Child-proofing your home: a guide to keeping young children safe

At Clippasafe, it’s always been our priority to keep children safe – for over sixty years we’ve been listening to parents and creating products that help you to protect your children, both inside the home and out. We know that as parents and caregivers, ensuring the safety and well-being of your little ones is a top priority and we want to help you navigate this challenging aspect of parenting.

Our homes, while comforting and familiar, can also harbour hidden dangers for curious and adventurous children. Child-proofing your home is a crucial step in creating a secure environment where children can explore and grow safely. We’ve put together this guide to help you assess the most common hazards in your home and take the necessary measures to give you peace of mind, with essential tips and easy strategies for child-proofing your home.

Identify Potential Hazards

The first step in child-proofing your home is to think like a child and identify the potential hazards. Get down to your child's eye level and look for any objects or areas that could pose a risk and would look tempting and interesting from a child’s point of view. Common hazards include sharp objects, chemicals, choking hazards, electrical outlets, and stairs.

Install Safety Gates

Safety gates are indispensable for blocking off staircases, kitchens, and other hazardous areas. They’re also useful for keeping a child confined to one safe space if you’re busy and can’t be there to continually supervise. Ensure that the gates are securely fastened and meet safety standards to prevent accidents. Our range of safety gates can be viewed here.

Child-Proof Locks and Latches

Cabinets and drawers in the kitchen and bathroom often contain dangerous items like cleaning supplies, alcohol and sharp objects. Install child-proof locks and latches to keep these areas off-limits. We have a comprehensive range of locks and latches, that can help you to secure your storage solutions quickly and easily.

Secure Heavy Furniture

Toddlers often use furniture to pull themselves up, which can lead to catastrophic and fatal accidents if the furniture tips over. This can apply to TVs as well, which are typically large and often unstable, due to their slim design. Secure heavy furniture and TVs to the wall using anchors or brackets to prevent them from falling on your child. We supply both Furniture Straps and TV Straps in case your furniture doesn’t come supplied with them.

Electrical Plug Sockets
 

Electrical outlets are fascinating to children but can be incredibly dangerous. Invest in outlet covers to keep little fingers out and prevent electrical accidents. We have a choice of Socket Covers which plug into the sockets themselves to prevents the insertion of finger and other objects, or a Socket Protector, which covers the entire socket area and also prevents tampering with plugs that are already in use.

Window Safety

Children can easily climb onto windowsills and windows can pose a fall risk, especially in multi-story homes. Install window guards or stops to prevent accidents, and never leave windows open wide enough for a child to crawl through. Our Window Locks limit the degree of opening to allow fresh air into your home without the worry of your child climbing out.

Cord Safety

Loose blind cords and curtain cords can pose a strangulation hazard as children can easily become entangled in them. Cord cleats help to keep the cord out of reach if used to wind the cord up short, you can also use a shortening device like our Draw Cord Shortener.

Baby-Proofing the Bathroom

The bathroom is filled with potential hazards, from hot water to small objects and cleaning products that can be swallowed. Lock toilet lids, use non-slip mats in the bathtub, and keep medications and cleaning supplies out of reach or in a cupboard that can be locked. If your water runs dangerously hot, also consider a tap strap to prevent scalds.

Choking Hazards

Small objects like coins, buttons, and toys with detachable parts can all be choking hazards, as can certain food items like boiled sweets and even whole grapes and berries. Button batteries (like those used in watches and other small devices and toys) can be fatal when swallowed even if they don’t cause choking, due to the risk of acid burns and internal bleeding. You can read more on the dangers of button batteries on RoSPA’s website. Be sure to keep these items securely out of reach.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home. Regularly test and replace the batteries to ensure they're functioning correctly. You can read useful information on the different types of smoke alarms here and how to install them.

Furniture Corner and Edge Guards

Sharp corners on tables, furniture and skirting can lead to painful injuries and even concussions and other head injuries in the event of a heavy fall. Apply corner or edge guards to cushion these and reduce the impact. We stock several types of corner cushions including the Supersoft Corner Cushion.

Safety in the Kitchen

The kitchen is filled with potential hazards, from hot stovetops to sharp utensils. Use stove knob guards and consider installing a microwave and oven lock. Also keep sharp objects out of reach, and install cabinet locks to deter curious tots.

Teaching Safety & Ongoing Vigilance

Child-proofing is essential, but it’s unlikely you can mitigate every possible risk. Therefore, teaching your child about safety is equally important. Teach them about fire safety, not touching hot surfaces, and the dangers of certain household items so that the understand the risks.

Remember that child-proofing is an ongoing process, as your child's abilities and curiosity will evolve over time. Stay vigilant and adapt your child-proofing strategies as needed to keep your little ones safe and sound in your home. You can contact us with any questions regarding home safety and we’ll try our best to help!