Keeping children safe at home
Accidents to children can impact on their health and development and in some cases can cause serious injury, long term disability and sometimes death.
Under-5s are particularly at risk of being injured in home accidents, with falls accounting for the majority of non-fatal accidents and threats to breathing such as suffocation, strangulation and choking causing the highest number of deaths.
Most home accidents are preventable through increased awareness, improvements in the home environment and greater product safety.
For more information about how you can prevent childhood accidents please visit the Child Accident Prevention Trust website.
Top Tips
- Supervise your child at all times.
- Keep floors and stairs free of toys and obstructions that can be tripped over.
- Always use a securely fitted safety harness in a pram, pushchair or highchair.
- Never leave babies unattended on raised surfaces.
- Always keep medicines out of sight and reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard.
- Wherever possible, buy products in child resistant containers, store chemicals in their original containers and dispose of unwanted medicines and chemicals safely
- Avoid buying plants with poisonous leaves or berries or those that can irritate the skin.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust have a useful page of safety advice.
NSPCC has a dedicated page to keeping children safe at home, including advice for different age groups and a list of useful tips.
Children's Help and Advice Team (CHAT) at Herefordshire Council can offer support and guidance to parents, families and young people.