Home, poison prevention, fire tips

Home safety

Be sure to supervise young children at all times.

Kitchen

Keep all medicines and cleaning supplies out of your children's reach.

  • Keep all sharp objects out of reach and away from the edges of counters.
  • Use safety latches on drawers and cabinets.
  • Keep hot foods and liquids away from young children.
  • Use the stove's back burners and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
  • Use safety latches on drawers and cabinets.

Bathroom

  • Never leave your child alone in the bathtub.
  • Set the thermostat of your hot water heater no higher than 120 degrees.
  • Check the temperature of your child's bath water before placing him or her in the tub.
  • Keep the toilet lid closed.
  • Lock the medicine cabinet

Bedroom

  • Keep cribs away from windows and blind cords. To learn more about blind cord safety visit the Window Covering Safety Council's web site at www.windowcoverings.org.
  • Make sure your crib meets current safety standards. Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's web site for details www.cpsc.gov.

Around the house

  • Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
  • Install carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Test smoke detectors monthly.
  • Keep guns unloaded and locked up.
  • Use secure, broad-based carts for TV's and other appliances. These items can fall off the stands and onto children.

Poison prevention

  • Keep the Illinois Poison Center number by each phone. 800-222-1222.
  • Install window falls prevention products on windows.
  • Keep the Illinois Poison Center's number near all telephones: 1-800-222-1222.
  • Teach children to always ask first before eating or drinking anything.
  • Store all medicines, including over-the-counter medications, out of sight and reach of children. Make sure they are in child-resistant bottles and in locked cabinets.
  • Never refer to medications or vitamins as “candy.”
  • Keep purses and other bags with medications out of reach of children. Remind visitors to do the same.
  • Store all household products and chemicals out of reach of children. Be sure to return them to a safe place immediately after use.
  • Store all household products in the containers they came in with the labels on them. Do not put them in other containers such like soda cans, milk cartons, or water jugs.
  • Throw away old medicine and household products that are not used anymore.
  • Use cabinet latches to stop children from getting to household products and medications.
  • Keep make-up, hair spray, cologne and other personal products away from children.
  • Know which plants in your home may be toxic; be sure to keep toxic plants out of reach of children.
  • Make sure that there is no peeling or chipped paint around areas where children eat, sleep or play.
  • Put smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas.
  • Teach children to stay away from things that could be poisonous.
  • Please note that it is no longer recommended to stock syrup of Ipecac in your home.

If a poisoning occurs:

  • Stay calm.

If the poison is swallowed:

  • Do not give the child anything to eat or drink and make them vomit.
  • Immediately contact the poison control center.

If the poison is inhaled:

  • Move the child to fresh air.
  • Immediately contact the poison control center.

If the poison is on the skin:

  • Remove clothing that contains poison.
  • Rinse the skin with water for 10 minutes, and then contact the poison control center.

If the poison is in the eye:

  • Flush the eye with water for 15 minutes, and then contact the poison control center.
  • Contact the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222 and have the following information available:
    • Time the poisoning occurred
    • Product that the child was exposed to; have the container nearby
    • How much the child ingested
    • Any treatment given
    • Child's age, weight, and condition
    • Any preexisting medical problems
    • Your name and telephone number

Fire safety

Prevention

  • Install at least one smoke detector on each floor and in the basement
  • Test smoke detectors monthly. Change the batteries every six months.
  • Keep blankets, clothing, curtains, furniture and anything that could get hot away from portable heaters. Do not use a portable heater in a bedroom or a nursery.
  • Check furnace and fireplace flues when the seasons change.
  • Learn how to use a fire extinguisher. Place fire extinguishers in the kitchen, basement, garage and near the fireplace.
  • Keep matches and lighters away from children.
  • Never smoke in bed.
  • Store gasoline, paint thinner and ammonia in a place outside your home.
  • Look for and replace old and/or frayed electrical wires and cords that can set fire to curtains, carpeting and rugs.

Fire escape drills

  • Know two ways out of every room.
  • Plan and practice your family's fire escape routes and make sure every family member knows them.
  • Decide on a place for your family to meet after you are outside of the house.

What to do in case of fire

  • Leave the house right away. As you leave, stay low and crawl.
  • Always feel doors before opening them. If they are hot, do not open them.
  • Use a phone outside your home to call the fire department.

For more fire safety tips, visit the Chicago Fire Department.

Heroes for Life

Together we can discover new treatments, new cures and new hope for the future. Join us today »