Child safety - Indoors

Find guidance to help families to keep their children safe from accidents and prevent serious injuries, at home.

Top Tips

Keep hot drinks away from children – scalds from hot drinks are the most common accident with young children
Always put cold water in the bath first and never leave your little one alone in the bath
Always use a fire guard
Do the ironing when small children aren’t present
Be careful to put curling tongs and straighteners out of reach
Use back rings on your cooker and turn the pan handles inwards, towards the back
Make the kitchen “out of bounds” when you are cooking when little ones are there
Keep household chemicals in the bottles they were bought in and keep them locked away out of reach of little hands at all times.

Further information at

Baby bath seats

One child a month drowns at home in England, with those aged under 5 being most at risk.

72% of parents using a bath seat believe it’s designed to keep a baby safe, but they are not a safety device. Of the ten babies who drowned in the bath in the last four years, seven were using a bath seat.

Always keep your baby within arm’s reach in the bath, even when using a bath seat.

More information can be found at

In the 3 years 2019 to 2022 9 young children died due to being strangled in a blind cord. Follow the guidance from RoSPA to check your blinds at home.

More information:

Baby walkers and bouncers

Physiotherapists and other Health Professionals DO NOT recommend the use of baby walkers.

There are two main reasons for this:

Safety, even under supervision, there are high numbers of accidents reported every year including - falling down stairs, head injuries, burns, scalds, and trapped arms and legs.
Delayed development, some studies have shown that baby-walkers do not encourage development and may actually delay the achievement of standing and walking, causing toddlers to walk on their tip-toes.

If you do choose to use these products the NHS recommends no more than 20 minutes per day, with close adult supervision.

More information can be found at

Burns and scalds

In 2023 8551 children experiences severe burns in the UK, with 66% of them being babies and children under the age of 4.

According to the Children’s Burns Trust, burns from hot drinks and other liquids, kettles, electric hobs, hair straighteners, vapes and cheap chargers or lighters are the most common causes of burns to children. We’ve heard recently that there has been a burn to a baby from a heated soother for colic, so please be wary around young children as their skin is much more sensitive than an adults and they burn very easily.

Chemicals can burn as well as poison, so keep all household chemicals in their original container away from children.

More information can be found at

Infographic Burns and scalds to children in 2021 (Children's Burns Trust)

Button batteries

Button Batteries can badly hurt or kill a small child within 2 hours. This YouTube video Dangers of button batteries to children (YouTube) from the Child Accident Prevention Trust shows just how quickly the damage can happen.

If you think your child has swallowed a button battery, call 999 or take them to A&E straight away. Don’t make them sick or eat or drink.

Find tips to stay safe in our new leaflet Button batteries small but deadly! - Nottinghmshire County Council [PDF]

More information can be found at

Choking

Children can swallow, inhale, or choke on some types of food and objects like small toys. Safety checks have found that 1 in 10 homes did not store small objects out of reach of children.

Food like hot dogs, sausages, cherry tomatoes, grapes and other soft fruit can choke a child. Slice them in half lengthways and half again. To learn more, visit the NHS Best Start in Life website

Cleaning products and other household chemicals

On average 15 children under 5 are admitted to hospital every day in the UK as a result of being poisoned by household products. Household chemicals run the risk of giving chemical burns or poisoning your child if they are not stored out of reach of children, in their original, childproof packaging. This also includes hygiene and beauty products.

Always make sure that washing capsules are locked away as to little fingers they can look like sweets.

More information can be found at

Dummy Clips and Teething Products

Some parents buy clips to hold dummies and teething rings in place and stop them from falling on the ground, but these are often from online marketplaces, made by home crafters or from abroad and have not been tested to check they comply with UK Safety Laws.

Common safety issues include

Long straps or ribbons that could strangle a baby
Small parts that break off easily and could choke a baby
Toxic chemicals from the plastics or dyes used

Find tips to stay safe in our new leaflet Dummy Clips- Nottinghamshire County Council [PDF]

Falls

It may seem obvious, but did you know that one child under five is admitted to hospital every day after falling from a building.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) recommends that windows above the ground floor are fitted with restrictors with a child safety catch, to stop children falling out.

More information can be found at

Little children grow so quickly, one day they may not be able to roll off a bed or reach to climb on something high, when the next day they can and fall off with the potential for serious injury. Falls from stairs, high-chairs and changing tables can cause serious head injuries. Always use a stair gate and use safety harnesses with the high-chair or changing table.

As soon as your child starts using a bike make sure they have a safety helmet and if using a trampoline, make sure children and adults go on one at a time.

More information can be found at

Pets

Dogs, cats and other pets are loved by children and they can be a good source of stimulation and education, but they should always be supervised as even the most placid of pets can snap if they are irritated or inadvertently hurt by an inquisitive child. Remember the bigger the dog, the stronger their grip if they bite.

Pets are also a potential source of diseases, most of which can be prevented by a few simple hygiene rules:

Cats and dogs clean themselves by licking all over, spreading germs all over their bodies. Always wash hands after playing with an animal, especially before eating.
Keep children away from pet beds so your pet always has a “safe space” where they can get away if they want to.
Make sure your pet has his own dish and cutlery that is washed up separately from your dishes and gets to eat their meals without any child playing with them. Pet food can be a choking hazard for young children.
Ideally your pet should not be fed in the kitchen, but if there is nowhere else suitable then make sure any leftovers are removed as soon as possible. Clean up any splashes and spills to prevent bacteria from multiplying or other pests being attracted. Pet food should not be stored in the refrigerator but in a suitable plastic container with a lid and stored in a cool place.
Get pets are wormed every six months to prevent them carrying parasites that cause Toxcara disease, which can cause blindness in children. Cover sandpits when not in use.
Put cat litter trays away from the kitchen and out of access to children.

Plants

Do you know what plants are in your garden? Some foliage, seeds and berries can be poisonous, others may cause injury. Have you checked your garden recently?

The Royal Horticultural Society advises

If it is not a food plant, do not eat it
Teach children not to play with or eat growing plants
Use gloves when pruning or weeding and keep skin covered
Do not leave prunings or uprooted plants in reach of farm animals or pets
Check plant labels for toxicity warnings (sometimes stated on label)

More information can be found at Potentially harmful garden plants (RHS Gardening)

Safer sleep

Our friends at the Lullaby Trust have lots of information to help you understand about safer sleeping.

Don’t be tempted to buy products that are available such as baby nests, sleep positioners and some sleeping bags, as many of them don’t comply with safer sleep advice.

Find recommendation and tips to stay safe in our new leaflet Safe Sleep- Nottinghamshire County Council [PDF]

More information can be found at

Self-feeding baby pillows

Baby self-feeding pillows or prop feeding devices are very dangerous and are a serious risk of death or injury as they cause babies to choke on the feed or have aspiration pneumonia.

The Government issued this Product safety alert, Baby Self-Feeding Pillows or Prop Feeders (PSA3) because they CANNOT be made safe. Parents and carers are urged to stop buying, stop using and dispose safely of these products. Businesses must not sell them and if they do, they are breaking the law.

More information can be found at Self-feeding baby pillows unsafe (National Child Mortality Database) (opens in new tab)

Super stong magnets

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a Safety Alert to warn of the risk of serious injury and death from swallowing small high-powered magnets.

This follows increasing reports of injuries and a small number of deaths after ingestion of magnets, particularly among children and young people, so parents and carers are being asked to keep these items away from children.

Get urgent medical treatment if you think your child has swallowed a magnet. Call 999 or go to A&E immediately.

More information can be found at Super strong magnets safety alert (National Child Mortality Database)

Toy safety

The following toys are most dangerous

Toys with accessible button batteries that can burn through your child's food pipe
Super strong magnets that can rip thorugh your child's belly
Water beads that can block your child's bowel if swallowed
Toys with long cords that can strangle our child
Toys with small parts that can chok your small child
Cheap electrical toys with exposed wires or chargers that can catch fire

Some toys, even from well-known retailers can be dangerous and second hand toys should always be checked carefully before use.

Check for

Moving parts that might trap little fingers
Loose hair, small parts, sharp edges and points, small parts, cords, ribbons, projectiles, plastic bags and batteries
Button batteries are very dangerous for young children
Splinters in wooden toys
Attached strings or cords which could be a strangulation hazard for young children
Consider whether the toy is sturdy enough to bear a child’s weight
Whether child requires adult supervision or if the toy should only be used by children over a certain age

Toy safety marks

The CE Mark shows the toy complies with EU directives on toy safety and the UKCA Mark shows that the product meets the essential requirements set out in the GB legislation.

The Lion Mark shows that the manufacturer follows the British Toy and Hobby Association code of practice and complies with BS EB 71.

Toys that may be dangerous for children under 3 should also carry the statement “Warning: Not suitable for children under 36 months” plus indicate why, for example small parts choking hazard

More information can be found at Toy Safety (Child Accident Prevention Trust)

Nappy sacks

Nappy sacks have been identified as causing suffocation and choking of babies under one-year-old. Authorities in the UK have become aware of at least 18 deaths associated with individual nappy sacks. Having nappy sacks on a roll is safer.

More information can be found at What are the risks surounding nappy sacks (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents)

Water beads

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a Safety Alert to warn of the risks that water beads can pose. The Safety Alert advises that water beads should be kept away from young children, under 5 years of age, and only used with older children or vulnerable adults under close supervision.

This is because they can expand up to 400 times their original size when exposed to liquid or when swallowed and cause choking and blockages. They are difficult to see on an X-ray and have been linked with child deaths overseas.

More information can be found at Safety Alert to warn of the risks of water beads (Office for Product Safety and Standards)(GOV.Uk)

Child safety - Indoors

On this page

Top Tips

Baby bath seats

Blind cords

Baby walkers and bouncers

Burns and scalds

Button batteries

Choking

Cleaning products and other household chemicals

Dummy Clips and Teething Products

Falls

Pets

Plants

Safer sleep

Self-feeding baby pillows

Super stong magnets

Toy safety

Toy safety marks

Nappy sacks

Water beads