Safety at Kitchen.

Navigation

Home
Baby Safety
First Aid for Baby
Guidelines for Safety
Living, play area and stairs
Preventing Common Injuriese
Safety at Bathroom
Safety at Bedroom
Safety at Garden
Safety at Kitchen

Baby Safety » Safety at Kitchen

The kitchen is an exciting place to explore for a young child. Install safety latches on all cupboards and drawers containing potentially harmful items. Make sure all sharp objects are out of reach and prefer-ably in locked or latched drawers (those decorative knife racks can be very dangerous).

Disconnect all electric appliances such as the toaster, blender, and kettle whenever you are not using them, and keep all electrical cords safely rolled up and out of reach. Make sure the cords are not frayed. Use safety covers to prevent inquisitive children from sticking fingers or metal objects into an electrical socket.

Plastic bags can cause suffocation if a child puts it over his head and gets entangled in it. Plastic wrap and aluminium foil boxes have serrated edges on them that can cut small fingers. Plastic wrap that is swallowed can easily block the airways and can be fatal. Store these items where your toddler can't see or reach them.

A crawling child can pull a dangling tablecoth. Do not use tablecloths as a crawling child can pull a dangling tablecloth and topple all items on the table over themselves. Use a bare table with placemats instead. Place hot food and beverages, glassware, and knives away from the edge of counters and tables.

Cook on the back burners whenever possible, turning handles of pots and pans inwards to the centre of the stove so children can't reach or bump a handle and spill the contents on themselves. Never leave a boiling pot or sizzling wok unattended on the stove. Never hold a child in your arms while cooking on the stove. And always keep hot liquids out of a child's reach. Do not let your toddler sit on the counter to watch you cook. Teach your child that the oven is "hot" and not to touch it.

Don't leave a child unstrapped or unattended in a high chair. He could climb out and fall, or slide under the tray.

Children can choke on items smaller than 2 cm in diameter. So look out for items which can become choking hazards such as refrigerator magnets, pen caps, and coins.

You may find it helps to keep your child amused if you have one cupboard where you store safe unbreakable items such as plasticware and non-breakable pots and pans that he can play with.

Clean up spills immediately to prevent slips and falls. Consider the potential hazard of things you drop into the garbage bin. Do not discard dangerous items such as batteries, broken glass and paper clips in it, unless it has a child-resistant cover. Never transfer any poisonous liquid from its original container to another unlabelled container. Poisons should always be kept in containers with childproof lids.