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GeoBaby.Com arrow Articles arrow Practical arrow Home Safety for Kids
Home Safety for Kids
The old adage ‘better safe than sorry’ could have been written about home safety for children in Hong Kong. Windows are not the only hazards. Expat parents in Hong Kong are often lucky enough to have a domestic helper to assist with childcare, but it should always be borne in mind that it's the parent's job to create a safe environment in the home.

Follow these tips from local parent Robby Nimmo to ensure your house is a danger-free zone for kids. All the products recommended here can be bought in Hong Kong at retailers such as Toys R Us and Eugene. Check out Geobaby’s Shopping directory for store locations.

In the Kitchen

An ideal kitchen for children would have a single point of entry, a child-proof gate and rolled bench edges. Drawers and cupboards containing knives and cleaning products would have kiddie locks. Oven and fridge locks would be installed. All pots on the stove would be facing inwards, and an electrician would have shortened cords on appliances like kettles and blenders. There would be a fire blanket and an extinguisher.

A multi-purpose kitchen latch is a strong seller locally, going for around HK$25. Drawer locks will cost you only around $30 each, and a microwave lock is a useful item at $36.

With children under two, a playpen is a good idea whilst you are cooking, with the space between side bars not more than 50-85mm. Baby Den’s models go for $1250. Never place items in the pen that might help the child climb out.
At the Dinner Table

Use place mats rather than tablecloths, as a child could pull the cloth off the table. Keep hot tea and coffee out of their reach.

High chairs are not child minders. Never leave children unattended in them. Wheel the baby around the apartment, if need be.

Choose a chair that appears to have met some safety standards, and buy from a reputable shop. A five-point harness offers more security. If you are attaching a high chair to a table, take care to ensure the table is sufficiently stable to hold the weight.

Make sure the high chair is never closer than 50cm to windows, appliances, cookers or blind cords. Buying some cord winders is a good idea for each room of the house – they will cost you less than $20 each, and by keeping hanging cords out of reach, may save a lot of trouble.

In the Bathroom

Pay attention at all times. Children can drown in less than two minutes in just five centimetres of water. Bath seats have resulted in death, and should be used with extreme caution. Never leave a baby in the bath while you answer the door, check on cooking, or answer the phone. Instead, take a mobile phone into the room with you.

Close toilet and bathroom doors when not in use. Toddlers can drown in toilets, so keep the toilet lid closed. Empty all buckets and baths as quickly as possible. Close laundry doors: falling into washing machines or tubs of soaking washing can be fatal.

Use rubber non-slip bathmats, place razors, medications and vitamins high out of reach, and put kiddie locks on cabinets.

Hot water burns like fire. Ask your gas heater supplier to turn down the water temperature (some are designed for the user to adjust). At 60 degrees celsius, a third-degree burn may occur in the space of one second. At 50 degrees celsius, it may take five minutes.

The maximum bath temperature for children should be 40 degrees celsius. A bath thermometer can give peace of mind. When running a bath for children, run the cold tap last before turning off the water flow.

In the Living Room

In his book ‘Toddler Taming’, paediatrician Christopher Green suggests getting down on your hands and knees and moving around your home to give you a toddler’s view of things. You may notice hazards like bottles of alcohol, cigarette lighters, sharp edged tables and dangerously small objects.

Table edge bumpers ($400 and up) will prevent some nasty bumps. Cheaper corner bumpers can be found for as little as $12.

Be vigilant with fish tanks, fires and heaters. Affix stickers at the child’s eye height to floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors.

Toddlers love to climb book cases and cupboards. Fix them firmly to the wall. Use safety gates ($470-520 from Lindam) for the tops and bottoms of staircases and slip-proof mats under rugs.

Never leave your charges unattended in a room with a television. TV sets can be fatal. In older models, the weight sits at the front, making them extremely unstable. Use a strap to attach them to a wall, and place them low and well back from the edge of a cabinet. Some parents opt for wall brackets or modern technology where weight is less of an issue. Otherwise, keep the TV on the floor.

Beanbags are not recommended for children under one, as they can create a suffocation risk. Equally, never leave a baby on a sofa or bed surrounded by pillows or cushions.

In the Nursery/Bedroom

Buy a change mat with a strap. Even newborns can roll. Never leave a baby unattended on a mat, and always keep at least one hand in contact.

Bunk beds are for older children only. There should be no gaps on the top bunk to trap a child’s head or limbs.

Cots and beds should be placed away from windows and blind cords. Decorative posts and frilly ruffles around cots pose risks. Toy boxes with lids can trap a child.

Consider a cat net ($120) to keep inquisitive pets out of the cot, and prevent another possible source of suffocation. Cot insect nets go for about $130.

On the Balcony

Restrict usage to times when an adult can watch the child vigilantly. Keep balcony doors locked at all other times and install locks up high for younger children. Don’t assume that children past toddler stage are safe to play on their own on balconies.
 
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