Childproofing

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A childproof fence Child proof fence.jpg
A childproof fence

Childproofing (also called baby proofing) is the act of making an environment or object safe for children. This reduces risks to a level considered acceptable by a society, an institution, or to specific parents. Childproofing may include restriction of children to safe areas or preventing children from reaching unsafe areas. This can be accomplished by the parent or by hiring a professional for assistance. [1] [2] Childproofing is gaining more prominence now that parents have greater access to information on child injury and a wide variety of products are available to help prevent it. It has become so top-of-mind for parents that even hotels and child-friendly resorts are offering "child-proof" rooms. [3]

Contents

Electrical safety

a plastic electrical outlet cover Outlet cover.jpg
a plastic electrical outlet cover

One of the more common concerns of child safety is the potential for electrocution or serious injury when an object, such as a key or metal paper clip, is inserted into an electrical outlet. Many childproofing devices exist that block access to the electrical outlets. These devices may be as simple as plastic units that plug into each individual socket but this type could be removed by a toddler or parents might forget to re-insert them after using the outlet. Once removed from the outlet, most plastic plug-in caps become potential choking hazards. [4] Other devices such as sliding outlet covers replace the current outlet plate but still allow parents access to use the outlet. [5]

The United States government publishes a free brochure for children that discusses electrical safety. [6]

Physical access

Common playpen. Laufgitter.png
Common playpen.

One of the more common methods of childproofing is to move potentially dangerous items to higher levels, beyond the reach of young children. This may include small items that pose a choking hazard, sharp items that might poke or cut a child, breakable items such as glass vases and anything that is long and flexible, like ropes and cables. Adults who want to get a better understanding of the potential dangers around the house can get down to the eye level of a child; this will enable them to see the house the way the child does. [7]

Drawers, cabinets, and other openables can be fitted with inexpensive devices that prevent easy opening. External devices are easily inserted around or between handles; they work by restricting movement unless the locking mechanism is released. [8] Another type of lock is internal: it consists of a bendable plastic rod with a blunt hook on one side, and is situated on the inside of the drawer or cabinet. [9] These devices are inexpensive and easy to install.

A playpen is another device that is commonly used as a form of childproofing, by restricting the movement of a child while resting, playing or bottle feeding, requiring a somewhat lower level of supervision while in use. Many playpens are portable, making them an alternative when the parent and child are visiting a home that has not been "childproofed".

Safety gates are used to help prevent a child from accessing an area of a house, especially the stairway, or to allow an exterior door to be open for ventilation while restricting movement of a child. Pressure gates and hardware mounted gates are available. Pressure gates can be dislodged by children and should not be used at the top of stairs. In some situations, pressure gates at the top of stairs have caused serious injury when a child has run against it or when a parent has fallen trying to step over the gate. Hardware mounted gates are the most secure option and should be installed securely into wall studs. [10]

Interior doors should be closed and secured to restrict a child's access to such areas as garages, basements, laundry rooms, home offices & gyms, bathrooms, or any other potentially hazardous area. Many different types of door latches are available. from simple door knob covers to top-of-door latches that can be operated from both sides of the door.

Water access

Drownings are the leading cause of unintentional deaths for children 1–4 years old in the United States and most drownings occur in home swimming pools. [11] A pool fence is a safety barrier that completely blocks access to a swimming pool, and may be permanent or removable. They are commonly used to improve pool safety and to help prevent small children from accidentally falling into the pool and drowning. The lack of a pool fence can greatly increase a child's risk of drowning. A four-sided isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) reduces a child's risk of drowning 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing. [12] Inside the home, the bathroom and the bathtub are an area for water safety concern. Parents should never leave any water in the bathtub after they have finished a bath session as only a small amount of standing water can create a scenario for drowning when left unattended. [13]

Chemical access

It is common to store a number of potentially dangerous chemicals under the kitchen & bathroom sinks or in the laundry room, such as drain cleaners, ammonia, and products containing chlorine and various chemical polishes, which are one of the most common causes of accidental child poisoning. [14] The safest solution is to relocate these hazards to an out-of-reach latched cabinet. [15] There are also a number of special latches that lock lower cabinets and require two actions to open, reducing the chance that a small child may gain access.

Medicine access

Child-resistant packaging is now common for medications. There are a variety of methods to secure medications, including caps that must be pinched or pushed down while turning. It may be required by regulation for prescription drugs, for over the counter medications, for pesticides, or for household chemicals where there is a significant risk of death from ingestion. Patients can request medications come in non-protected bottles at their pharmacy, but this is not recommended for patients with young children in the home. [16] Because some children will defeat child-resistant caps, medicine should always be stored up out of reach in latched cabinets or closets.

Fire safety

When childproofing a house in terms of fire safety, it is essential that the home be equipped with properly maintained smoke alarms on every level both inside and outside of sleeping areas. Smoke alarms that are linked up to one another are ideal because if one alarm sounds, they all will. It is important to make sure that there are both ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarms in the house, or a dual-sensor smoke alarm which contains both. This is because each type of sensor is specialized at detecting distinctly different, yet potentially fatal fires. Parents must be sure to test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year. [17]

A fire escape plan is essential for all residents to know in case of an emergency. Parents of infants and young toddlers should be prepared and in agreement on what actions to take in order to escape a fire, and children should also be taught the escape plan once old enough. Ensure that safety bars on windows can be quickly removed from the inside. [18]

Disposable lighter with built-in child guard. It requires more dexterity and strength to get the abrasive wheel to rotate due to a spring cover. Lighter side.jpg
Disposable lighter with built-in child guard. It requires more dexterity and strength to get the abrasive wheel to rotate due to a spring cover.

Disposable lighters sold in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States (since 1994) [19] must incorporate child-resistant features. [20] The European Union added the same standard in 2010. [20] The inexpensive alterations have resulted in fewer juvenile-set fires and deaths. [19] One firefighter was quoted as saying "Children love to play with lighters. They figure it out", while another fire fighting official said "kids' brains do not have the ability to understand how dangerous fire is, and how quickly it can spread". [19]

Due to a number of high-profile legal cases, [21] many manufacturers now produce goods with built-in safety measures, such as child-resistant locks. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has attempted to increase awareness of potential hazards and has made it easier for consumers to report potentially dangerous products. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gate</span> Point of entry to a space enclosed by walls

A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include yett and port. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall or fence, rather than a barrier which closed it. Gates may prevent or control the entry or exit of individuals, or they may be merely decorative. The moving part or parts of a gateway may be considered "doors", as they are fixed at one side whilst opening and closing like one.

In engineering, a fail-safe is a design feature or practice that, in the event of a specific type of failure, inherently responds in a way that will cause minimal or no harm to other equipment, to the environment or to people. Unlike inherent safety to a particular hazard, a system being "fail-safe" does not mean that failure is impossible or improbable, but rather that the system's design prevents or mitigates unsafe consequences of the system's failure. That is, if and when a "fail-safe" system fails, it remains at least as safe as it was before the failure. Since many types of failure are possible, failure mode and effects analysis is used to examine failure situations and recommend safety design and procedures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire sprinkler system</span> Fire protection method

A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply system providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, to which fire sprinklers are connected. Although initially used only in factories and large commercial buildings, systems for homes and small buildings are now available at a cost-effective price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoke detector</span> Device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire

A smoke detector is a device that senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Smoke detectors are usually housed in plastic enclosures, typically shaped like a disk about 150 millimetres (6 in) in diameter and 25 millimetres (1 in) thick, but shape and size vary. Smoke can be detected either optically (photoelectric) or by physical process (ionization). Detectors may use one or both sensing methods. Sensitive alarms can be used to detect and deter smoking in banned areas. Smoke detectors in large commercial and industrial buildings are usually connected to a central fire alarm system.

A child safety lock is a special-purpose lock for cabinets, drawers, bottles, etc. that is designed to help prevent children from getting at any dangerous things or contents. Young children are naturally curious about their surroundings and will always explore, but as they may be unaware of dangerous substances or situations, the results can be fatal. Numerous cases of poisoning have resulted from eating brightly colored pills or spilling cleaning solvents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firefighting</span> Actions to protect people, animals, goods, lands, and other objects from fire

A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter or fireman. Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural firefighting and wildland firefighting. Specialized training includes aircraft firefighting, shipboard firefighting, aerial firefighting, maritime firefighting, and proximity firefighting.

This is a glossary of firefighting equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latch</span> Mechanical fastener

A latch or catch is a type of mechanical fastener that joins two objects or surfaces while allowing for their regular separation. A latch typically engages another piece of hardware on the other mounting surface. Depending upon the type and design of the latch, this engaged bit of hardware may be known as a keeper or strike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manual fire alarm activation</span> Button or lever to activate fire alarms

Manual fire alarm activation is the process of triggering a fire alarm through a call point, pull station, or other device. This usually causes the alarm to sound the evacuation signal for the relevant building or zone. Manual fire alarm activation requires human intervention, as distinct from automatic fire alarm activation such as that provided through the use of heat detectors and smoke detectors. It is, however, possible for call points/pull stations to be used in conjunction with automatic detection as part of the overall fire detection and alarm system. Systems in completed buildings tend to be wired in and include a control panel. Wireless activators are common during construction.

Fire prevention is a function of many fire departments. The goal of fire prevention is to educate the public on the precautions which should be taken to prevent potentially harmful fires and how to survive these fires if they do occur. It is a proactive method of preventing fire-based emergencies and reducing the damage caused by them. Many fire departments have one or more Fire Prevention Officers, which may also be a routine duty of firefighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire alarm system</span> A system, that works using multiple devices to warn of a fire or other types of emergencies

A fire alarm system is a building system designed to detect and alert occupants and emergency forces of the presence of smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, or other fire-related emergencies. Fire alarms systems are required in most commercial buildings. They may include smoke detectors, heat detectors, and manual fire alarm activation devices, all of which are connected to a Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) normally found in an electrical room or panel room. Fire alarm systems generally use visual and audio signalization to warn the occupants of the building. Some fire alarm systems may also disable elevators, which under most circumstances are unsafe to use during a fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pool fence</span> Fence surrounding a swimming pool

A swimming pool fence is a type of fence placed around swimming pools, to create a passive barrier to restrict the access of small children to the swimming pool. Swimming pool fences must have a self-closing and self-latching gate/s to be compliant to most countries' laws and codes.

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) is a United States law named after Virginia Graeme Baker, who died after sustaining a pool suction-drain injury in June 2002, when the suction from a spa drain entrapped her under the water. It is incorporated as Title 14 of the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This act became enforceable law on December 19, 2008.

Home safety is the awareness of risks and potential dangers in and around a home which may cause bodily harm, injury, or even death to those living there.

Pittway Corporation was a diversified holding company best known as a manufacturer and distributor of professional and consumer fire and burglar alarms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refrigerator death</span> Death that may occur due to suffocation inside a refrigerator

A refrigerator death is death by suffocation in a refrigerator or other air-tight appliance. Because, by design, such appliances are air-tight when closed, a person entrapped inside will have a low supply of oxygen. Early refrigerators could only be opened from the outside, making accidental entrapment a possibility, particularly of children playing with discarded appliances; many such deaths have been recorded. Modern designs close with a magnetic mechanism that can be opened from the inside, reducing the danger of accidental entrapment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infant swimming</span> Reflexive response to immersion in water resembling, but not actually, swimming

Infant swimming is the phenomenon of human babies and toddlers reflexively moving themselves through water and changing their rate of respiration and heart rate in response to being submerged. The slowing of heart rate and breathing is called the bradycardic response. It is not true that babies are born with the ability to swim, though they have primitive reflexes that make it look like they are. Newborns are not old enough to hold their breath intentionally or strong enough to keep their head above water, and cannot swim unassisted.

Infant and toddler safety are those actions and modifications put into place to keep babies and toddlers safe from accidental injury and death. Many accidents, injuries and deaths are preventable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISO 7010</span> Technical standard for safety symbols

ISO 7010 is an International Organization for Standardization technical standard for graphical hazard symbols on hazard and safety signs, including those indicating emergency exits. It uses colours and principles set out in ISO 3864 for these symbols, and is intended to provide "safety information that relies as little as possible on the use of words to achieve understanding."

On the night of December 28, 2017, a fire tore through an apartment building in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. Thirteen people died, and fourteen others were injured. At the time, it was the city's deadliest fire in 25 years, being surpassed a little over four years later by another apartment fire in the Bronx that killed seventeen people.

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