Home Safe Home
June 5, 2008 - 9:00 pm
When spring is in the air Meri-K Appy thinks about swimming pools, barbecue grills and freshly cut lawns -- but not in the way you might think. She's president of a national nonprofit organization devoted to the prevention of home-related injuries called the Home Safety Council. This means she approaches the gentle season with more trepidation than most.
In fact, while homeowners throughout the country are tackling spring-cleaning projects this month, Appy hopes they will take it a step further by ensuring their homes are safe, especially for the most vulnerable members of the household: children.
According to the council, about 2,100 children ages 14 and under die annually as a result of an injury in the home due to causes such as fire, poisoning, drowning and choking. Thousands more are injured, sometimes seriously, from accidents that might have been prevented.
What homeowners don't understand, Appy notes, is that sometimes even a quick fix can make all the difference -- whether it's checking the smoke alarms or putting medications behind lock and key. "It's hard when you're a parent or a caregiver. It takes a lot of energy to keep them safe but it's necessary," Appy says.
Alison Rhodes, a national expert on home safety and founder of www. SafetyMom.com, agrees that sometimes what seems like minor changes around the house can actually save lives. Many well-intentioned parents, for example, may want the perfect baby nursery but by removing extra bedding from the crib or taking down that elaborate mobile, they actually may be saving their child's life.
As June marks the observance of national Home Safety Month, here are some specific ways parents and others responsible for the care of children in their home can make a difference:
Check the windows
Every year there are cases of children falling through open windows, especially when the weather warms up, Appy said. Be sure to check every window in the house, and make sure the screens are strong and secure. Furniture such as couches, chairs, tables and cabinets should be moved away from windows so a child can't use them as makeshift ladders to climb out the window openings.
The best defense is to install stops that only allow a window to open a few inches, or guards such as those made by a company called Guardian Angel that have bars that fit across the window opening, Appy adds. Correct installation of these safety devices is vital, so follow the directions carefully or have a professional install them. Adults, for example, should be able to disengage the mechanisms with ease if the windows are needed as an escape route during a fire, she said.
Store toxins
There are layers of protection in terms of home safety. While child-safety locks can be a deterrent, they are not foolproof, Appy said. If possible, add another layer of safety by both locking up toxic substances and placing them on a high, out-of-reach shelf. This goes for items such as medications for adults and children, cleaners, fertilizers, pesticides and other potentially toxic substances.
"Make sure you are very aware of what you're bringing into the home," Appy added. "Keep them labeled. Look for words such as 'caution,' 'warning,' 'danger,' 'poisonous' or 'keep out of the reach of children,' and use them according to directions. Don't mix anything together."
Always keep the number for the National Poison Hotline by the phone (800-222-1222) and don't hesitate to call the hot line even if you just have questions, Appy said.
Finally, a homeowner should not store gasoline at all but, instead, only buy the amount they are going to use immediately. If gas is stored, it should be in a small amount and kept in a tightly sealed safety container with a warning label, Appy said. Any ventilation holes on the container should remain closed because gasoline vapors can escape and are highly flammable.
Be practical in the nursery
Rhodes, who lost a child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome before devoting herself to child-safety issues, warns parents to take a close look at both nurseries and the rooms of toddlers and young children. Babies, for example, should not have any bedding in their cribs such as pillows, blankets and bumper pads because these items put them at risk for suffocation. A baby can wear a sleeper to bed as a replacement for a blanket, she said.
To avoid the risk of strangulation, parents should make sure window blind cords are cut short and tied up so a child cannot get to them, Rhodes said.
Mobiles that hang above the baby should be taken down once the child is able to move around the crib, and lamp and baby monitor cords should be moved or concealed to limit any danger.
Medications, diaper creams, antibiotic gels and any other potentially toxic substances should be placed out of reach.
Make pool safety a priority
Experts agree that backyard pools should be surrounded by a four-sided fence at least 5 feet tall with a self-locking gate to keep children, and even pets, out. The side of a house should never be used as a substitute for fencing since children will have access from doors that lead directly to the pool area, Appy noted. Pool alarms, which sound when they detect motion in the water, are also a good addition to an overall pool-safety plan.
Lorraine Forston, a senior environmental health specialist with the Southern Nevada Health District, recommends that homeowners regularly check the water quality as well to ensure its safety. In addition to keeping the pH and chlorine in check, pool owners should look for signs such as green or black algae, which indicate the water is not getting clean enough, or dead spots where the water is not circulating as it should.
Large above-ground pools should have a filtration system and the chlorine level should be regularly checked. Small inflatable and hard-plastic pools should be empty when they are not in use so they don't become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which are carriers of Lyme disease, or entice unattended children. Even when a pool is getting filled up with water, someone should always monitor any children in the immediate area.
Finally, give children your full attention when they are in the water. Watch them swim, keep them away from the skimmers and drains when the filtration system is on, and remember that it only takes a moment for an accident, even a drowning, to occur.
"A fence and alarm are not a substitute for a grown-up's pair of eyes," Forston said. "When you're watching kids, you actually need to watch them. You have to be there. You have to pay attention."
More suggestions from the experts:
* Install sturdy baby gates that are easy to operate and lock when they swing shut such as those made by Cardinal Gate, Rhodes said. Make sure a gate placed at the top of a staircase never swings out over the stairs.
* TV sets and other electronics should be securely bolted to walls or safely encased in wall cabinets so children can't pull them down on top of them.
* If you have a media room or office full of electronics and you want to keep it off limits, try a keypad door lock that requires entering a code by companies such as Schlage, Rhodes said.
* Check the backyard playground equipment by tightening bolts, making sure you have 9-12 inches of soft landing material such as wood chips, rubber or gravel (dirt and grass are not soft enough and sand will harden) that covers 6 feet in all directions. And look for places where little arms, heads and hands can get trapped.
* Instead of using electric outlet plugs which have to be removed, try outlet plates that have covers that simply slide back and forth. They're much easier to use, and the traditional outlet plugs actually pose a choking hazard to children.
Additionally, the Home Safety Council offers a room-by-room virtual tour of a home with potential safety issues and solutions. Visit www.MySafeHome.org for more information or to take the virtual tour.