Safety inside the home

We know it’s not nice to think about, but accidents in the home do happen and can be devasting when they do, particularly if they involve your child.  By taking some practical steps, you can reduce the risks. 

Children like to copy what we do, and they like to explore. They may not know that what they are trying to grab can be dangerous, so it’s best to keep hazards tucked away. Things to keep out of reach include: 

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• Kettle leads.  

• Knives and scissors. 

• Irons.  

• Hot drinks. 

• Panhandles (keep handles turned inward when in use to prevent your child grabbing them). 

• Household chemicals, like medications, washing capsules or other cleaning products. It is a good idea to keep these stored away in a secure place. You can use locks for extra precautions. 

Kitchen floors can be slippery when wet. Clean up any spills immediately to prevent slips.  

Check out this interactive virtual tour for help identifying risks in the kitchen, with helpful solutions. 

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Your baby or young child is still learning to chew, swallow and breathe in the right order. Choking can easily occur if you do not prepare certain foods before giving them to your young child. There is no sound to warn you. But there are simple ways to stop it happening. Food should not be introduced until your child is 6 months old.  

• Supervise your child at all times.  

• Cut round food like grapes, tomatoes, and big blueberries in half lengthways or into quarters. 

• Cut hard food like carrots, apples, sausages and cheese into thin strips, and chop nuts up small.     

• Avoid popcorn, marshmallows and hard round sweets like mini eggs or boiled sweets.  

• Put small parts from older children’s toys out of reach.  

If you can, attend a first aid awareness session.  

The British Red Cross have information and videos on what to do if your baby, child, or an adult is choking. More first aid information is available on St John’s Ambulance.  

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You and your child will probably spend a lot of time in these rooms. Here are a few things to think about to make sure they are safe: 

• Use a fixed fireguard. 

• Cover sharp edges on tables and furniture. 

• Keep blind and curtain cords secured up high and out of your child’s reach. For more information, read about about blinds and curtains. 

• Take care to not overload extension leads. Keep usage below the maximum voltage for the extension lead.  

• Keep alcohol out of reach. 

Children love to climb the stairs. It can help them strengthen large muscles and develop their co-ordination and balance. Here are some tips around stairs, so your child can learn to use them safely.  

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• Safety gates: Children will climb and will still need supervision. Most manufacturers only recommend stairgates up to the age of 2 years. By this time, many toddlers are able to climb over the gate, which increases the risk of accidents. There are 2 different types of stairgates, and these are either fitted or flexible.  Flexible stairgates should not be fitted at the top of the stairs as they could become a ‘flying carpet’, falling off the wall and sliding fast down the stairs.   

• Make sure your stairs are free from clutter and obstacles that could cause a fall. 

• Good lighting on and around the stairs can help prevent trips.  

• Board over horizontal bannisters to stop children from climbing up them. They could look inviting to your child as a ladder.  

• Bannister rails need to be close together. Close enough that a 100mm sphere could not get through. 

• Ensure stair carpets are fixed down securely.  

• Teach your toddlers how to use the stairs and support them while they practice, by holding their hand or standing close to them.  

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Bathrooms are for playing in the bath, learning, and using the toilet, and brushing teeth in the morning, and as part of the bedtime routine. So, it makes sense that your child will spend a lot of time in the bathroom. Here are some tips to keep them safe, so their bathroom experiences can be positive.  

Never leave babies and young children unattended near water as they can drown in as little as 5cm.   

• Use a non-slip bathmat. 

• Run cold water before adding in the hot. This will avoid scalding.  

• Stay within arm's reach of your child in the bath at all times, actively supervising.  

• Keep your toilet lid closed. Toddlers are top-heavy and do not have full control over their physical movements yet. They could fall or tilt into the toilet and they will struggle to remove themselves and could drown.  

• Keep bathroom cleaning products locked away and out of reach of your child.  

You can read more about water safety inside the home, and how to bathe your child safely, in our water safety.

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Whether they’re playing in their bedroom, snuggling in bed with you in the big bed, or going to sleep, bedrooms should feel calm and relaxing. There are a few things to consider to ensure your bedrooms are safe so they can keep being a place to relax.  

• Keep make-up and perfumes out of reach. Cosmetics and perfumes can be toxic to your child if swallowed or used without supervision. For more information, see our page on poisons.

• Fit window restrictors. This is particularly important if your window opens from a floor above ground level. 

• Keep furniture away from windows. Your child will love to climb and it’s best to remove the risk.  

• Keep your child away from any straighteners when in use.  Having a heat-resistant pad to contain hair straighteners after use can help. This can be bought separately if your gadget does not come with this supplied.  

• Use safety bars and a secure ladder on any bunk beds.  

• Never leave a baby on a bed unattended. Babies can wriggle and roll and quickly move to the edge of the bed and fall or become wrapped up in the covers. 

Your new baby should sleep in the same room as you for the first six months for sleep day and night. The Lullaby Trust has prepared a practical guide to read before your baby is born.   This can be useful to share with others who will also care for your baby.  It has information on:  

• What your baby needs  

• What not to buy  

• Safe co-sleeping  

• Premature and low birth weight babies  

• Slings and baby carriers  

  There is also information on sleep safety for your baby’s first year.    

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To your child, blinds and curtains can be seen as a source of entertainment, somewhere to play hide and seek.  Sadly, this could be deadly as the blind or curtain cords could get caught around their neck.  

Between 16 and 36 months, your child is both mobile and top-heavy as they develop their muscular control.  Should your child become entangled in blind cords, they will not be able to free themselves. The speed at which they can suffocate is also quicker.  

Top tips for preventing accidents:  

• Install blinds and curtains that do not have a cord. New blinds should have child safety features as part of safety standards from 2014.  

• Where cords exist keep them short and out of reach of your child.  Make use of cleats, cord tidies, clips, or ties.   

• Keep your child's cot, bed, playpen, or highchair away from windows and other furniture - your child will love to climb.  

• Do not hang toys or objects that could be a hazard on a cot or bed.  

WARNING: The following video will emphasise the need to be aware of cord safety but please be aware this can be a difficult watch. 

Our furniture can seem like fun to climb for a little one, but furniture can easily topple. Furniture anchors help to stop your furniture from tipping over. They are easy to install, and sometimes come with the furniture.  

To further reduce the risk of accidents involving furniture: 

• avoid putting a TV or other heavy objects on top of a chest of drawers or anything other than a TV unit. 

• Place heavier objects in the lowest drawers. 

• Don't let children climb or hang on drawers, doors or shelves. 

If you’re renting, you'll need to check your tenancy agreement to see if you can anchor your furniture to the walls. If you're unsure, check your agreement or talk to your landlord or letting agent to clarify. 

Most landlords will let you anchor heavy furniture if you ask for permission before. It's important that they keep their tenants safe, especially if you have children. 

If your landlord refuses, there are other options. 

• Most tenancy agreements specify that tenants must return the property in its original condition. This means you may need to fill and repaint any holes made by furniture fixings before moving out to avoid deductions from your deposit. 

• Use non-damaging alternatives like adhesive strips or brackets designed for rentals. 

• Have a first aid kit available in your home.  

• Make sure there are working smoke detectors in your home.  

• Have any gas appliances checked and serviced regularly. 

• If you have gas, ensure a carbon monoxide monitor is installed in your property. 

• Keep matches and lighters out of your child’s reach.  

• Keep small toys, coins and small objects including button batteries away from your toddler.   

• Where you can, try to use window restrictors on windows or handles with locks. Store keys in a secure but accessible space for adults to reach in emergencies.  

• If you are a tenant, report urgent repairs at once to your landlord. 

• Keep floor areas clear of obstacles and free from clutter.  Try crouching down to your child’s eye level. This change of perspective can help you see potential hazards from their point of view. You may be able to spot things you wouldn't have noticed such as small gaps, accessible chemicals, or low unstable furniture. 

• Closely supervise your child when interacting with any pets. This can prevent harm to your child as well as your pet. 

• Make sure that electric sockets are not overloaded or damaged.  Current regulations for electrical sockets recommend:  

• avoiding the use of socket covers. Modern UK sockets are designed with built in safety shutters. These prevent objects from being inserted into live contacts unless a proper plug is inserted. Covers can compromise these safety mechanisms by deforming the socket.  

• extra safety checks for USB-integrated sockets.  

• staying up to date on advice about electrical installations and maintenance. 

• Make sure that there are no trailing flexes or wires.  

• Supervise your child in outdoor spaces.  Particularly around, ponds, paddling pools, plants and garden accessories and products. See more information in our outdoor safety section. 

It is also a good idea to have a fire escape plan in place, so you know how to escape your home safely with your child in an emergency.  Once your child is old enough share this information with them. Teach them what to do in an emergency in general.