Household safety and supervision

In the kitchen

• Have a fire extinguisher or fire blanket located in or close to the kitchen.
• Keep cleaning products and medications out of reach of children.
• Keep knives and other sharp objects out of reach of children; a knife block is a good solution.
• Keep electrical cords for appliances like kettles and blenders out of reach of children.
• Wash hands before preparing food, feeding young children, serving food or eating.
• Wash hands after handling raw food.
• Use a separate cutting board for meat.
• Cook on the back burners of the stove where possible, and position handles out of reach.
• Rinse a cleaning cloth or sponge after use and put it somewhere to dry.

In the bathroom

• Set the hot water system so that tap water is not hotter than 50C.
• Keep hazardous materials including medications and razors out of reach of children.
• Do not keep electrical appliances in the bathroom.
• Use non-slip mats in the shower and bath.
• Wash hands after using the toilet or changing a nappy.
• Wash toothbrushes in hot water and keep them away from the toilet and sink to prevent contamination.
• Never leave babies, infants and small children alone in the bath
• Wash hands before giving someone medicine or first aid.
• Wash hands after having contact with blood or body fluids, coughing or sneezing or blowing your nose.
• Wear rubber gloves when someone in the house is sick or injured and you are dealing with bodily fluids, blood, faeces and vomit.
• Properly dispose of used bandaids, bandages and needles.

Around the house

• Locate furniture away from windows to ensure a child can’t climb up and out of a window.
• Locate heaters at least one metre away from anything flammable, such as curtains.
• Clean surfaces regularly, particularly those that are touched often like doorknobs and stair rails.
• Clean surfaces frequently when someone is ill and immediately if contaminated by bodily fluids, blood, faeces or vomit.
• Clean a baby’s change table at least daily and whenever dirty.
• Regularly wash children’s toys.
• Keep pets clean and regularly empty litter trays.
• Install an electrical safety switch to minimise the risk of electric shocks and injuries, deaths or fires.
• Use power boards in electric sockets instead of double adapters, and do not overload them.
• Switch off and unplug electrical appliances when not in use.
• Do not use extension cords in areas where they may be tripped over or pulled out accidentally.
• Do not run extension cords under carpeting or rugs, as they may overheat.
• Attach safety barriers to the top and bottom of stairs to prevent falls if there is a baby or infant in the home.
• Keep cords for blinds and curtains out of reach of children.
• Install at least one working smoke alarm on each level of your home (this is a legal requirement in NSW and anyone who does not comply is guilty of an offence and can be fined).
• Keep smoke alarms in working order; check twice a year and change batteries once a year.
• Have a fire escape plan and practise it regularly (for tips about home fire safety go to NSW Fire & Rescue).
• Keep handy the phone numbers of the police, fire brigade, ambulance and NSW Poisons Information Centre so all members of your household can find them easily.

Reducing the risk of sudden unexpected deaths in infancy

Even the most experienced carers need to keep up to date with information about the safest way for infants to sleep. Safe sleeping practices are vital to protect children, especially infants, from sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI).

The sudden unexpected death of a baby, when there is no apparent cause of death, is now called SUDI and includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleep accidents. SIDS used to be called ‘cot death’. A baby can die of SUDI at any time of the day or night, but most die quietly in their sleep.

Researchers still do not know what causes SUDI but have identified common risk factors. The best way to provide a safe sleeping environment is to make sure of the following:

• The baby sleeps alone in a cot and does not share a bed with others (called ‘co-sleeping’), particularly if the adult is a smoker, is affected by alcohol or other drugs or is very tired and likely to sleep very heavily.
• The mattress is firm, clean, fits the cot and doesn’t leave a gap for the baby to become trapped.
• The bed is dressed with a single fitted sheet, a single flat sheet and a blanket if some warmth is required.
• The infant is placed on their back and the feet are positioned at the bottom of the cot to prevent them slipping under bedding.
• Bedclothes are tucked firmly around the baby.
• No pillows, quilts or doonas are in the cot or draped over the cot.
• No cot bumpers are used and no soft toys are kept in the cot.
• The baby’s face is left uncovered and the baby does not sleep with a hat, beanie or hood.
• The baby is not at risk of overheating; don’t overdress the baby, don’t use an electric blanket or hot water bottle, and don’t have a heater in the room.
• The baby is not cold; dress the baby as you would dress yourself to be comfortably warm.
• The baby is never left to sleep in a sofa, armchair, beanbag, waterbed or other soft surfaces.
• All family members know about safe sleeping.
• No-one smokes inside the home, car or near infants and children.

Reducing the risk of cot-related injuries

A baby or infant’s cot can also be the site of other injuries. Most are related to falls, but children can also be injured by striking sharp edges in the cot, getting stuck between bars, or getting clothes caught on fittings such as bolts, knobs and corner posts, causing strangulation.

All cots sold in this country must comply with the Australian Standard AS/NZS 2172-2003. If you are buying a new cot, make sure it carries this standard.

If your cot is a hand-me-down, make sure it meets legal requirements:

• The space between bars or panels on the sides of the cot is no less than 50 mm and no more than 95 mm apart; if gaps are smaller, infants may get a foothold and push themselves up and out of the cot. If gaps are wider they can trap a baby’s head, arms or legs.
• The cot distance between the base of the mattress and the top of the cot should be no less than 600 mm.
• There are no spaces or gaps between 30 mm and 50 mm that could trap a child’s arms or legs.
• There are no small holes or openings between 5 mm and 12 mm that could trap a child’s fingers.

Keep a close eye on children around pools, beaches, rivers and other water areas. Know where they are, even when you're visiting family and friends, and don’t rely on older children to supervise. Supervision means keeping close, watching them, reminding them about dangers (sometimes repeatedly) and knowing their swimming abilities and their limits. Remember that drowning can occur quickly and quietly, without any warning noises. According to Kidsafe, an average of one child a week dies from a preventable drowning in Australia.

Safety around the pool

• Always supervise children in the pool, even if they know how to swim.
• If the child is under five, then an adult should be in the pool with them, within arm’s reach.
• Regularly check your pool fence and self-closing gate to make sure they are in good working order. The Royal Lifesaving Society has a handy Home Pool Safety Checklist
• Be aware that competitive and repetitive breath-holding under water can lead to brain damage or death; this is called ‘hypoxic blackout’.
• Understand that flotation devices are not lifesaving devices.
• Make sure nothing is stacked against the fence that a child could use to climb over.
• Learn resuscitation or take a refresher course; put up a resuscitation chart in the pool area.

Around water

• Familiarise kids with water and teach them to swim.
• Always know where your child is. Make sure that any doors or gates that provide access to areas where there are water tanks, drains, fountains, ponds or pools are kept locked. Remember that small children can also drown in unexpected places like baths and spas.
• Don’t leave water in eskies, buckets or wading pools; small children can drown in just a few centimetres of water.
• If you live on a property with a dam, make sure that your yard is securely fenced.
• Do not leave older children in charge of younger children.

Child restraints

All children must be sitting safely in an approved and age-appropriate child restraint or booster. These laws apply nationally. A child who is properly secured in an approved seat for their age and size is less likely to be injured or killed in a crash. Talk to your caseworker if you’re financially unable to purchase additional car restraints for children in your care.

Kids in cars

Leaving children alone in cars even for short periods puts them at risk of heat stress, dehydration, emotional distress, car thieves and accidents caused by playing with car controls. It is never safe to leave babies or children alone in cars, even for a short time.

• If you have a quick job to do, always take the child with you.
• Make sure you keep the car locked at home, with the keys out of reach of children, to prevent children playing inside the car.
• On hot days, the temperature inside a parked car can be 30-40C higher than the outside temperature.
• Remember that 50% of the temperature increase happens in the first 8 minutes
• Windows left open by 4.5cm only reduce the internal temperature by around 10C.
• As the temperature increases, children can suffer dehydration and heat stress, and even death.