Young children are often adventurous and may not comprehend the fire risks in their environment as well as you or I. Their healthy curiosity can inspire them to climb over obstacles you’ve put in place to keep them safe, such as gates and barriers. As we’ve covered elsewhere on this Unii Fire Safety Journey for families, it is always advisable that children of any age are supervised when around fires or hot surfaces. They should never be allowed to play or explore around fires or with fireside apparatus. Still, you will likely find it necessary to keep some objects and equipment in the house that can start fires, and it’s important to childproof every space. In many ways, the fire hazard identification and risk prevention measures we share elsewhere on this Unii Journey will keep your children from starting and being affected by fires at home, but there are some other things to consider.

When should I start childproofing my home?

There is no government-recommended time, but it makes sense to do it before your baby starts crawling or even in pregnancy, before you need to accommodate the demands of your newborn. As Unii Expert Dr. Shree Datta covers in Unii’s Pregnancy: The Three Trimesters, the increased energy mum has in her second trimester might make it a good time, if she feels like it. Parents should then adapt any proofreading efforts to each stage of their child’s development as they grow.

Explore from a child's point of view.

It sounds odd, but at any post-crawling stage of your child's life, it may be useful to get down to their level and explore the environment from their point of view. What fire hazards are within their eyeline? What can they reach? Which toys and bedding, blankets, etc. could be their allies if they wanted to drag something towards them or scale new heights? Seeing things from your child’s perspective could be illuminating, and outlets may seem like the most apparent things to baby or childproof when you’re down there. Please remember, though, that no safety measure can replace parental vigilance and careful adult supervision.

Childproofing outlets in your home

Children can suffer serious shock and burn injuries if they insert objects into outlets. There are three main types of outlet covers that are available for childproofing outlets.

Outlet plugs or caps are inexpensive and can be good for travelling as well as in the home. However, these plugs can be a choking hazard, as children typically learn to remove them and will often put them in their mouths. This is especially true with older outlets, which may not hold the plugs securely in place. In addition, caregivers often forget to replace outlet plugs if they use the outlet. If you want to use outlet plugs, remember to:

Purchase outlet plugs that are too big for a baby or child to choke on. If they fit inside a toilet paper tube, they are a choking hazard.
Always replace outlet plugs after using the outlet.
Avoid colourful ones; babies love bright colours.
Test the outlet plugs after they are installed. They should be difficult for curious toddlers to remove.

Sliding Outlet Covers

Sliding or self-closing covers can be installed easily by removing the screw holding the existing cover plate and replacing it with the sliding outlet cover. When unplugged, the cover automatically closes over the socket holes. This feature makes the outlet safer by eliminating the choking hazard of an outlet plug and without having to rely on someone remembering to reinstall something. You needn’t worry; your baby is going to crawl over and remove this type of cover. Different versions are available to suit a variety of outlets.

Box Outlet Covers

Box outlet covers are great devices for items that are always plugged in, as they prevent a child from playing with an electrical plug. Also, the covers can be easily removed if the outlet is needed.

What about tamper-resistant outlets?

Tamper-resistant outlets require two objects to be inserted at the same time for electrical power. They contain a built-in shutter system that allows plugs to be inserted when equal pressure is applied simultaneously to both sides of the receptacle. Tamper-resistant outlets reduce the risk of electrical injuries, but they are not completely tamper-proof. Unfortunately, some people believe that tamper-resistant outlets are “childproof” when they are not. They do not prevent children from imitating adults, for example, and inserting plugs into outlets. Extension cords and hair tongs are just two examples of dangerous electrical items in the home that children could turn on if they could plug them in. It can also be difficult to tell if the shutters on tamper-resistant outlets are broken.

Windows

Childproof window locks are an essential part of babyproofing your house to help ensure that your toddler doesn’t accidentally open the windows. From a fire safety perspective, if window locks or restrictors use a key, every adult in the house should know where the keys are kept so the windows can be opened in the event of a fire. It is important to balance security and child safety. Ideally, you would keep the keys as close to the window as possible. From a fire safety point of view, you do not want to store the keys in the kitchen, as this is the biggest risk for fire. You do not want to be walking past the kitchen to collect them, either. In a perfect environment, you would have all the keys, including the front and back doors, on your bedside table. This is part of your bedtime routine. In the event of an emergency, you can grab the keys immediately.

Choosing their clothes

The trouble with textiles

Clothing can burn quickly when accidentally ignited by contact with an open flame or a significant heat source. This can cause serious injury, burns, and potentially death. Children are especially vulnerable, especially when playing by themselves. There has been greater fire regulation of children’s dressing up clothes in the UK in recent years, and some of their night clothes will also indicate on the label where a fabric has a “Low Flammability” rating (other countries have their own labelling practices; please refer to the Textile Standards Authority in your country for more information), but there are problems with making any clothes fire-safe. Normal clothing is not intended to protect anyone in a fire; textiles are inherently combustible, and any potential use of flame retardants would expose babies and children to chemicals. It is therefore safer to have childproof family environments rather than clothing, as well as to teach children safety responses like ‘Stop, Drop, and Roll.’

Emollients

In addition, the buildup of dried emollient on clothing is a potential fire hazard for all babies and children who need this skincare. Emollients are moisturisers that are used to treat dry skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, which are common and extremely uncomfortable. Examples include creams, ointments, gels, sprays, or lotions. Emollients easily transfer to clothes and other fabrics and dry out. They themselves are not fire hazards, and they will not catch fire in the container or when applied to the skin. You can continue to use emollients safely for your child’s skin condition; just worry about the dried residue.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which is responsible for the safety of medicines in the UK, has issued a warning about the risk of dried emollient catching fire and causing serious burns. If you have used emollients or applied them to someone else’s skin, do not smoke if there is any risk of a flame coming into contact with dried emollient. Stay away from naked flames, such as candles, gas burners, heaters, log fires, matches, and lighters, if you are wearing anything that may have emollient on it.

Wash any fabrics that may come into contact with emollients as often as possible (daily if you can) and at a high temperature so that the dried emollient doesn’t build up.

Washing fabrics, even at high temperatures, may not remove all traces of emollient, so you still need to be careful around naked flames.

Childproofing the fireplace

NHS Guidance recommends that, if you have an open fireplace, you should always use a fire guard that encloses the whole fireplace and attaches to the wall. You should not put anything on top of your fireguard or hang anything from it.

How do I childproof my home against fire risks?

How to protect your child from the fireplace? And other questions answered.