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Keeping your child safe at home

Your home should be a safe haven where your baby can grow and explore their new world without risk of injury.

There are some simple precautions parents, grandparents and carers can take to when choosing baby products and in reducing hazards in the home.

Cots

Children can be seriously injured when their head, arms or legs become stuck between the railings or drop sides of a cot, or their clothing snags on protruding parts.

Any new or used cot sold in Western Australia must comply with mandatory safety standards. If a family member or friend has given you a cot, check that it meets these standards.

There are also some simple things that you can do to ensure that your child is safe in their cot.

The mattress should fit snugly in the cot with no gaps more than 20mm wide. If the mattress is not a snug fit, there is a real risk of suffocation for very young children if they fall into the gap.

Never place a cot under a window where children can play with a curtain cord or use the window ledge to climb out of the cot. Keep cots away from heaters and electrical plugs to prevent burns, fire and electric shock. Never use an electric blanket or hot water bottle in your child’s cot. And don’t hang pictures or mirrors above the cot because they can, and often do, fall.

Most injuries to children are actually caused by falls so don’t put cushions, bumpers or large toys in cots because these provide children with “steps” to climb out.

Choking is a risk, so do not leave small objects in or near the cot. If an object can fit entirely into a 35mm film canister, it is a choking hazard. Mobiles suspended above cots present a strangulation hazard if they are put within reach.

Portable folding cots

Many parents use portable folding cots as temporary beds for infants. They are easy to transport, compact and can be erected where needed. Sometimes these types of cots are used as the main bed in place of a household cot – wherever possible this should be avoided.

Concern about the safety of portable folding cots has increased recently following a number of incidents. Children have been caught in portable cots which have collapsed accidentally, and babies have become wedged between a mattress and side of the cot, resulting in death.

You should always follow the assembly instructions closely when setting up these types of cots. Also look for the detailed instructions and warnings on the inside base of the cot before putting the mattress in place.

Mandatory standards for portable folding cots will apply from 1 March 2009.

Baby bath supports

The most important thing to remember about baby bath supports is that you must never leave your baby alone in a bath seat or support. If you must leave the room for any reason, always take your baby with you.

Using a baby bath seat or support does not make it safe to leave your child unattended. Babies have drowned when they have slipped through or climbed out of the bath seat or support.

They are a bathing aid, not a safety device. If you use a baby bath support or seat, always keep the baby within arm’s reach and never leave the baby in the care of another child.

If your tub has a non-skid, slip-resistant base, do not use a bath seat or support with suction cups. The cups will not stick to the bathtub, or may detach suddenly.

Baby walkers

Baby walkers have been a popular nursery item for years and are subject to mandatory safety standards.

However there is some concern about their use because of the incidence of head injuries suffered by children younger than 12 months.

Baby walkers prematurely allow children to move freely and quickly around a room and provide limited protection from hazards, which is where the concern lies.

Baby walkers can topple over if caught on electrical cords, rugs, stairs, and even sliding door tracks. Never leave a baby unsupervised in a baby walker.

Curtains and blinds

Curtains and blinds can be a real danger to your children. Children can get caught in the cord and be strangled. This can happen when cords are too long or end in a loop.

Existing blind cords with loops can be easily fixed by shortening the cord until it is at least 1.6 metres from the floor so small children cannot reach it. The alternative is to replace the cord with a wand or get a tie-down or tension device so you can pull the cord tight and secure it to the floor or wall.

Mandatory standards were introduced for all new blind and curtain cords manufactured after April 2004, which restrict the cord length or require a tie-down or tension device.

Remember to never place beds, high chairs or other furniture near a window or patio where a child can reach the cord.

Bunk beds

Bunk beds can be useful to save space in children’s rooms, but they can be dangerous. Bunk beds are high and children can easily fall off the top or get themselves caught in the bed’s structure. This can cause serious injury or even death.

We do not recommend bunk beds for children under nine years of age.

You should always ensure that the top bunk of a bunk bed is at least two metres from ceiling fans or overhead hazards.

When buying a bunk bed, make sure there are no gaps between 95mm and 230mm in the structure to ensure children can not get their head stuck.

The top bunk should have guard rails at least 160mm tall above the mattress to stop children rolling out of the bed.

Make sure nothing sticks out more than 5mm, and that nuts and bolts are flush and smooth. This prevents clothes being snagged and the potential for strangulation.

Bunk beds sold in Western Australia since 2002 must meet mandatory safety standards.

Furniture

Children don’t always use furniture the way it is intended.

A child may see a bookcase or chest of drawers as a climbing ladder or even a mountain that needs to be scaled.

Unfortunately, it only takes the weight of a small child to turn a bookcase, a chest of drawers or a television into a dangerous object.

A number of Western Australian children have been injured and tragically we have had instances of lost lives when furniture has tipped over under their weight.

Parents can avoid most injuries by choosing safer furniture and securing unstable furniture.

Always look for storage furniture that has a broad and stable base rather than legs, and test the furniture in the shop.

For example, when buying a chest of drawers, pull out the top drawer and apply a little pressure to see how sturdy it is. Children often climb up the open drawers of furniture. Check to make sure that the drawers do not fall out easily.  Remember that drawers that glide easily on rollers means that if it is tipped, all of the drawers are likely to rollout and increase the likelihood of tipping.

Choose stable chairs that have non-slip legs rather than those with wheels or castors. Sit on the chair and lean backwards and forwards to see how stable it is and that it does not slip out from under you. Light plastic chairs can be more fragile than they look.

Secure all tall furniture to a stable wall using angle braces. As a guide, any furniture unit one metre or taller should be secured.

Discourage children from climbing on furniture and don’t put desirable objects on high furniture that can be climbed such as a bookcase.

Televisions on furniture can also tip over on children. Make sure the stand you buy is low, stable and strong enough for the television, and place the television as far back as possible.  Think about the combination of the two pieces of furniture, the television and the cupboard upon which you intend to place it are stable as independent items but when put together present a frightening combination of instability.

General Advice

Consumer Protection has a series of brochures entitled “Safety for kids in the home” which provide information on mandatory standards, what to look for when buying products and how to make products safer in the home.

If buying second hand goods or items are received as gifts from family or friends it is very important to check all the safety aspects of the items.  Do not anything to chance and feel free to contact our product safety staff with any concerns. 

You can download information from www.commerce.wa.gov.au under the Consumer Protection and Product Safety area, or you can telephone 1300 30 40 54 to obtain copies of booklets free of charge.

Further information and publications:

  • Publications: candles (PDF 745kb) and trampolines (PDF 275kb)
  • Skimmer boxes for swimming pools
  • Swimming pool fences
  • Soccer and basketball goal
  • Safety switches
  • Smoke alarms
  • Safety checklist