- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
A Safer Home
Home Safety Council Calls Families to Action
d guidance in prioritizing which actions are most important. During the Hands on Home Safety campaign, the Home Safety Council is urging families to make three key changes during June to improve the safety of their homes:
1. Know the number: 1-800-222-1222.
According to the Home Safety Council's survey, nearly 75 percent of American families admit that the poison control hotline number is not posted by every phone. Memorize the poison control center toll-free number and keep the number by every phone in the home. It's a good idea to program the number into cell phones too.
2. Lower the water heater temperature.
Survey findings show that nearly 80 percent of respondents did not know the safe temperature setting for their water heater. It takes only one second for a young child to be injured by 160 degree Fahrenheit liquid, and only five seconds at 140 degrees. Check the setting of your water heater and make sure it is set no higher than 120 degrees F.
3. Brighten the lights.
The State of Home Safety in America shows that slips and falls are the leading cause of home injury and related death. More than one-third of American families have not installed lighting at the top and bottom of stairs to prevent slips and falls. Use bright lights at the top and bottom of stairs and make sure hallways and dark areas in the home are well-lit at night with nightlights.
The Home Safety Council encourages families to make safety a priority year-round. Use the council's top 10 tips below to increase the safety of your home.
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them monthly.
- Develop a fire escape plan for your family that identifies two exits out of every room and where to meet outside. Practice makes perfect – hold a family fire drill at least twice each year.
Always stay in the kitchen while food is cooking on the stove. - Keep all stairways, paths and walkways well lit.
- Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls, and use a non-slip mat or adhesive safety strips inside bathtubs and showers.
- "Post emergency numbers next to every phone in your home, including the Poison Control Hotline number (1-800-222-1222).
- Install child locks on all cabinets used to store potentially dangerous items.
- Keep your water heater setting at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or less.
- Install four-sided fencing with self-locking and self-closing gates. Fencing should completely isolate the pool from the home and be at least five feet high.
- Constantly supervise children in or near water such as pools, ponds, bathtubs and buckets.
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
