Safety In and Around the House: Practical Advice for Keeping Your Children Safe

• When you unload groceries or get out of a car, do not rest the infant seat on top of the car. Place it on the ground.
• Buckle infants and toddlers on their high chairs, infant seats, carriages strollers, and grocery carts
• Do not try to calm your colicky infant on an agitating washing or dryer
• Do not use baby walkers. They are dangerous and have been banned in Canada
• Be careful about allowing siblings and young children to hold infants
• Use only a crib that was built after 1986, when the crib bars were properly spaced to prevent strangulation
• Place cribs and beds away from windows or other surfaces to prevent climbing and falling
• Never leave infants or toddlers alone on a balcony even if there’s a security gate
• Block stairs with safety gates. Only use safety gates that screwed into the wall a the top of the stairs. Pressure gates cab give-away causing your child to fall
• Do not let your children play in the bathroom; it is not a play area
• Cut blind and drapery cords or tie them up so they are out of the reach of children
• Keep heavy and sharp objects out of the reach of children
• Lock all medication household cleaners, cosmetics, an d other dangerous materials in cabinets that are well out of the reach of children
• Keep plants out of the reach of children. If they swallow part of a plant, call the Québec Poison Control Centre immediately at 1-800-463-05060
• Never allow young children to use or be close to a lawn mower while it is running

Scalds and Burns

Make sure that you:

• Keep the temperature of the hot water in your home at less than 49°C (120°F)
• Test bath water before you place a child in it to ensure that it is not too hot
• Keep all hot liquids and objects out of reach of your children
• Keep matches and lighters out of sight and reach of your children
• Do not leave children unattended near the stove
• Use approved stove guard
• Do not let electrical cords dangle from countertops
• Cover all electrical outlets with protective covers
• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen near the exit
• Install a smoke detector on each floor and check the batteries m0onthly
• Keep a fire screen in front of the fireplace or wood stove
• Always supervise tour children near fire
• Plan a fire escape route and practice it with your children

Playgrounds

Make sure:

• Equipment is safe and working properly
• Surfaces under equipment have one foot of loosely packed sand or wood chips
• There is no broken glass or other sharp objects in the area
• Children use the play equipment only for its intended purpose
• Children use age appropriate equipment that does not exceed their abilities
• Parents or caregivers supervise the play

In the car

• Always use age-appropriated car seats, boosters and seat belts
• Use an infant car seat for a child who weighs less than 9 kg (20 lbs) or measures less than 66cm (26 inches)
• Use a child car seat for children who weigh between 9 kg and 18 kg (20 lb to 40 lb) or who measure 66 cm to 102 com (26 to 40 inches)
• Use a booster seat for children who weight more than 18 kg (40 lbs). You can stop using the booster when your child measures 63 cm (25 inches) in the seated position. Use the booster sear as long as necessary (sometimes until the age of eight years old)
• Make sure you install car seats and booster seats properly by following the manufacturer’s instructions closely. You should take advantage of the car seat clinics in your area.
• Never use a car seat that has been in a crash or if it’s story is unknown
• Never put a car seat on the front sear of an automobile
• When an older child wears a seat belt make sure it fits snugly across shoulders and over the chest. The lap belt should fit over the hips, not across de abdomen
• Children under 12 years of age should never sit in the front seat because they could be seriously injured when the airbag deploys
• When you car pool, do not double belt children

On the street

Teach Children to:

• Follow pedestrian road rules
• Stop before stepping onto road, look all ways and listen for vehicles that cannot see
• Make eye contact with drivers
• Obey traffic signs
• Always stop and check for cars at driveway, entrances, street corners, and in alleys
• Cross the street only at the intersection and never cross between parked cars

School Bus safety

Teach children to:

• Stand away from traffic when they wait for the bus
• Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before they step onto the street
• Stay in their seat, keep their head and arms inside the windows, and keep the aisles clear
• Wait for the bus to stop before they get up
• Cross in front of the bus so the driver can see them
• Wait for a signal from the driver and check all directions before they cross the street

PULLED ELBOWS

“Pulled elbow” usually occurs as a result of a sudden pull on a child’s arm when the elbow is straight. It happens more often in children between the ages of 18 months an d three years.

To prevent it, avoid pulling a child’s arm, even if it’s just to swing the child around or pull him out of a puddle.