Positive Relationships: A parent's guide to ... home safety

Home accidents send nearly a million children to emergency departments across the UK each year, and half a million of these visits involve under-fives. Such accidents often go unreported publicly, however, because they happen 'behind closed doors', even though they can have life-changing consequences.

Q: What are the biggest home hazards?

The most severe injuries to children are associated with heat-related accidents and falls from height, including the stairs. Older children are more likely to sustain fractures, while younger children have a higher percentage of burns and scalds as well as poisoning and choking incidents. Remember, a cup of tea can still scald a child up to 20 minutes after it has been poured.

The following is not an exhaustive list of the most common home accidents, but it gives you an idea of the variety that result in visits to hospital. The figures show the estimated number of under-fives who go to an A&E department in the UK each year:

- Fall on/from stairs/steps (41,200 children)
- Suspected poisoning (24,900 children)
- Burn/scald from hot liquid/steam/gas (14,900 children)
- Burn by hot object/appliance (10,400 children)
- Choking on foreign body in throat (2,200 children)
- Fall from building/structure (eg, from a window) (1,800 children)
- Drowning/near drowning/submersion (100 children).

Q: Can I 'child-proof' my home to prevent accidents like these?

Attempting to completely 'child-proof' a home is an unrealistic aim. No-one wants to live in a house resembling Fort Knox. What's more, children change constantly and what might be deemed to keep them safe today might not do the job tomorrow. Children also need to learn about safety through challenges that support healthy development.

So, rather than trying to child-proof a home to make it 'as safe as possible', we encourage people to make their homes 'as safe as necessary'.

There are many examples of good practice that can help make homes as safe as necessary. Various items of safety equipment can be introduced at the stages of a child's life when they are most needed, without going over the top.

Q: What types of safety equipment do you mean?

The accident figures show that falls are a particular problem. Safety gates fitted at the top and bottom of the stairs can prevent some of the most serious falls. Fixed gates are best for stairs, and pressure-mounted gates, which can be easily moved, are best for fencing off particular rooms, such as kitchens.

Window restrictors, which limit how far windows open, can also be a valuable safety investment, although a balance needs to be struck between avoiding falls from windows and the prevention of crime, having a means of escape in an emergency, ventilation, and enabling cleaning and maintenance.

In terms of preventing burns and scalds, guards can keep young children away from the fire. Thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs), which regulate the temperature of bath water, can prevent the most serious bathroom scalds. If you are unable to fit a TMV, follow the golden rule of always putting the cold water in the bath first.

Making sure you have lockable cupboards for the safe storage of medicines and household and garden chemicals is also vital.

Q: So, is it all about having the right safety equipment?

No, with younger children the importance of supervision cannot be under-estimated. Fitting a fireguard or safety gate is no substitute for a parent or carer keeping an eye on what a toddler is doing, and a TMV will not prevent a toddler slipping under the water in the bath while you are in another room.

Looking around your home and garden from a child's point of view can help you identify hazards and work out how to remove them or reduce the risk. For example, are there small objects within reach that a child could choke on? Where do you stand your hot cups of tea before you drink them?

Learning about hazards and how to deal with them is a crucial part of childhood and talking to children about safety can equip them with valuable skills that they can build on as they become more independent.

Further information

RoSPA's website contains more information and includes a link to an interactive guide to home safety that was produced by The Times. www.rospa.com/homesafety.