SAFETY HAZARDS IN HOME – FURNITURE

As toddlers gain mobility and are more confident of their surroundings, their inquisitive minds will lead them on a search for more interesting and fun things around the house. Learning through discovery is encouraged but do bear in mind that the environment that they are going to be exploring in is safe for them. Did you know that your common furniture can be safety hazards for the little ones in the home as well?

As adults, we might not have second thoughts on how certain furniture are position around the house. However, to the curious toddlers, these are potential minefields that can injure them and we need to be able to identify and remove the “threats” promptly.

Cabinets and Shelving

Do you have any cabinets, shelving, racks or drawers that is over 60cm in height? Well, it is recommended that you properly secure them to a fixed surface such as a wall. To prevent them from toppling over. Place heavier things at, or near the bottom of these cabinets. Placing heavy items at the top increases the possibility of the cabinet toppling over.

Some shelving are pretty light. These lightweight shelves should not have any heavy objects place on top of them. Doing so increases the chances of the heavy items falling due to the poor support.

Locks and Sharp Edges

It may be necessary to install cabinet/drawer locks on places where sharp or dangerous objects such as knives are kept. In addition, it is also a good idea to paste corner protectors over sharp furniture edges or even edges of the walls. These protectors are inexpensive but are very effective to prevent toddlers from getting injured.

Glass

Tampered or non-tampered glass alike, are potential risk at home. Glass are most commonly found on display cabinets and shower screens. I personally had a near miss with my display cabinet’s glass. A piece of my display cabinet’s glass door came loose without warning and it smashed right onto the floor.

My display cabinet’s glass door shattered into pieces and my son was just inches away.

My son was standing just a few steps away from where the glass landed. Thankfully, he only had a bad shock. If he had been a few steps nearer, the glass would have fall directly onto him and I could not imagine the outcome!

Tampered glass is not entirely safe too. Although it is designed to break into many tiny pieces, unlike my glass cabinet door, the result of it shattering on or near a person can also cause significant injuries as reported in the news here.

Do Your Checks Now

I hope you will keep a lookout for these safety hazards at home right away. Make your home a safe place for your little explorers!