Chapter Contents
General Advice
Many common household substances such as cleaning materials, cosmetics, medicines, plants, alcohol, glue, insecticides and other chemicals such as paint and white spirit can be dangerous. They can cause harm if they are inhaled, swallowed, touch or scratch the skin, or if they are splashed e.g. on clothes or in eyes.
Most adults understand the risk associated with these substances but a baby, child or young person may not. They may be attracted by packaging, want to copy adult use, be at a stage of testing everything by mouth or use the products in an unexpected way. Your job is to protect them from these products and their actions.
What you need to do will depend on the age and ability of the child you are looking after, however here are some general guidelines:
Do:
- Lock up medicines, vitamins and chemicals, and keep alcohol out of reach.
- Keep batteries away from children if there is a risk they may put them in or near their mouths. Dispose of batteries safely.
- Make sure mouse baits/traps or other pest control products are inaccessible to children. Use enclosed bait boxes.
- Ensure that children cannot access and drink from non-drinking water sources.
Don’t:
- Never mix chemicals.
- Never transfer chemicals into other containers for storage.
- Supervise children in areas where you are using or storing chemicals.
- Don’t have children with you if you are using volatile cleaning products or other chemicals for household tasks.
REMEMBER:
It is not only chemicals that can cause harm. Other everyday items can too:
- Small items such as toys or fridge magnets can cause choking. You can purchase choke hazard testers to check items around the house for risk. A suitable tester is available at http://www.safetots.co.uk.
- Plastic bags and other packaging may cause asphyxiation.
- Tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigarette butts are toxic when eaten.
- Always supervise children when in or near filled baths, rivers, paddling pools, garden ponds and even buckets of water. Young children can drown in very shallow water.
- Always check the temperature of bathing water, Fit thermostatic valves on baths and basins to avoid excessive water temperatures. Supervise children in the kitchen when kettles and pans are in use. Keep children away from any unprotected electric heaters.
- Cords on window blinds or clothes, cables etc. could be a strangulation hazard
- Ensure that you dispose of items safely. Some children may remove items from waste bins.
General guidelines
In the Garden
Some garden and house plants are toxic, some sting or are thorny. Pebbles can also be a choking hazard, and toddlers have been known to eat soil. Supervise very young children while they are playing in the garden until they learn that they must not touch or eat the plants.
It may be possible to fence off a safe area of the garden near the house for the child to play in. Some flexible playpen systems are suitable for use in the garden as well.
Get information about harmful garden plants here.
Many common household and garden substances such as cleaning materials, insecticides, and other chemicals such as paint and white spirit can be dangerous. They can cause harm if they are inhaled, swallowed, touch or scratch the skin, or if they are splashed e.g. on clothes or in eyes.
Most adults understand the risk associated with these substances but a child or young person may not. They may be attracted by packaging, want to copy adult use, or use the products in an unexpected way. Your job is to protect them from these products and their actions. What you need to do will depend on the age and ability of the child you are looking after.
Guidelines
- Lock up all cleaning solutions and chemicals that you use in the garden. Make sure they are out of reach of young children.
- Make sure mouse baits/traps or other pest control products are inaccessible to children. Use enclosed bait boxes.
- Ensure that children cannot access and drink any non-drinking water sources.
- Never mix chemicals.
- Never transfer chemicals into other containers for storage.
- Always supervise children in areas where you are using or storing chemicals.
- Don’t have children with you if you are using volatile cleaning products or other chemicals for household tasks.
Alert!
If you have a septic tank in the garden, please ensure that it is well-maintained and that children cannot access the lid.
