In-Home Child Safety Initiative

Lounge

A place to relax, to watch TV, to listen to some music, to put your feet up – so what possible dangers could there be waiting for a young child amongst all the house plants and soft furnishings? A lot more than you might think...

Never leave a baby lying on a couch or armchair as they can easily roll off.
Place suitably sturdy guards in front of all fires, heaters and radiators.
To avoid the risk of fire, never leave clothes drying too near a heater or open fire.
If you have glass doors or floor level windows, make sure these are fitted with safety glass or covered in a protective film to prevent shattering. This also applies to glass topped or glass fronted furniture.
Move sharp or breakable ornaments out of your child’s reach.
Clear away toys after play to avoid tripping and falling.
Remove loose or curled up rugs as these can be a trip hazard.
Falls into coffee tables are a common cause of child injuries. Move coffee tables and other low lying furniture out of the lounge until your toddler can balance well on two feet.
Fit corner cushion pads on sharp edged furniture such as coffee tables or TV stands.
Secure unstable or top-heavy furniture such as bookcases or sideboards – preferably by fastening them to the wall – to prevent then toppling over on to your child.
Children love to climb, so move furniture away from your lounge windows. Keep the windows closed when children are about, or fit safety latches that prevent the windows opening wide enough for a child to fall through.
Blind cords can easily get twisted around a child’s neck, so either shorten them or tie them up out of reach.
Never leave a child alone on a balcony. To be on the safe side, remove all balcony furniture that your child could move and climb on.
If you have a balcony with railings, check that these are no more than 10cm (4ins) apart.
If the gaps between the railings are any greater than this, board them up.
Try to hide electrical sockets behind furniture or plants (leaving some space between the furniture and the socket to reduce the risk of an electrical fire).
Turn off all electrical appliances when not in use.
Never leave an electric fire plugged into the mains when not in use as the bars still carry enough voltage to kill a young child.
Always leave a video cassette in your VCR (or disc in your DVD) to prevent your child putting wet little fingers into the slot. Better still, put your VCR and DVD on a high shelf out of reach or turn them off at the mains when not in use.
Never leave a mobile phone charger plugged into the mains. The tip of the charger can cause severe electrical burns if it ends up in a child’s mouth.
Check that there are no dangling flexes from table lamps or trailing wires from other electrical equipment for your child to pull on.