These safety measures should be used in homes where children live and in homes they frequently visit, e.g., grandparents or babysitters.

Burns, Electrical, and Fire

• Guards in front of or around heating appliances, fireplace, furnace (including floor furnace)
• Electrical wires in good repair and out of reach
• Electrical outlets “capped”
• Smoke detectors operational
• Matches out of reach
• All heated appliances/objects placed out of child’s reach and disconnected when not in use
• Hot water heater set at 49°C (120°F) or lower
• Pot handles turned toward back of stove or toward center of table
• Cool, not hot, mist vaporizer used
• Fire extinguisher(s) available and operational
• Family escape plan (in case of fire) current
• “9-1-1” and address of home with nearest cross street posted near phone

Falls

• Exits, halls, stairs free of obstructions and well lighted
• Nonskid mats and safety strips in tubs and showers and on stairs
• Decals on glass doors/walls
• Safety glass in doors/walls/windows
• Gates at doors/stairwells
• Guard rails on upstairs windows
• Safety locks/latches that prevent/limit opening in use on doors/windows
• Crib rails raised to full height and mattress kept in low position
• Restraints used in high chairs and other infant/child furniture
• Pediatrician’s phone number posted near phone

Aspiration and Suffocation

• Small objects stored out of reach and hanging objects (e.g., mobile) placed out of reach
• Toys inspected for broken or removable parts
• Plastic bags and plastic-covered pillow/mattress not accessible or in use
• Cribs with slats meet federal regulations (slats <2 inches [6 cm] apart with snug fitted mattress)
• Bathroom and kitchen faucets firmly turned off
• Toilet seats in down position or latched shut
• Locked gates by fenced-in pools, spas, etc.
• Proper safety equipment by pools, spas, etc.
• Wading pools kept empty when not in use
• Doors to dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, and dryers kept closed
• Food cut into “sticks” rather than “coins”
• Adult family member trained in CPR and first aid for choking

Bodily Injury

• Knives, unloaded firearms, power tools stored in locked cabinet
• Pets properly restrained and immunized for rabies
• Outdoor play equipment kept in safe, working condition
• Yard free of glass, nails, litter, etc.
• Nearest emergency department’s phone number posted near phone

Poisoning

• Toxic substances placed on high shelf in locked cabinet
• “Extra” quantities of toxic substances not stored in the house
• Used containers of poisonous substances not accessible by the child
• Household cleaners/disinfectants kept in original containers, separate from food and out of reach
• Medications clearly labeled in childproof containers and stored out of reach
• Poison Control Center phone number and address of home with nearest cross street posted near phone

Adapted from Hockenberry, M, & Wilson, D: Wong’s Nursing Care of Infants and Children. ed 8. Mosby, St. Louis, 2007.