Poisoning Prevention in Children

Posted by Keri Hartwright
Last updated 22nd May 2019
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  • Why is Poisoning Prevention so Important?

    Children love to explore the world around them and experience it in different ways. They often use all their senses to find out about things and this is one of the reasons why they are at a higher risk of potential poisoning.

    Children under five are at the most risk of poisoning in and around the home. They use their sense of taste to work out things and it’s part of natural development.

    If you suspect your child has been poisoned, seek medical assistance straight away.

    Poisoning prevention is the key here and although you can’t watch children every second of the day, you can put some measures in place to help keep them safe.

    Why is Poisoning Prevention so Important?
  • Household Cleaning Supplies

    Due to the often-bright colours and distinctive packaging, cleaning products are a big lure. So make sure they are kept out of reach of children or in a container that is hard to open. Or fit safety latches to cupboards and draws that could contain laundry or cleaning products

    This is especially true of some washing machine liquid tablets or dishwasher tablets. Both can look like irresistible sweets to little eyes so as soon as you’ve used them make sure they are stored away.

    Household Cleaning Supplies
  • Make Up or Bag Contents

    You may not think there are harmful substances in a make up bag but things like liquid cleansers and nail varnish can cause damage. So be vigilant when using them and don’t leave them lying around after you’ve used them.

    Hand sanitizer is also harmful and could look like a drink to a small child. So keep your bag out of reach if possible when you aren’t around.

    Make Up or Bag Contents
  • Medicines

    It’s important to make sure children know they are taking a medicine rather than a sweet. As this can be confusing if at another time they find a sweet looking object that could turn out to be harmful.

    Keep them well out of reach of children, even those bottles with child locks on. Also don’t administer medicines in the dark as you may get the wrong dose or drop some of it.

    Treat medicines with importance and convey to your child that they are only used when unwell. This will help not to get confused. If you are taking medicine, try to do so when a child is not present, as they often like to imitate adults.

    Medicines
  • Toys

    As well as potential choking hazards, some toys have batteries that can be harmful. Tiny button batteries are easy for a child to pop into their mouth and swallow. These can cause devastating consequences for children. So make sure these batteries aren’t left lying around and check all toys have a secured battery cover (usually enclosed with a screw).

    They are covered by safety regulations so if a toy uses batteries and doesn’t have such a cover then it’s best not to use it.

    Toys
  • Keeping Children Safe in the Home

    It’s better to keep anything potentially harmful things out of reach and out of sight. Being very inquisitive, small children will like to try and explore what is in front of them. So removing the product totally from eyesight is the best solution.

    If you have guests staying with you, be vigilant and make clear to them too what is expected.

    It’s always better to prevent things like poisoning as best you can. We also have information available on what to do if you think poisoning may have taken place.

    If you would like to book into our training courses or need more information – visit our website https://safety-first-welling.org/

    Keeping Children Safe in the Home
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