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Home safety checklist

Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

Home environment
Do you have a safety switch to prevent electrocution?	Yes	No
Do you have a smoke detector located outside each bedroom area?	Yes	No
Are safety plugs fitted in spare power points?	Yes	No
Are safety gates installed at the top and bottom of stairs to prevent children from falling?	Yes	No
Do you have a fence that restricts access to your driveway and the street?	Yes	No
Kitchen
Do your appliances have short cords that do not dangle over the kitchen bench?	Yes	No
Do you use the back hot plates and turn pot handles around to prevent pots being pulled from the hot plates?	Yes	No
Are knives and other sharp objects stored out of reach of children?	Yes	No
Are all cleaning products, chemicals and medications properly labelled and stored in a locked cupboard at least 1.5 metres above the ground?	Yes	No
Do you have a fire blanket within reach of your stove?	Yes	No
Can you restrict access to the kitchen?	Yes	No
Bathroom
Have you regulated the hot water delivered to your bathroom to 50 degrees Celsius to prevent serious burns?	Yes	No
Does the bath have non-slip mats or hand rails?	Yes	No
Are medicines and sharp objects kept in a locked cupboard out of reach of children?	Yes	No
Are any electricals (ie. Hair dryers, electric shavers) stored safely and away from water when not in use?	Yes	No
Is the bath water temperature always "tested" before putting the child in the bath?	Yes	No
Are hot water taps unable to be operated by small children?	Yes	No
Laundry
Are cleaning products, bleaches and detergents stored out of reach, in a child resistant cupboard?	Yes	No
Is the nappy bucket used with a lid on and kept out of reach of children?	Yes	No
Can you restrict access to the laundry?	Yes	No
Living areas
Is the furniture located safely? (e.g. away from windows)	Yes	No
Are sharp edges on tables and furniture covered?	Yes	No
Are blind and curtain cords out of reach?	Yes	No
Are glass doors protected by safety film, colourful stickers or made of safety glass?	Yes	No
Is alcohol stored in a child resistant cupboard?	Yes	No
Are toys kept away from the main walkway?	Yes	No
Are rugs and mats secure to prevent a fall?	Yes	No
Are there any low level tables that dangerous items could be placed on? (e g. watch batteries, tea and coffee, peanuts)	Yes	No
Are large objects like TVs, entertainment units or wall units secure (i.e., so they can't fall down on children)?	Yes	No
Child's bedroom
Is the space between vertical cot railings between 50mm and 85mm wide?	Yes	No
Are toys suitable for the child's age?	Yes	No
Is the furniture located safely? (ie. not near electrical switches, windows or ceiling fans)	Yes	No
Garden shed/outdoors
Can your garden shed be locked at all times?	Yes	No
Are pesticides, paints, car products and other poisons stored in tightly covered, labelled, original containers out of reach of children?	Yes	No
Is the outdoor play equipment damaged or potentially dangerous?	Yes	No
Do you have softfall (eg; woodchips) around play equipment outside?	Yes	No
Does your pool have a fence at least 1.2m high around all four sides of the pool that cannot be climbed by children and has a self-closing, self-latching gate?	Yes	No
In the case of an emergency
Do you have a first aid kit in your home?	Yes	No
Do you know basic first aid procedures?	Yes	No
Do your children know the 000 emergency number?	Yes	No
Do you know the location of water, gas and electricity shutoffs?	Yes	No
Do your children know a fire escape plan?	Yes	No
Do you have the phone number for the poisons information centre 13 11 26 by the telephone?	Yes	No

If you answer no to any of these questions then your children are at risk.

List some important changes that you can make to your home to make it safe:

• Check your home for hazards.
• It’s very easy to make your home safe.
• Make sure friends and relatives houses are safe.

The Children's Hospital at Westmead Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St, Westmead Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, 2145 Tel: (02) 9845 3585 - Fax: (02) 9845 3562 http://www.chw.edu.au/ © The Children's Hospital at Westmead 1997-2008.