Home Safety

Since the last report in 2002 significant legislation has passed to protect children from lead exposure. The Lead Hazard Control Ordinance became effective May 2008 in San Diego. This ordinance requires the following:

• childcare providers to insure children’s blood lead levels are tested prior to enrollment,
• mandates that home improvement stores post warning signs and lead poisoning prevention education,
• requires property owners inspect units for potential lead hazards upon turn over,
• provides specific guidance preventing lead hazards from being created during renovations, this also includes clearance sampling from certified lead inspectors after renovation.

As part of a city wide commitment to ensure safe homes for children The Lead Safe Neighborhoods Program applied and received federal HUD funding. This funding is being used to provide comprehensive inspections of low income housing through The Healthy Homes Collaborative in San Diego (SDHHC). A primary focus of this program is investigating asthma trigger in children and mitigating these issues through inspections and modifications to the home. Safe Kids San Diego was contacted by SDHHC to provide training and ongoing education to augment the SDHHC program by providing information on strategies to prevent unintentional injuries in the home. Specifically Safe Kids will be providing instruction to inspectors, community based organizations, public health professionals and others committed to safe housing on identifying home safety hazards for children. This instruction will also provide strategies and recommend products to prevent the risk of injury to children in the home. To supplement the training the Safe Kids Home Safety task force will produce a culturally and developmentally appropriate brochure to distribute to the inspectors, residents and community members.

The Home Safety Task force will expand their collaborations to include the Burn Institute and other appropriate and interested partners. A component of this will be maintaining surveillance on legislation affecting home safety. Currently, there is a bill introduced to the Senate July 2008 banning the sale of novelty lighters (Protect Children from Dangerous Lighters Act, S. 3375). Eight states have already enacted this law. Safe Kids San Diego has appointed a Policy/legislative representative to track legislation to report updates to the coalition. The Home Safety Task Force will use these reports to direct future activities.

Prevention Activities you Can Do

• Check all Toys for potential choking hazards such as loose parts or pieces that can be easily removed. Use a small parts tester (such as the cardboard tube of a toilet roll) to test if a part is too small for your child to play with. If a toy can fit through the tube it’s too small for a child under 4.
• Make sure that toys are appropriate for the age and development of your child.
• Change all blind cords so that they no longer form a continuous loop.
• When children of different ages are in the same area, monitor the items in the reach of small children. Objects appropriate for an 11 year old are usually not safe for a 2 year old.
• Keep plastic bags and balloons away from young children. Both can become lodged in the airway and cause suffocation.
• Encourage children not to chew on objects such as pens and other non-edible objects
• Be sure food is appropriate for the child’s age and development. Check with your pediatrician for recommendations on when to introduce specific foods to your child. Avoid hot dogs, small carrot or extremely chewy foods.
• Do not sleep with a young child in your bed. The Consumer Product Safety Administration has issued an alert with this advisement due to the increasing number of young children suffocating in adult beds as the result of being crushed by another individual, becoming entangled in the bedding or being wedged between the bed and the wall. Children who are suffocating may not be able to make audible sounds of distress.
• Place window stops in your windows and place furniture away from windows to prevent accidental falls.
• Place gaits in front of stairs or other hazards
• Place large outlet covers over electric outlets (make sure are large enough not to fit through the small parts tester).
• Turn down your water heater to 120 degrees and always test the water temperature before placing your child in a bath, the water temperature should not exceed 100 degrees
• Place safety locks on all kitchen appliances such as the refrigerator, dishwasher and oven.
• When in doubt use door knob covers to keep your child out of a room or as a second barrier for safety.