Ordinary household items can prove fatal to a child. Keep these safety tips in mind if there's a child in your home.
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Keep These Things In Mind
* Window blind or drapery cords, wall decorations with ribbons and streamers, laundry bag strings, bibs, and loose clothing all present a possible strangulation hazard. Be sure to secure all of these items or keep them out of reach.
* Plastic is one of the most dangerous items that can cause suffocation. Knot plastic bags before discarding them (Fig. 1), and never allow an infant to sleep on a plastic-covered mattress.
* When storing or discarding unused appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, dryers, or coolers, always be sure to remove or chain and padlock the doors. These can be tempting hiding places for children, who can suffocate if they are trapped inside.
* When purchasing an electric garage door opener, be sure that it reverses or stops when resistance is encountered. Check it frequently to be sure it works properly. Install switches for the opener out of reach of children, and keep the remote locked in the car.
* On holidays, consider safety when you put up decorations and rearrange furniture.
* If you own a gun and store it in your home, always exercise gun safety. Keep it unloaded and disassembled, as well as out of sight and reach. Store ammunition in an area separate from where the gun is kept. Every day a child under the age of 14 is killed in the U.S. by a handgun, often by accidents in the home.
