While the kitchen tends to be one of the main family rooms in any home, there’s no denying that it’s not without its hazards. The bottom line is kitchens just aren’t child friendly by nature and hot things and sharp objects can cause stress for parents.
That’s why kitchen safety is vital. After all, the kitchen is where most accidents in the home happen and while you can’t make the room 100% child safe, there are things you can do to improve the overall safety in your kitchen.
Top Tips For general Kitchen Safety and Child-Safe Kitchens:
Safety Gates
While you might not want to permanently shut your child out of the kitchen, particularly if your fitted kitchen is a family room, you probably don’t want them in there while you’re cooking. It’s impossible to keep an eye on them every second, so by having safety gates in the kitchen, you always know they’re not in there when they shouldn’t be.
Drawer and Door Locks
The small plastic drawer and door locks readily available are the best way to ensure your kids don’t get into any of the cupboards and drawers. At best, drawers can bump children’s heads, and trap fingers, but in some cases your kids could even get their hands on knives and other potentially dangerous kitchen implements. By fitting drawer and cupboard door locks, you’ll benefit from peace of mind.
Avoiding Burns
Burns are the leading cause of accidental death in the home for children under 15 years old, so they pose a serious danger. Mostly, it’s a case of being aware, ensuring things can’t be pulled down onto your kids, using the back rings on the hob where you can and practical safety. If you really want to go the whole hog then glass hobs are highly recommended because they have no flames and cool down very quickly.
Electrical Dangers
Self-closing outlets and plug covers are essential in the kitchen, especially when small children are around. We often take electricity for granted and forget just how dangerous it can be. Modern kitchens are required to be incredibly safe electrically, and if you’re unsure of your old appliances and fittings, it could be time for a chat with us about bringing your kitchen up to date on safety recommendations.
[Recommended reading: What Are The Dangers Of DIY Electrics In Your Home?]
Common Sense and Up to Date
Most of this advice is just common sense. The best way to protect your children from dangers is to place those dangers out of reach. Knives and dangerous items kept in high cupboards are much safer than in low cupboards – even with cabinet locks!
Safety recommendations are changing all the time, and the biggest dangers come with old, outdated kitchens. If you want to make sure your kitchen is safe for your growing family then Aquarius Home Improvements can offer advice and recommendations. We can help you bring your kitchen up to date with modern standards and add value to your home. Finally, it doesn’t always have to mean a whole new kitchen.
