Throughout homes there are a wide variety of risks to children, whether that's around water, choking hazards or when playing outside.
Taking steps to remove or reduce this risks is important to keep your family safe.
Take a look at the tips and advice on this webpage to help you with common issues relating to child safety, including from the Child Accident Prevention Trust and RoSPA.
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Paddling pools, garden ponds and other sources of water are potentially very dangerous for children, even if they are shallow.
If there is a pond in your local area, it's important that to ensure your children are kept safe; This can be done through:
- Ensuring children are supervised when near ponds or water, including paddling pools.
- Ponds should be covered with a strong mesh or grille which would hold the weight of a child. Ponds could also be fenced off.
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Playing outside is something loved by many children, but it's important to ensure that children are kept safe from the many hazards around in the garden.
- Ensure any gardening tools or chemicals are not left outside, and are kept in a safe place which children can't access unsupervised.
- Barbecues should be on a stable stable and secure surface to ensure they don't fall over. Care should also be taken to keep children away from lit barbecues.
- Some flowers or plants can be toxic for humans. It is important you know which are dangerous, and either remove them or put them in a location not accessible by children.
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Putting safety equipment such as stair gates and window locks into your home is an effective way to making a safer environment for children.
It is also important to babyproof 'on the go', for example making sure that hot hair straighteners are out of reach of children.
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If you want to install a fireplace surround for your home, it is important that you get professional advice before buying it to make sure that it is safe.
If a fireplace surround is not suitable or is not installed correctly, it can easily be dislodged and potentially fall on a child, which could cause a serious injury.
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Windows are a potential source of danger for children, so it is important to ensure that they're secure.
To avoid accidents, you should:
- Use window restrictors to ensure windows are not open too widely.
- Keep windows locked when it is not necessary for them to be open.
- Keep furniture, such as beds and chairs, away from windows.
Additional resources
Your safety
For more information on how to stay safe in your home, visit Your Safety.