New Home Child Safety

Buying a new home is always an exciting event.  But if you have children there can be obvious or even hidden safety hazards in any new home.  A new home is a big investment, but the safety of your family is important too.

You may have known where those safety hazards were in your old home, condo or apartment, but your new house may be bigger and more "complex" than your old home.  If you're just thinking about buying a new home, you might also be wondering what to look for when inspecting a new or a potentially new home.

Home Safety for Children

Let's face it; safety is pretty much a 24 hour, 7 day a week job - especially if you have children in unfamiliar surroundings.  For that reason we're going to tell you what we are and what we are not going to discuss in this publication.

Comprehensive Safety Precautions

The information in this article is not intended to be a comprehensive checklist of all the safety precautions you need to take when children are in the home.  There are many great websites such as including government websites that provide those kinds of checklists.

For example, we're not going to discuss things such as cribbing, storing knives, small objects, furniture and hazardous chemicals.  If you have kids, then as a responsible adult you should already know what to look out for and what to do when it comes to those types of safety hazards.

Uncovering Hazards in a New Home

What we're going to include here are some of the features of the new home itself that might present a safety problem for small children.  These would be things to look out for in new surroundings.  In this way you can do a visual "inspection" of the home and property to determine if you need to take corrective action.

New Home Safety Inspections

We're going to cover safety in three areas - outside the home, inside the home and the home's infrastructure of electric, gas, water and heat.  But keep in mind that this list is meant merely as a guide, when walking around and conducting your inspection if you see something that looks unsafe then you need to take corrective action.

External Property, Backyards Safety

The outside of any new home is the logical place to start your inspection.  Throughout this entire exercise you need to make sure you're thinking like a child.  Children are smaller than adults and those small holes that might seem harmless to you could be a safety hazard for a child.  When inspecting the outside of the home, make sure you look for the following:

• Sidewalks and walkways should be free from cracks, rises or holes that can present tripping hazards.
• Outdoor playground equipment such as swing sets should be securely anchored to the ground.  Fasteners should be inspected for excessive rust, loose or missing bolts.
• Outdoor play equipment should also be free from splintering wood or sharp metal edges.
• The area under play equipment should also have sufficient cushioning materials such as wood chips or rubber chips.  Manufacturers of playground equipment can help you figure out the depth of materials and range of materials you need around a play set.
• If your new home has an above ground or built in swimming pool, you need to make sure babies and toddlers cannot gain unattended access to the water.  Fencing, gates, latches and ladders are all important components of swimming pool safety.  Your local municipal office should be able to tell you exactly what safety equipment is required for swimming pools in your area.
• Finally, you need to be aware of dogs and other pets that might wander into your backyard.  All dogs can bite, despite what a pet owner might say.

Safety Inside the Home

Your next stop will be the inside of the home.  In this first section we're going to be concentrating on the home's living environment.  These are the areas of your home where your family is going to spend most of their time.

• All walls and other painted surfaces should be free from cracking and peeling paint - which can contain lead in older homes.
• Glass doors should have decorative objects fastened to them so that small children will know when the door is closed.
• Window blinds and cords for curtains should be fastened with clothespins or secured with clips to keep them high and out of reach.
• Windows should be locked or window guards should be installed on non-emergency exit windows - especially on second floor windows.
• Bathroom and kitchen outlets should have grounded circuit breakers, also known as GFCI breakers.
• Slats on stair railing should be inspected for lose anchoring and proper spacing.
• Emergency telephone numbers (fire, police, and ambulance) should be posted by phones.
• Determine the best fire escape routes from your home. Find at least two ways out of each room and practice them.  Make sure you have a fire ladder for each room on the second floor.

Electric Gas Heat and Water Safety

This final area has to do with the home's infrastructure - electrical outlets, natural gas or oil, heating systems, water pipes.  These are the supporting systems in the home that are often overlooked or taken for granted by homeowners but provide a vital role in the home's comfort.  

• Make sure all space heaters are a sufficient distance (3 + feet) from flammable materials such as curtains and bedding.
• Fireplaces - especially gas fireplaces - should be clear of flammable materials, secured and locked to prevent accidental lighting.  Fireplaces should also be cleaned before using.
• All unused electrical outlets should have safety plugs.
• Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should be installed per local building codes.  If detectors are already in place, make sure they are working properly using the manufacturer's testing procedure.
• Hot water from the water heater should not be greater than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent burns or scalding.
• As a homeowner moving into a new home, you should know where and how to turn off all utilities such as water, natural gas and electricity.

Child Safety in Homes

As your walking around your new home, you need to see things from a child's point of view.  Looking at things with the curiosity of a young one will help you get a better idea of what kind of trouble they could get into.

Finally, there is no checklist we know of that covers all possible safety hazards.  There is no substitution for your own common sense.  In fact, just taking the time to look around your new home with a focus on safety should help to eliminate most, if not all, of the child safety hazards.  And hopefully keep those toddlers out of trouble too.

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