Christmas brings a flurry of activity in most homes, with presents to buy, rooms to decorate, meals to plan, and friends and family to entertain.
By building safety into Christmas planning, families can keep the day as stress-free as possible and make sure it is a ‘Happy Christmas’.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) has the following top ten tips for the festive season.
Toy tips from CAPT and the British Toy and Hobby Association:• When shopping for Christmas presents, always head to reputable retailers, who take care about the products they stock. Markets or temporary shops often sell illegally imported toys that are unlikely to conform to strict toy safety requirements. Counterfeit goods may have low prices but are illegal, aren't made to proper standards and can be dangerous for little ones.
• Make sure that the toys you give are appropriate for the child’s age, as babies and toddlers can choke on small parts or swallow harmful components. Toys that are not intended for very young children are clearly marked.
CAPT’s general Christmas tips:• Look out for small things that young children can choke on. Put small decorations high out of reach, tidy away small plastic toys from crackers and put small batteries (particularly the round, silver ones) out of reach of little fingers.
• If you’re staying with relatives or friends over Christmas, remember that the top bunk of bunk beds can be dangerous for children under six. And bear in mind that safety items you might have at home, such as stair gates and cupboard locks, might not be available where you are staying.
• On the big day itself, make sure stairs are free from clutter. Children will be rushing around to find visitors, open presents and play with their new toys, so remove things that could cause a bad fall down stairs.
• The kitchen can be a hectic place on Christmas day. So keep young children out of the kitchen while you’re preparing Christmas dinner and all the trimmings, to avoid burns and scalds. One in ten children’s accidents happen in the kitchen.
• Clear away any bottles of alcohol and the last dregs of drinks left in glasses as even small amounts of alcohol can poison young children.
• Make sure visitors to the house, such as grandparents, don’t leave medicines in places where children can find them, for example in handbags or counted out on bedside cabinets. Medicines are the most common cause of accidental poisoning in children, with everyday painkillers a frequent culprit.
• Keep candles away from Christmas trees and decorations. And don’t hang decorations from lights and heaters, as they can catch alight and burn easily.
• Remember to turn off fairy lights and blow out candles before heading to bed. And check that your smoke alarms are working, so there’s time to get out if a fire does start.
For more information on keeping your children safer this Christmas, visit www.direct.gov.uk/childsafety or www.capt.org.uk/parents
Dec 09 | 
Have a Safe and Happy Christmas
