On average, nearly 500 children die in home fires every year. If your family lives in a home with working smoke alarms the likelihood of dying in a fire is half that compared to a home without working alarms. Use the tips below to learn how to keep your family safe from fire.
The holiday season is approaching and we want it to be a safe and happy time for you. During the holidays we all enjoy exchanging gifts, family gatherings, decorating our homes among many other special moments. To be sure you keep your children safe this holiday season we remind you to pay attention to all kinds of common household items and toys that use small batteries. They can be found in items such as clocks, toys, hearing aids, cameras, watches, remote controls, musical greeting cards, calculators, portable electronics and other everyday items. Because these batteries are very small, a young child can easily swallow one without their parent realizing until much later. These ingestions can have serious outcomes.
For most people, apartment living translates into “How do I make the most of the space I have?” Maximizing the vertical space by stacking objects, using tall shelving units and bookcases is one common way. But since children love to climb and get to things out of their reach, be sure all unstable furniture, especially front-heavy furniture (a child’s dresser with all the drawers pulled out simultaneously and leaned on), and lightweight furnishings (i.e. floor lamps) are properly anchored to the wall even if the walls are plaster.
It is the nature of young children to explore the world around them, but their curiosity can lead to serious injury. A professional childproofer can help identify safety hazards in your home. Each year there are about two million children under the age of five who are treated in emergency rooms for injuries that occurred in the home. Listed below are some of the most common – and preventable – child safety hazards. Remember, specific hazards vary from home to home and from child to child, so this list is by no means all-inclusive.
All over the news lately, as momentum builds to stop the use and sales of these unnecessary and dangerous products. Do not use crib bumpers as they pose suffocation, strangulation and choking hazards to infants. Additionally, crib bumpers pose fall hazards to older babies who can pull up to a stand and use the bumper pads as footing to catapult out of the crib – possibly facing severe injuries from a fall.
| Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 23, 2010 Release #10-351 |
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Many parents and caregivers may not be aware that one of the top hidden hazards in the homes where young children live or visit is unsecured and unstable TVs, furniture and appliances. Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging families to take a moment to inspect and secure these items to prevent any more tragedies.
Between 2000 and 2008, CPSC staff received reports of nearly 200 tipover related deaths involving children eight years old and younger. Nearly all of these fatalities (93%) involved children five years old and younger.
Holiday decorations, especially candles and electrical lighting, can be fire hazards, and Baby Proofers Plus reminds parents and grandparents to take a few precautions when decorating and entertaining for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza and other fall/winter holidays and festivities.
| Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 17, 2010 Release #11-074 |
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously to approve new mandatory standards for full-size and non-full-size baby cribs as mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The federal crib standards had not been updated in nearly 30 years and these new rules are expected to usher in a safer generation of cribs.
| Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 22, 2010 Release #11-021 |
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 |
NEW YORK - Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) joined three child safety organizations at New York-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital to release "Safe Sleep for Babies," a new crib safety video aimed at helping all new parents avoid suffocation, strangulation and entrapment risks in the sleep environment. CPSC also is announcing three new recalls of dangerous drop-side cribs.
CPSC is collaborating with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Keeping Babies Safe (KBS), New York-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, and renowned journalist and mom Joan Lunden to educate new and expectant parents and caregivers on crib safety while they are at the hospital or visiting their pediatrician's office. The video (transcript) demonstrates how to keep babies safe and sound in cribs, bassinets and play yards.
One of the first things that goes through a new parent's mind is the need for safety. Baby proofing your home is a major concern -- and rightfully so. As US News and World Report recently reported http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/treatment/articles/2011/04/14/with-safety-devices-in-place-kids-injuries-decline-study_print.html with safety devices properly installed and maintained in homes, children had 70% fewer home-related injuries.
