Staying Safe at Home During COVID-19

At Stanford Children’s Health, keeping children safe and healthy is important to us. Right now, more kids are staying at home. Below you will find some tips on how to keep your children safe at home.

Keeping kids safe from falls

• Secure Furniture: Secure unstable furniture and flat-panel TVs to the wall. If you have crawlers and climbers in your house, keep furniture away from windows to prevent window falls.
• Lock Windows: Keep windows locked and closed when they are not being used. Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not children in.
• Install Window Stops: Properly install window stops so that the window opens no more than 4 inches and only an adult can open from the inside. Window stops can be found at any home improvement store.

Fire and Burn Safety

• Install Smoke Detectors: Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. It is important to have them near sleeping areas. Remember to test your batteries twice a year. One helpful reminder would be to check the batteries during daylight savings time when the clocks change.
• Stove Safety: Cook on the back burners of the stove and keep pot handles turned away from the edge the stove.
• Hot Foods and Liquids: Keep hot foods and liquids away from the edges of tables or countertops where children can reach them.
• Water Heater Safety: Set your water heater to 120°F or the manufacturer’s recommended setting to prevent accidental burns from hot water or scalding.

Water Safety

• Watch children when they are around any type of water.
• Bath Time: Once bath time is over, immediately drain the tub.
• Drain the water: Empty all the water from kiddie pools, buckets, and containers right after you use them. Store them upside down when they are not being used.
• For more information about water safety, please visit: watersafety.stanfordchildrens.org

Choking Safety

• Check the age limit for toys: Make sure kids play with toys right for their age.
• Small toys and parts: Younger children may have access to toys not proper for their age. These small toys like dice or game pieces can be a choking hazard.

CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation can help save lives. It combines pressing on the chest and mouth-to-mouth breathing to help someone if they have stopped breathing or their heart has stopped beating. You can learn how to do CPR online by going to https://www.heart.org/en/cpr.

Poison Safety

• Small batteries: Button batteries, like watch batteries, can cause severe injury for children if they get swallowed. When a child swallows a button battery, the saliva triggers an electrical current. This causes a chemical reaction that can burn the esophagus. This can happen in as little as two hours. If your child swallows a small battery please call 911.
• Lock up medicines and cleaning products: Keep all medicines and toxic products out of children’s sight and reach.
• Lock up harmful items: Keep plants, alcohol, cosmetics, personal care items, and dietary supplements locked up and out of sight. · Poison Hotline: Put the Poison Help line in your phone for emergencies: 1 (800) 222-1222.

Firearm Safety

• Lock up guns: Store guns in a locked location, unloaded, out of reach and sight of children.
• Store ammunition separate: Keep ammunition away from guns, in a separate locked place. Make sure it is out of reach and sight of children.
• Hide gun safe keys: Keep keys and combinations hidden.
• Keep guns out of sight: When a gun is not in its lockbox, keep it where you can see it.
• Child gun safety locks: Make sure all guns are equipped with effective, child-resistant gun locks.

Bike or Wheeled Sport Safety

• Wear a helmet: Every time you and your child ride a bike, a scooter, or a skateboard, wear a bicycle helmet that meets the safety standards developed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Make sure the helmet fits: and your child knows how to put it on correctly. A helmet should sit on top of the head in a level position, and should not rock forward, backward, or side-to-side. The helmet straps must always be buckled, but not too tightly.
• Wear clothes that stand out: and accessories that have retro-reflective materials to improve biker visibility to motorists.

Try the Eyes, Ears, and Mouth Test
	Eyes: Put the helmet on your head. Look up. You should see the bottom rim of the helmet.
	Ears: Make sure the straps form a 'V' under your ears when buckles. The straps should be a little tight but comfortable.
	Mouth: Open your mouth as wide as can. Does the helmet hug your head? If not, tighten the straps