Safety Checklist
Childproofing checklist:
a) Before your baby arrives
b) When baby crawls
c) Toddler and beyond
AROUND THE HOUSE
Carbon monoxide
Install CO detectors if you use gas or oil heat.
Fire prevention
Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
First aid
Assemble a first-aid kit specially for babies.
Pin up emergency telephone numbers next to your telephone.
Lead paint
If old paint is flaking or peeling, have a professional remove or seal it.
Rugs
Put non-slip pads under area rugs that don't have non-slip backs.
Water safety
Buy an infant bathtub with contours or other features that make it slip-resistant.
Buy a bath splash stand that fits snuggly into the infant bathtub on which to put the baby in the bath.
NURSERY
Camping cot
Has sturdy bottom and wide, stable base.
Surfaces are smooth; no sharp protrusions.
Legs lock securely.
Mattress is firm.
Mattress fits snugly.
Avoid soft, fluffy bedding such as pillows, comforters, or sheepskins.
Changing table
Has a safety strap.
Find a place to keep baby wipes and other toiletries within your reach but out of your baby's.
Has a carpet or rug below in case of a fall.
Cot
Slats are no more than 7 centimetres apart.
Has no decorative cutouts that can trap your baby's head.
Mattress is firm.
Mattress fits snugly (less than two-fingers width between mattress and side).
Avoid soft, fluffy bedding such as pillows or comforters.
Is positioned away from windows, heaters, lamps, wall decorations, cords, and climbable furniture.
AWAY FROM HOME
Car
Purchase a car seat intended for infants
Install it properly, in the rear-facing position on the back seat.
Practice removing and reinstalling car seat correctly.
Nice to have:
A mirror that lets you see your baby.
Window shades to block the sun.
GENERAL SAFETY
First aid
Take an infant first aid course.
Childproofing checklist: Before your baby crawls
Most babies start to crawl at about eight months. This means that they may start to pull themselves up against items even earlier. Use this checklist to ensure that you are prepared for a crawling baby.
Bathing
Fill the bath just enough to cover your baby's legs (5 or 7.5 centimetres of water).
Use warm, not hot water (do wrist test or use a bath thermometer to make water 35 to 37 degrees Celcius).
Never, ever leave your baby in the bath unsupervised, not even for a few seconds.
Put a non-slip mat in the bath.
Nice to have:
Soft cover for bath spout.
Covers for bath taps.
Bath splash stand that fits snuggly in the bath (not a substitute for supervision!)
Preventing burns
Don't carry hot food or drink and your baby at the same time.
Keep hot food and drinks away from edges of tables and counters, especially if it has a tablecloth on it that could be pulled off easily.
Don't hold your baby while cooking at the stove.
Turn pan handles toward the back of the stove.
Car
Keep your baby in rear-facing car seat until at least 1 year old and 9 kilograms.
Install car seat properly, in rear-facing position on the back seat.
Changing table
Use the safety strap and don't leave your baby unattended.
Keep toiletries out of your baby's reach but within yours.
Clothing
Don't use clothing with drawstrings that could potentially tangle around their necks.
Cot
Avoid using soft, fluffy bedding such as pillows and comforters under or over your sleeping or napping baby.
When your baby gets up on hands and knees, remove mobiles and hanging toys.
When your baby pulls up, put mattress in the lowest position.
Don't leave toys in the crib when your baby is sleeping.
Keep drop side of crib up and locked when you're not in the room.
Doors
Use doorstops to protect your baby's fingers.
Put safety plugs or outlet covers in unused sockets.
Hide electrical cords behind furniture.
Keep blow dryers, toasters, and other appliances unplugged and out of reach.
Preventing falls
Never leave your baby alone on beds or sofas, in a bouncy chair or high chair, on the changing table, or in any other spot from which she can fall.
Install safety gates to block stairways at bottom and top.
If railings have openings wider than 10 centimetres, block with plastic garden fencing, or other material.
Fireplace
Install a fireguard and keep it in place when a fire is burning.
Move gas fireplace keys out of reach.
Store logs, matches, and fireplace tools out of reach.
Fire prevention
Invest in a fire extinguisher.
First aid
Take an infant first-aid course.
Forbidden territory
Keep knives, breakables, heavy pans, and other dangerous items locked up or out of reach.
Control access to unsafe areas with safety gates, door locks, and knob covers.
Put locks or latches on accessible cupboards and drawers that house unsafe items.
Keep rubbish bins in inaccessible cupboards or use ones with child-resistant covers.
Don't use tablecloths or placemats -- your baby will pull them and what's on them down.
Distract your baby from forbidden places by keeping one cupboard unlocked and filled with lightweight, babysafe items.
Furniture
Attach corner and edge guards.
Secure furniture that can topple (bookcases, chests of drawers) to the walls.
Keep televisions pushed back as far as possible.
Secure tall, unstable lamps behind furniture.
High chairs and hook-on chairs
Use a sturdy, stable, wide-based high chair with a safety strap.
Clamp hook-on chair securely onto a table that cannot tip over.
Use safety straps.
Don't leave your baby unattended.
Poison-proofing
Survey your house and move cleaning agents, medicines, vitamins, toiletries, mothballs, and other potentially toxic items out of reach or lock them up.
Remember that your purse or a visitor's bag can hold medicines, toiletries, and other toxic substances, so move them out of reach.
Get rid of toxic houseplants such as philodendron or move them out of reach.
Sleep
Put your baby to sleep on her back.
Don't let your baby sleep or nap on pillows or fluffy bedding such as comforters.
Don't put your baby to sleep on water beds or other soft surfaces.
Sun
Keep your baby out of the sun as much as possible.
When your baby is outside, protect her skin with hats, light-coloured clothing with long sleeves, and sunscreen with a an SPF factor of a least 30.
Toilet
Ensure that the toilet cover is down.
Toys
The safest toys:
Are securely put together and in good condition.
Have no buttons, eyes, beads, ribbons, or other pieces your baby could pull off and choke on.
Are not too heavy (if a toy would harm your baby if it fell on her, it's too heavy).
Have no strings or cords longer than 30 centimetres.
Are appropriate for your baby's age and physical skills.
Water
Don't leave your baby unattended even for a moment in or near a pool or other water.
If you have a pool, erect fencing at least 1.2 metres high with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Check with your municipality for by-laws in your area as well.
Don't leave even small amounts of water, cleaning solutions, or other liquids in buckets or other containers.
Nice to have:
Invest in a pool alarm
Windows
Cut off or tie up dangling cords on curtains and blinds.
Mark sliding doors and other expanses of glass with colourful stickers.
Keep your baby away from open windows.
Childproofing checklist: Toddlers and beyond
Your toddler is now being able to walk and he will discover a whole new world of places to explore. Use our checklist to ensure that your house is safe for your little climber.
Bathing
Fill the bath just enough to cover your baby's legs (5 or 7.5 centimetres of water).
Use warm, not hot water (do wrist test or use a bath thermometer to make water 35 to 37 degrees Celcius).
Never, ever leave your baby in the bath unsupervised, not even for a few seconds.
Put a non-slip mat in the bath.
Nice to have:
Soft cover for bath spout.
Covers for bath taps.
Bath splash stand that fits snuggly in the bath (not a substitute for supervision!)
Bed
Consider moving your child from a cot to a bed when he reaches approximately 87centimetres.
Use a bed guard to prevent falls from the new bed.
As an alternative to a regular bed, place the cot mattress on the floor.
Preventing burns
Don't carry hot food or drinks and your child at the same time.
Keep hot food and drink away from the edges of tables and worktops.
Don't hold your child while cooking at the stove.
Turn saucepan handles toward the back of the stove.
Car
Move your baby to front-facing car seat when he's a year old and weighs 9 kilograms and more.
Install your car seat properly on the back seat.
When driving, engage door and window locks, if your car is equipped with them.
Clothing
Don't use clothes with drawstrings that could tangle around your toddler's neck.
Doors
Use doorstops to protect your child's fingers.
Put safety plugs or outlet covers in unused sockets.
Hide electrical cords behind furniture.
Keep blow dryers, toasters, and other appliances unplugged and out of reach.
Preventing falls
Never leave your child alone in a high chair or let him climb on furniture from which he can fall.
If railings have openings wider than 10 centimetres, block with plastic garden fencing or other material.
Fireplace
Install a fireguard and keep it in place when a fire is burning.
Move gas fireplace keys out of reach.
Store logs, matches, and fireplace tools out of reach.
Fire prevention
Invest in a fire extinguisher.
First aid
Enroll in an toddler first aid course.
Forbidden territory
Keep knives, breakables, heavy pans, and other dangerous items locked up or out of reach.
Control access to unsafe areas with safety gates, door locks, and knob covers.
Put locks or latches on accessible cupboards and drawers that house unsafe items.
Keep rubbish bins in inaccessible cupboards or use ones with child-resistant covers.
Don't use tablecloths or placemats -- your child will pull them and what's on them down.
Distract your child from forbidden places by keeping one cupboard unlocked and filled with lightweight, safe items.
Furniture
Remove clutter and move protruding furniture that your child could trip on.
Attach corner and edge guards to furniture that will become a hazard as your child walks, climbs, and grows taller.
Secure furniture that can topple (bookcases, chests of drawers) to the walls.
Keep televisions pushed back as far as possible.
Secure tall, unstable lamps behind furniture.
Playgrounds
Make sure the surface under equipment is rubber, fibre, wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel and not asphalt, concrete, or grass.
Poison-proofing
Survey your house and move cleaning agents, medicines, vitamins, toiletries, mothballs, and other potentially toxic items out of reach or lock them up.
Remember that your handbag or a visitor's bag can hold medicines, toiletries, and other toxic substances so rather move them out of reach.
Get rid of toxic houseplants such as philodendron, or move them out of reach.
Sun
Keep your child out of the sun as much as possible.
When your child is outside, protect his skin with hats, light-colored clothing with long sleeves, and sunscreen.
Toilet
Keep the toilet cover closed.
Toys
The safest toys:
Are securely put together and in good condition.
Have no buttons, eyes, beads, ribbons, or other pieces your child could pull off and choke on.
Are not too heavy (if a toy would harm your child if it fell on him, it's too heavy).
Have no strings or cords longer than 30 centimetres.
Are appropriate for your child's age and physical skills.
Street
Teach your child to be wary of cars and to hold a grownup's hand in the street or parking lot.
