Cooperative Living June 2020 - 22

SafetySense | Story courtesy of Brandpoint
Keeping Kids
Safe in Older
Homes
Some tips to childproof your
well-seasoned residence
W
hile many homeowners love
the unique charm and beauty
that can only be found in an
older home, the truth is that older
houses present challenges to keeping
everyone safe, especially little ones. For
any house where children are being
raised, or where they may spend a lot
of time, it's a good idea to take stock of
some potential hazards before they
cause a danger to any infant or child.
TEST FOR LEAD
Many houses built decades ago
might contain lead not only in the
paint, but also in the water pipes. You
can have both your water and paint
tested for lead. If lead is present,
speak with a licensed
contractor about
ways to remove lead
safely to protect
everyone in your
home.
EXAMINE WINDOWS
Older windows can pose a
number of risks to young children.
Never place furniture such as a crib or
anything that a child could climb on
underneath a window. Installing strong
window guards over any windows that
could pose a threat to your child, not
just in a bedroom, can give you peace
of mind.
According to the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, corded
window coverings are one of the
top five hidden hazards in the home.
Older, corded window coverings
such as blinds might have looped pull
cords or accessible inner cords that
pose a serious strangulation risk to
small children.
20 | Cooperative Living | June 2020
The Window Covering Safety
Council urges parents and caregivers
to check corded window coverings for
potential cord hazards and to replace
them with today's safer products.
Government safety officials and the
WCSC recommend that only cordless
window treatments be used in homes
where infants and young children live
or regularly spend time. Tasseled pull
cords also need to be as short as
possible, to be well out of reach
of children.
A new U.S. safety
standard requires that all
stock products be cordless
or have inaccessible cords.
So if you need to replace
older window coverings with new
ones, look for the " Best for Kids "
certified label. Products with this label
have gone through third-party testing
and are designed for use in homes
with young children.
CONSIDER HEAT SOURCES
For any older home, heat sources
such as radiators can pose a risk of
burns. Space heaters used in chilly
houses can also be dangerous around
young children. Safely cover, insulate -
or simply don't use - any heat sources
that could harm a young child.
UNEVEN FLOORS AND WALLS
Some old houses have irregular
walls, uneven floors and less than
straight or well-designed staircases.
This can create the following difficulties
for childproofing your home.
Installing baby gates
If a baby gate relies on pressure
to secure it, uneven floors, walls or
banisters can make it far from secure.
Instead, get the kind of baby gate that
needs to be installed using secure
hardware - and hire an expert if you're
not confident of your skills to get the
job done safely.
Stabilizing large furniture
Uneven floors make it hard to keep
furniture like dressers or bookcases safe
from curious crawlers. Recent reports of
dressers and shelves falling on toddlers
are alarming for any parent, so it's best
to bolt or anchor furniture securely to
prevent accidents. When the floor is
uneven, you may need to use shims
beneath the furniture to help you get
it as close to the wall as possible.
Earthquake-proof furniture straps are
an option if it's tough to align the
furniture tightly enough to anchor to
the wall or floor using anchor brackets.
Any house, old or new, can contain
potential hazards for kids of all ages.
While it may seem overwhelming to
anticipate every possible danger spot,
there are plenty of resources available
to help you be prepared. ■
Visit windowcoverings.org for useful
information on product safety, parenting
tips, childproofing and more.
co-opliving.com
http://www.windowcoverings.org http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living June 2020

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