Whether you have children of your own, or plan on selling your property to another family in the future, ensuring your property is built with child safety in mind is essential. Here, Victoria Brocklesby, COO at Origin, the UK’s leading manufacturer of bespoke aluminium windows and doors, offers her advice on what to prioritise during a build to guarantee maximum safety.
Every year, over 400,000 children visit A&E, with many admissions due to accidents they’ve had at home. Whilst accidents are a part of growing up, and the occasional bump or scratch is to be expected, no one wants a child to be injured in their home. So, it’s important to consider child safety when building your property to ensure that little ones can explore, play, and discover new things without putting themselves at risk.
Why are children at risk in the home?
In order to mitigate against preventable accidents, you first need to understand the factors that put children at risk.
There are two main links between accidents and child development, according to the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT):
- Physical development – children’s skin is thinner than adults, their bodies process poison differently, and their heads are proportionally bigger and heavier.
- Cognitive development – they are still learning risk and consequence, and their ability to judge elements like distance and speed is still developing.
In addition to being more physically fragile than adults, children are inquisitive by nature, which naturally puts them at risk. They are constantly trying new things, pushing boundaries, and learning. Couple this with their inability to feel fear like adults and it’s clear why accidents happen, particularly in the home where they feel most comfortable.
What are the biggest dangers and how can I prevent them?
There are five main risks to children in the home. Thankfully, most of these are entirely preventable with some clever design tweaks, but it’s far easier planning with children in mind during the early stages of the project than trying to retrofit a finished home.
Here are my top tips for preventing the big five:
1.Trapping
Our research shows that children account for 25% of all hospital trips for hand or wrist injuries, with trapping in doors, drawers, and cupboards some of the most common causes. Opting for doors with added safety features, like Origin’s aluminium bi-fold doors which are designed with finger-safe gaskets, will reduce the possibility of injuries as a result of fingers getting trapped between the doors.
2.Falling
Children love to explore their surroundings, which can lead them to climb things they shouldn’t, such as stairs, furniture, and countertops. The simplest way to prevent falls is to install stair gates and anti-tip fixings to large items of furniture. Better still, opt for built-in furniture, like bookcases, shelves, and wardrobes, to guarantee they won’t tip over, even when climbed on.
When it comes to windows, look for manufacturers that offer safety latches and restrictor hooks. These limit the amount a window can open to minimise the chances of children falling out.
3.Slipping
Still navigating their balance and often running around, children naturally slip and fall. There are two main causes of slipping at home: flooring and obstacles.
When it comes to flooring, avoid surfaces like marble tiles, and instead, opt for non-slip alternatives, like porcelain.
Whilst it’s impossible to remove all obstacles and trip hazards out of a child’s way, considering how your home design accommodates playing children will minimise the risk of tripping. For example, if you’re installing bi-fold or sliding doors in your property, we’d recommend choosing a system that can be specified with a low threshold, like the Origin Bi-fold Door (OB-36+). This is beneficial for playing children and those with mobility issues. Plus, it creates an uninterrupted feel between the indoors and outdoors when opened.
4.Poisoning
Being naturally curious, children are also at risk of ingesting harmful household products, such as cleaners or medications. Childproof locks are essential for keeping harmful substances out of reach of curious minds. You can also design-in dedicated areas of the home to store cleaning products safely, such as a utility room with lockable cupboards.
5.Burns
Hobs, ovens, and fireplaces can all cause serious burns to children. Keeping children out of the kitchen when cooking is the best way to prevent burns, but that isn’t always practical.
Instead, when designing your kitchen, avoid putting hobs on islands or near breakfast bars as these often act as a hub for the whole family to congregate, meaning children have more opportunity to hurt themselves. Ovens with removable or retractable knobs are also a good choice as this will prevent children from being able to turn on the oven when unattended.
Conclusion
Designing your home with children in mind will always provide value – whether that’s offering peace-of-mind to you and your family, or increasing appeal when you come to sell. Considering this at the beginning of your project and working with suppliers you can trust to provide child-safe products will help to futureproof your build for generations to come.
Read more about child safety around doors.