Bath Safety

• Never put your child in the bath without testing the water first.  
• Run the cold water first and then add hot until you get the right temperature. Finally, run more cold water to cool off the faucet.
• Mix the water with your hand to get rid of hot spots. Then test the water by placing your elbow or forearm in the water. It should feel "just warm" to you. Then it will be warm enough for your child. (This will be body temperature, about 37 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Fahrenheit.)
• Stay with young children at all times when they are in the bathroom and at the kitchen sink.

Fire Safety

• Keep matches and lighters out of children's reach. Remember that "child-resistant" lighters are not child-proof. Children as young as 18 months have been able to start a fire with a cigarette lighter.
• Teach your child (beginning at about age 4) that matches and lighters are tools, not toys. Teach your child to tell an adult if the child sees matches or lighters.
• Teach children to “Stop, Drop and Roll” if clothing catches fire. Rolling on the ground will smother the flames. Teach them not to run, because this will cause the flames to spread.

Protecting Children from Contact Burns

• Contact burns happen when someone touches a hot object, such as an iron, space heater, or fireplace. Many items in your home could give a child a contact burn.
• Never leave a small child alone near a hot appliance, such as an iron, space heater, curling iron, or toaster.
• Keep electrical cords out of children’s reach while you are using hot appliances.
• Unplug hot appliances when you have finished using them. Store them in a safe place while they cool down.
• Move your child's crib or bed away from the radiator or other heat source in his or her room.
• If you have a gas fireplace, keep small children away from it at all times. The glass doors can reach 200C (400F) when the fireplace is switched on, and the glass takes up to 45 minutes to cool down to a safe temperature after the unit is switched off. You can protect children by using a fireplace guard, like a fence that fits around the fireplace. Or you can choose not to use your gas fireplace when young children are in the house.
• If you have a wood-burning fireplace, be sure to use a screen or doors that close. Keep small children away from the fireplace.
• Keep children away from barbecues when you are cooking. Remember that a barbecue stays hot for a long time after you have stopped using it.
• After summer campfires and cookouts, keep children away from the coals. Buried coals stay hot for hours, and many children have been burned from playing or falling into fire pits after the fire was put out.

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Electrical safety

For children under 5:

• Keep appliances, power tools and electrical cords away from young children. Unplug appliances and tools when you finish using them.
• Unplug extension cords from the wall outlet when the extension cord is not in use.
• Install outlet covers and plug covers to keep young children from playing with electrical plugs, including power bars.
• Outlet covers that attach to the electrical plate with screws give better protection than the plug-in style outlet caps. Several styles of these products are available. Some children can remove the plug-in caps, and some brands are small enough to cause choking.
• If you buy a night light for your child’s bedroom, choose a simple light that does not look like a toy. If your child thinks the light is a toy, he or she may play with it and get an electrical burn.
• Teach children (beginning at about age 3) that electricity can cause serious injury.

 Electrical safety rules

• Children ages 5 and older should learn these safety rules:
• Never put your fingers or other objects into electrical outlets.
• Don’t use old or worn electrical cords. They can burn you or cause a fire. Don’t touch them. If you see one, tell an adult.
• Don’t pull a plug out by the cord. Pull by the plug.
• Don’t touch anything electrical when you are wet.
• Don’t use an electrical appliance (such as a hair dryer or radio) when you are wet, have wet hands or are standing in water.
• Don’t climb trees near power lines.
• If your pet climbs a hydro pole, don’t try to rescue the animal. Tell an adult.
• Don’t fly kites near power lines. Always find an open space for flying kites.
• Don’t climb hydro fences. You could fall or touch a wire and be seriously hurt.
• Don’t play near electrical equipment, wires, hydro towers or poles. Keep away from outdoor areas marked with signs that say “Danger” or “Danger High Voltage.”
• Don’t go near fallen power lines. They can cause serious injury.

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Microwave Oven Safety

• Do not let young children use a microwave oven by themselves.
• Always stir foods or drinks heated in a microwave before you give them to a child. Test the temperature. Microwave ovens heat from the inside out, and food and drinks do not heat evenly.
• Be very careful heating baby bottles in the microwave. Hot formula can easily burn your baby’s mouth or tongue. It is best to heat baby bottles in a pan of water on the stove.
• If you do use a microwave, shake the baby’s bottle after warming to make sure the liquid is evenly heated. Then, test the formula by dripping a little onto the inside of your wrist. It should feel “just warm.”
• Loosen the lid of any container before heating in the microwave. Overheated bottles can explode.
• Do not cook whole eggs (in the shell) in a microwave. They can explode and cause serious burns to people’s eyes and face.
• Do not use a microwave to boil water. A cup of water heated in a microwave can over-heat without boiling. The water may explode out of the cup when you take it from the oven. If you do heat water in a microwave, put a wooden or microwave-safe plastic spoon in the cup. This will help to bring the water to a normal boil.

Sun Safety

• Keep babies less than one year out of direct sunlight. Keep them in a covered stroller, under an umbrella, or in the shade.  
• Do not use sunscreen on babies under six months old. They may rub it into their eyes or put it in their mouths.
• Keep children out of the sun between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.(daylight savings time). That is when the sun’s rays are strongest. Babies and young children have more sensitive skin and can burn very easily.
• Dress your child in loose clothing that covers the arms and legs.
• Have your child wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
• Apply generous amounts of sunscreen to your child’s skin and a sunscreen lip balm 15 to 30 minutes before going outside. Use sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
• When buying sunscreen, choose a broad spectrum product that screens both UVA and UVB, with SPF15 or higher. Products with the logo of the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) have been tested to ensure that their SPF claims are accurate.
• Reapply sunscreen if it gets washed off due to sweating or swimming. Waterproof sunscreen last up to 80 minutes.
• Ensure that outdoor play spaces have an area of shade.
• Encourage your children to drink plenty of fluids, to prevent dehydration.

Cool a burn: first aid for scalds and burns

• If your child is burned, cool the burn to stop the damage from getting worse. Even after the heat source is removed, the burning in the skin can continue for several minutes.
• Immediately place the burn in cool water. Do not use ice or ice water.
• Remove any hot, wet clothing immediately. Continue cooling for 10 minutes.
• Do not use oil, butter, creams, ice or other home remedies on a burn or scald.
• Go to the doctor or hospital if the burn or scald:
• is more than half the size of the child’s hand
• is on the child’s face, hands, feet or groin area
• breaks or blisters the skin.
• Before going to the doctor, wrap the burned skin in a clean, dry cloth. Wrap your child in a blanket to keep warm.

If you have any questions or comments please call us at 1 888 SAFE TIPS (723-3847). Or send us an e-mail at safekids.web@sickkids.ca. 

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Page published on 2006-08-28

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