|
Safety Practices to Prevent: |
Falls/ Cuts |
- Infant or child is not left unattended on above ground surfaces (e.g., change tables, climbers)
- Safety gates are installed and used at stairs inside home or on decks
- Infant walker/baby exerciser or similar equipment on wheels is not used
- Baby jumpers have been properly secured to a door frame and are used only under supervision
- Child is always supervised near or on balcony, staircase, or playground
- Protective rail is used on beds for children
- The top level of a bunk bed is only used with children 6 years of age or older
- Child plays on playgrounds with impact-absorbing materials to soften falls
- Child wears a safety helmet during bike riding, rollerblading, skateboarding or similar activities
- Safety devices are installed on windows, patio and balcony doors
- Sharp instruments (e.g., scissors, knives) are not within child's reach
|
Motor Vehicle or Traffic Accidents |
- Car seats and booster seats are installed properly and used properly according to age, height and weight of the child
- Child plays in safe areas away from parked cars or road
- Child is taught how to "stop, look and listen"
|
Drowning |
- Swimming pools or hot tubs are fenced in and can only be accessed through a locked gate
- A supervising adult is within arms length of the child while near any water that is deeper than 5 cm (2 inches) (e.g., pools, bathtubs, ponds)
- Baby bath seats or rings are not used
|
Burning/Scalding |
- Home water temperature is set to 49 degree Celsius or less
- Bath water is tested before putting child in bathtub (should be 49 degrees Celsius or less)
- Cold water faucets are turned on before hot water faucets when washing hands
- Hot liquids and foods are kept away from a child especially while carrying the child
- Pot handles are turned towards centre of stove; hot soup is one of the leading causes of childhood scalding injury in the United States (WHO, 2008)
- Smoke and carbon dioxide alarms are used throughout the house or apartment
- Fire extinguisher is present in the kitchen and caregivers know how to use it
- Barrier is used around fireplace or wood burning stove
- Matches or lighters and other flammable substances are not within a child's reach
|
Sunburns |
- Protective clothing such as wide brimmed hats are used when children are outdoors
- Playing in the sun is avoided during peak sun hours (10am - 2pm)
- Sunscreen is applied to children over 6 months 30 minutes before such exposure and reapplied every 2 - 3 hours
- Spaces where children play are designed with structures providing shade
|
Suffocation/ Choking/
Strangulation |
- Small objects such as food (e.g., hard candy, nuts, popcorn, grapes, hotdog pieces), beads, coins, small parts of toys, are kept away from infants or toddlers under 3 years of age
- Cribs are placed away from windows, blinds, curtain cords, straps, lamps, electrical plugs, and extension cords
- Child is not wearing pacifier, jewelry, cord, string or skipping rope around neck
- Child does not play on playground equipment wearing scarves or clothing with cords or drawstrings
|
Poisoning/ Electrocution |
- Child-resistant caps/packaging are used on medications and household poisons and kept out of reach
- Cupboards containing poisonous items such as household cleaning products, medications, pesticides are locked with childproof locks
- Toxic or poisonous plants are not within child's reach or not kept in or around the home until the child understands the danger
- Electrical outlets are covered with plastic safety covers
|
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)/ Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI)
(applies to infants from birth to 12 months) |
- Infant is placed on his back for night time sleep and all naps
- Infant is placed in a crib with only a tightly fitted sheet and light blanket or sleep sac
- Infant is not placed to sleep on waterbeds, futons, couches, loveseats, chairs, car seats, makeshift beds or adult beds
- Infant sleeps in the parents' room for the first 6 months
- Infant is not overheated
- Bumper pads, duvets, pillows, heavy blankets and soft toys are not used in the crib
- Infant is put to sleep in a smoke free environment
- Infant does not share a sleep surface with others
|
Crib and Equipment Safety |
- Cribs made before September 1986 are not used because they do not meet current Canadian safety regulations
- The crib is not modified
- Children younger than two years of age sleep in a crib
- Equipment is used according to manufacturer's instructions
- Equipment is used according to age limitations
- Equipment is checked for recalls
|
Environmental Toxins and Pollutants |
- Home is free from second-hand and third-hand smoke (toxic chemicals released by smoking that are trapped in hair, skin, fabric, carpet, furniture, and toys)
- Child uses good quality toys without lead
- Lead-free paint is used in the home
- Home is kept clean (dust in older homes may contain lead) and free from allergens and moulds
- Mercury thermometer is not used
- Breastmilk, formula or food is not heated in plastic bottles or containers containing Bisphenol A
- Cold tap water is used for drinking water or to reconstitute drinks including formula (hot tap water contains more lead)
- In homes older than 1990, water is run for 2 minutes every morning before using it to make formula, other drinks or baby food
- Vinyl toys are not used for young children (chemicals can be absorbed through chewing and sucking)
- Children's art materials (e.g., markers, paints) are made of non-toxic materials
- Outdoor footwear is removed inside (e.g., metals, pesticides, and animal droppings can be tracked into the home on outdoor footwear)
- Children's playground equipment or picnic tables are made from cedar, redwood or metal, not pressure treated wood (may contain arsenic)
- Children are kept away from paints, glues, new carpets and similar things that may give off chemical gases
- Pesticides or harsh cleaning chemicals are not used near children
- Children are kept indoors on days when the air quality is poor
Additional information can also be obtained at:
http://www.toronto.ca/health/hphe/children.htm http://beststart.org/resources/env_action/pdf/AppB_auditform.pdf |