Is your home a safe place?
Due to the Movement Control Order, both adults and children will be spending most of their time at home. Although the home is perceived to be a safe place, it is a common location for injury. In Malaysia, home accident was second to road as a place for injury.
According to a population-based study in 2014 by Sharil et al, about 11% of children experience some form of home injury and 5% of them are severe enough needing hospital admission. The risk for home injuries is higher in boys, rural dwellers, those aged between 0-4 years and children from high family incomes. Fall was found to be the most common cause of injury in this study, followed by a cut and struck by objects.
How can you keep your home safe?
➡️ Keep matches and lighters out of reach.
➡️ Use plug socket covers to stop children from putting their fingers or other objects into sockets.
➡️ Store all medicines in a locked cupboard. Cosmetics, perfumes and essential oils should also be stored away from your children to prevent accidental ingestion. The same goes for button batteries and small ingestible objects.
Photo: Keeping medicine away from children
➡️ Store chemical and cleaning products in a safe place. Always remember that child-resistant tops on cleaning products are not fully child-proof and even children as young as three may be able to open them.
➡️ Harmful garden products such as weed killer, DIY tools and appliances should be kept in garden sheds, locked at all times.
➡️ Ensure all windows are secured to prevent falls from height.
➡️ Make sure top-heavy furniture, TVs and stoves are stable by installing anchors and brackets.
➡️ In Malaysia, a house does not need to have smoke alarm. Nevertheless, every house should have a working fire extinguisher at all times in case of fire.
Home safety is about supervising your child, creating a safe environment, and teaching your child about what is safe and what is not. Let’s keep our home safe!
Reference: NHS.UK
Related article:
https://drjoannchildspecialist.com/covid-19-and-anxiety/
https://drjoannchildspecialist.com/what-is-social-distancing/
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