Kitchen Dangers You Must Protect Your Kids From
The kitchen is the cause of more than 100,000 injuries every year, according to How Stuff Works. It’s one of the rooms families spend so much time in, so it’s natural that some incidents will occur here. However, the kitchen is home to multiple dangers that can cause serious injuries, so you should do all you can to eliminate the risk.
Kitchen knives
Kitchen knives account for 36% of all knife-related injuries in America. It’s so easy to leave a knife on your worktop and for your child to come along, reach up, and pull it down, injuring themselves in the process. Similarly, knives left in the dishwasher can easily be accessed by a child. Always keep your kitchen knives away from children, such as in a drawer with a child lock on it. Make sure you use the child locking device that’s built into your dishwasher at all times too.
Old appliances
Household appliances are responsible for 150,000 residential fires annually, according to Consumer Reports. Often, these white goods are old or faulty and simply need servicing or repairing to restore them to full working order. If you’re concerned about a faulty appliance, unplug it and avoid using it. Never attempt to fix the appliance yourself. Instead, call a local repair person to inspect and repair the item as soon as possible. You should also regularly check for recalls on your appliances and have them fixed immediately.
Stove & knob risks
70% of people say that they prepare most of their meals at home. This is great as it’s often the healthiest option for children. However, one of the most dangerous cooking appliances in the kitchen is your stove. Over a 21-year period, one study found that 910,696 people were treated for stove-related injuries. Stoves are risky as you boil water on them. The pan is tempting to inquisitive kids and many will try to grab it and risk pouring boiling water on themselves. Burns are also common due to the high heat emitted from stoves. There have been reports of children opening stove doors, standing on them, and the stove tipping over on them causing serious injuries, too. To prevent these problems, fit anti-tip brackets to your stove door, never leave your child unattended in the kitchen, and use the back knobs for cooking.
Lurking bacteria
Research shows that the average kitchen sponge holds more bacteria than the typical toilet. A total of 362 types of bacteria was detected on these sponges, some of which were capable of causing significant illnesses in people. Using a dirty sponge to wash your work surfaces and dishes can cause salmonella, sickness, and diarrhea. Children are particularly at risk of developing serious symptoms as their immune systems aren’t as developed as adults. For your family’s safety, replace your sponge at least once per week. Rather than washing the dishes by hand, use a dishwasher as the steam eliminates harmful bacteria, making dishes safer to eat off.
There are multiple dangers in your kitchen, which can pose a significant risk to your children. For this reason, you need to actively work to make the heart of your home as safe as possible.
My stove knobs are a thing I have to be careful of with my 2 year old, he doesn’t get the danger yet so it is a level of constant vigilance.