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Hazards, Where Are You Hiding?
Hidden Household Safety Dangers Often Overlooked
By Shannon McKelden
Another hazard McReynolds didn't think of was removable drawers. In a split second one day, her daughter pulled a heavy oak desk drawer out onto the floor. "Thankfully, all she got was a few sore toes and hurt pride, but it could have been much worse, and I've since installed standard cabinet locks on all such drawers, which work just fine," she says.
Lana Figgs, a mom from Westover, Md., warns parents about barstools or chairs with spindle-type backs. "Little arms or legs can get tightly wedged very quickly," she says. "Two of my three girls did this!"
Other furniture hazards include heavy items such as bookcases, televisions and appliances. "Eight thousand to 10,000 victims are treated in emergency rooms annually for furniture tip-over injuries, and some of these injuries are fatal," Holtzman says. "Use angle braces or anchors to secure to [a] wall."
Hanging is another household danger parents may forget. Window treatments with hanging cords pose a strangulation hazard. "Replace them with today's safer, cordless products, especially in children's bedrooms and play areas," Holtzman says. Free retrofit kits for older products can be found at the Window Covering Safety Council's Web site, www.windowcoverings.org.
Connie Sherman of Great Falls, Mont., found another surprising hanging hazard when her 4-year-old son pulled a sheet down from the top bunk of a bunk bed and somehow wrapped it around his neck. "Luckily I was standing right there when it happened," Sherman says.
Many childproof products are only childproof to a point. "Often when a baby enters the family, parents and relatives stock their homes with the latest and greatest safety devices to help keep their new loved one safe," Appy says. But she warns that while safety products are a good first step, parents need to install products properly and use them effectively.
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