WHERE’S THEHARM?
Make sure your home is safe for little ones by taking some simple steps WEDNESDAY
Coral mid heel slider, bershka.com YOUNG children are naturally curious and even if you’ve taken steps to make your home safe, you may still have missed something.
Child Safety Week provides a good opportunity to look at what more could be done to protect little ones.
Rich Quelch, global head of marketing for Origin, who develop child-resistant medicine bottles and packaging, warns that everyday household products can be harmful in the hands of small children. He shares his top tips on how to help keep the kids safe at home. Always keep medicines in original packaging More than 70 per cent of hospital admissions for poisoning in under-fives are caused by medicines, according to NHS figures.
Rich says where possible, only buy or request medicines that come in child-resistant packaging and never empty them into easy-to-open and unlabelled containers.
He adds: “Remember, BY MARIA CROCE reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk child-resistant does not mean packaging is entirely child-proof, so always keep all medicines out of reach of children.” Lock your dishwasher Like most cleaning products, dishwasher tablets contain aggressive alkaline salts that are corrosive if eaten.
Rich recommends wiping out the powder holder and the residue around the edge of the door after every use.
“Get into the practice of running the dishwasher as soon as you add the detergent,” he says.
“Most dishwashers have a lock setting, so check yours. Otherwise, consider installing an appliance lock.” Never refer to tablets as sweets If your child is ill and refusing to take their medicine, many parents will try to find ways to make them swallow it.
Rich says: “It can be tempting to make things easier by calling tablets ‘sweets’. But if your child was to ever get their hands on medicine unsupervised, they won’t realise they should only be taken in small amounts when they’re poorly.
“Teach your child from a young age about the safe use of medicines and make sure to praise and reward them when they follow the rules to reinforce good behaviour.” Be careful with leftover cleaning products It might be tempting to clear out your overflowing cleaning cupboard and transfer almost-empty products into smaller plastic bottles that you have lying around. But Rich warns that could confuse small children.
He says: “This could cause possible issues as your child won’t recognise the difference between this and the Diet Coke they saw you drink yesterday.” Cleaning wipes can pose a risk You might not think to keep kitchen or bathroom wipes under lock and key but children could easily mistake these for the harmless ones used for nappy changes or facial cleansing. Rich says: “As kids often mimic what they see us do, be sure not to leave new or used anti-bac wipes within easy reach.” Don’t forget mouthwashes Brightly coloured mouthwashes which taste nice can be mistaken for drinks by kids. They can cause serious internal damage if swallowed in large quantities. Treat e-cigarettes like the real thing Rich says: “E-cigarettes contain a liquid with high levels of concentrated nicotine, which can be incredibly harmful if swallowed. Keep out of your child’s reach at all times.” Extend rules to visitors If you have family or friends visiting or have help with childcare, don’t let safety precautions slip. Rich says: “Make sure all visitors are familiar with where you keep household products and remind them to pay close attention to their belongings. which children are likely to want
to explore.”