterile saline
- Antiseptic ointments
- Sterile cotton balls
- Disposable gloves
- A thermometer
- Oral rehydration solution in a flavour your children will consume
- A first aid manual, including CPR instructions
Having a first aid kit is unlikely to help your family unless you know how to use its contents effectively. When bubs hurt themselves, mums need to be able to make an educated decision about whether to give them a kiss, apply a bandage or call for an ambulance.
If you aren?t confident of your ability to handle emergencies where your child?s life might be at stake, you?d benefit greatly from taking a first aid course. The experts at Training.com.au highly recommend the HLTAID004 first aid course as being the option that?s most relevant for parents of minor children.
4. Secure the Swimming Pool
If you have a swimming pool on your property, it is absolutely essential to secure the pool so that accidental drowning does not occur. For starters, you?ll need to install a pool safety barrier. Victoria has strict safety standards for the construction and maintenance of pool safety barriers; so, if you live in Melbourne or the surrounding areas, you?ll want to ensure that your pool area is in compliance with these regulations. Then you?ll want to periodically do safety checks to ensure all remains well with your barrier.
5. Keep Fire Extinguishers Handy
Consider mounting a fire extinguisher on the wall near the kitchen stove. If you have a fireplace, it is also advisable to obtain a second fire extinguisher for that area.
If you?re a parent, you?re sure to enjoy the peace of mind that results if you follow these 5 suggestions for making your home safer. These simple tips can help to reduce the risks resulting from common accidents, injuries, poisoning incidents and other mishaps that frequently happen in Australian homes.