Investment propertyKeeping Kids Safe at Home
More than 18,000 emergency room visits a year are made by Canadian children who have been injured by common household products. To an adult, a chest of drawers is a storage device, but to a child, it can become a staircase to climb – causing the whole chest to tip over. A pull string on a window blind can act like a noose around a child"s neck.
A survey by Safe Kids Canada, a national program of Toronto"s The Hospital for Sick Children, says that 86 per cent of Canadians assume that the household products they buy are safe for the family to use. But this isn"t always the case, says Safe Kids.
"Children are particularly vulnerable to home product-related injuries, often using normally safe products in ways they were never meant to be used," says Pamela Fuselli, executive director of the association. "Parents and caregivers need to consider how a child sees different products in the home and anticipate how they could be harmful if used improperly."
For children ages four and younger, the biggest risk is falling from furniture. For example, Safe Kids says between 1990 and 2007, more than 5,400 injuries involving falls from bunk beds were reported in this age group. It says only children over age six should be allowed to use the top bunk, and padded carpeting should be installed under the bed. Other common incidents for the youngest age group include falls from tables, chairs and couches.
Toppling furniture is the number one risk for children ages five to nine. Televisions are one of the biggest hazards, more than 100 children visit the emergency room every year because they have managed to pull a TV onto themselves. Safe kids says television sets should always be kept on low, sturdy furniture and not on dressers. Safety products such as angle-brackets or furniture straps can be used to secure the set.
Water coolers, wall units and bookcases are other pieces of furniture that frequently fall on children.
For kids ages 10 to 14, backyard play equipment poses the biggest risk of injury. While parents can"t build a bubble around kids to keep them safe at all times, and the odd scrape and bump is bound to happen to active kids, there are some things that can be done to help minimize playground accidents. The equipment should be surrounded by a deep, soft surface such as wood chips or sand to help cushion a fall. In cool weather, kids should not be wearing clothing with drawstrings, since they could be caught in the equipment and cause strangulation. Scarves should be tucked into clothing.
Trampolines have become popular in backyards in recent years, but Safe Kids says that even with adult supervision and "spotters," the risk of injury is too great. It says it agrees with the Canadian Pediatric Society and the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine that parents should not use or buy trampolines at home for children and youth.
The survey also showed that almost half of Canadians rely on the media to keep them informed about product recalls. However, Health Canada reported at least 82 separate product recalls in 2007, far too many for the news media to cover.
Already this year, there have been product recalls for playpens, bicycles, toy beach chairs, charm bracelets, children"s sleepwear, waffle makers, hair care products and much more. Some of the items are recalled because they don"t meet safety regulations, some don"t have correct labeling, and some are downright scary. Some recalled bicycles, for example, have a suspension fork that "can lose alignment with the handlebar, causing the front wheel to turn unexpectedly. This can cause the rider to lose control of the bicycle and crash," says Health Canada.
A recalled "mood ring" has levels of lead that exceed allowable standards, and could cause lead poisoning. The waffle makers pose a shock or fire hazard.
Health Canada"s list of product recalls should be checked often by parents.
Health Canada has also banned a few children"s items that it deems unsafe. These include lawn darts with elongated tips and baby walkers.
Some other products, like trampolines, are not banned but could be very dangerous. Baby bath rings, for example, can give parents a false sense of security that they will hold a child up in the bathtub. Children should never be left unsupervised in the tub, even for a moment.
Children"s car seats, baby strollers, cribs and baby gates, if more than a few years old, probably do not meet current safety requirements. Parents should not buy such items used unless they are sure they are in good shape and meet regulations. Hockey helmets only last about three to five years, and should not be used if they have been subject to a major impact.
Toys with magnets in them can be particularly dangerous if they are swallowed by a child, leading to death or serious injury. Most of these magnet toys have been recalled but there may still be some being sold at yard sales.
When it comes to child safety, a little paranoia can be a good thing. Take a look around your house from a child"s point of view and make sure it"s a safe place to play.