Home Safety at Christmas

Christmas Safety Tips

Keep your home and family safe this Christmas with these important tips:

When you're Christmas shopping...

And hunting online for the best offers on toys and gifts, dangers to watch out for are:

easy-access button batteries - a swallowed battery can kill a child;
Super-strong magnets - they damage the belly if swallowed;
long cords/ribbons - that can cause strangulation;
bits that come off - that could be a choking hazard;
check if the toy you're buying has been recalled at Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls - GOV.UK

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When your decorations are going up...

use a stepladder when decorating the tree and putting up decorations;
ensure your tree is securely fastened to prevent it being pulled down by babies, toddlers or pets.

Keep in mind fire risks. Look out for:

frayed or loose cords on the fairy lights - if they are damaged, replace them;
overloaded sockets or extension leads;
candles - keep them away from curtains, cards, furniture, Christmas trees, decorations and wrapping;
open fires can spit out sparks and embers so make sure you use a spark guard in front of your open fire. If there's young children it's advised to fit a fireguard in front of your fire.

Stay safe by:

only using electricals with a British or European safety mark;
keeping lights away from flammable decorations and materials;
plugging lights & transformers indoors, even outdoor-rated ones, and use a 30mA RCD-protected socket for outdoor lighting.

And dont forget:

never leave candles unattended, and keep them away from pets and out of reach of children at all times.
always switch off lights at bedtime or when leaving the house.

When you're visiting friends and family...

Remember they may not have things set up as safely as at home for your little ones. When you're bringing in the bags take a couple of minutes to

move medicines or cleaning products out of reach (check the bedside table or by the loo)
make sure any blind cords are out of reach.

When you're cooking at Christmas...

Watch out for burns:

try to keep the kids out of the kitchen if you can and away from the cooker;
use the back rings of the cooker and turn pan handles in;
keep hot pans (and knives!) away from the edges of worktops

Wipe up any spills immediately and try to time your Christmas dinner to avoid rushing.

When you're opening presents...

Keep children safe by:

checking that any presents received are age appropriate;
supervising the use of potentially hazardous toys, like chemistry sets;
ensuring older children's toys that contain smaller pieces such as lego are out of reach of younger children, as these can pose a choking hazard;
checking any toys or light-up novelties that have easy-to-access button batteries, and remove them without the kids noticing! Look out for spare batteries in the box too. Ensure button batteries are safely secured with a screw fitting.
checking if presents received contain magnets, as high-strength magnets can be found in toys, puzzles and some craft and fashion items and can cause horrific damage to the body if swallowed.

Batteries and magnets are extremely dangerous if swallowed. Parents should make themselves aware of the risks and act fast to get medical treatment if they suspect a child has ingested a battery or magnets.

For more information on button batteries visit RoSPA- Button battery safety advice

For more information on magnets visit RoSPA- Magnet safety

When you're eating and drinking at Christmas...

keep hot drinks out of reach of small children by putting coasters in places out of reach of little hands so everyone knows to put their hot drinks down there; hot drinks can take 15 minutes to cool down to a temperature that will not scald a young child. Learn more about preventing burns and scalds including what to do in an emergency: Burns and scalds | Child Accident Prevention Trust
think long not chunky and narrow not wide for food like pigs in blankets, vegetables and cheese. Anything round needs cutting up. KNow what to do if a child chokes: read the Child Accident Prevention Trust Safe from choking fact sheet | Top tips on choking prevention

Safe Home, Happy Home: Home Safety Check Scheme

Do you have a child under the age of 5?
Are you over 65?
Does someone in your household have a disability / vulnerability?

If 'yes' then you could benefit from a FREE & CONFIDENTIAL Home Safety Check.

For more advice on keeping children and older or vulnerable adults safe at home, contact our Home Safety Team -Homesafety@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk or 0300 013 3333 or visit Home Safety - Ards and North Down Borough Council