Every year, thousands of children are sent to hospital emergency rooms for injuries that are most often predictable and preventable. It’s not surprising that this is the case. Consider your kitchen from the point of view of a small child looking up at a parent bustling around the kitchen, pulling pots from the stove and brightly coloured Tupperware from drawers – you’d think it was a playground. And yet, this curiosity unfortunately is the very thing that puts your child at grave danger.

Though children will want to participate in the excitement of their parent preparing food, it’s up to parents to ensure that their activities in the kitchen won’t compromise a child’s safety. The goal is to create a kitchen environment that is as child safe as possible by minimising the risks and likelihood of injury.

Common injuries in the home kitchen include burns, poisoning, falls or electrocution, all of which occur more often than we’d like to imagine. Even the most attentive and hyper vigilant parents require safeguards against those moments of distraction when you’re unable to supervise your child. Accidents happen, which is why we’d suggest throwing in everything but the kitchen sink.

There are a few common scenarios to be aware of when considering the safety of your home kitchen. The first and most common, is a child venturing into a kitchen unsupervised.

Tip 1: Use a Child safety gate

Kitchens are home to all kinds of sharp and heavy objects, hot ovens and electrical appliances, all of which pose a serious threat when coming into contact with a child. A Child safety gate is the most effective barrier to keep children away from these potential danger zones in the home.

Safety gates are an affordable option designed to swing open and closed, providing easy access to closed-off spaces such as the kitchen. The Perma Child Safety product range of safety gates are designed to be easily operated by an adult, but impossible for a toddler. Perma Child Safety offers a range of different safety gates, all of which have different features to cater to individual preferences and suit the unique design of your home.

The kitchen is a space used every day and an environment that is highly frequented, which is why a child safety gate must also be functional and easy to use. The ‘Ultimate retractable baby gate’ is ideal for the kitchen area because it allows for one handed operation of the gate lock and is also suitable for pets.

A child safety product that fails has devastating consequences for families. Parents without an understanding of the risks associated with unregulated child safety products on the market will be vulnerable to making poor choices. All Perma Child Safety gates have been certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association and have met the safety standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Child safety gates serve the obvious purpose of eliminating kitchen safety risks by restricting access to the space. However, while your infant or toddler is in the kitchen with you, you’ll need to rely on other child safety devices to safeguard against hazards that can cause injury to an infant or toddler. 

Tip 2: Secure your household appliances

A simple tip is to use the back-burner of your stove, turning handles to the wall to ensure they’re not within reach of your child. An added precaution would be to use childproof covers on stove and oven knobs that put a stop to children interfering with the stovetop and dials on the oven. The Perma Child Safety transparent ‘stove and oven knob covers’ come in a pack of four and won’t detract from the aesthetic design of your kitchen.

It’s also recommended to use an appliance lock on your oven and microwave so that children won’t be able to switch things on accidentally or change your settings. The ‘Perma child safety oven and appliance lock’ is a heat resistant, adhesive locking system that prevents young children from sustaining burns or other injuries from household appliances. If your kitchen bench-top has sharp edges or corners, consider installing protective cushioning with the Perma Child Safety ‘Clear Corner Protectors’ to prevent little heads from knocking against bench-tops and tables. 

Tip 3: Keep kitchen hazards out of reach

Ensure your household cleaning products are kept in places out of reach, as we know that children like to put everything in their mouths. If the inconvenience of this seems impractical, the ‘Magnetic cabinet and drawer locks’ keeps those items under the kitchen sink out of sight and reach. Another important consideration is to store plastic bags and foil or plastic wrap dispensers with serrated edges in a cupboard secured by one of Perma Child Safety’s locking systems.

Tip 4: Install locks and latches

Locks and safety latches can also be installed on the cupboards and fridge to prevent heavy food items and utensils from falling onto your child. The Perma Child Safety range offers a wide variety of different locking systems for keeping small children out of the fridge, and out of harm’s way. The Perma Child Safety ‘Premium corner lock’ and ‘Cabinet latches’ are both great options for preventing your child from accessing the contents of the kitchen pantry, cupboards and drawers.

These products have been designed for functionality and convenience, as well as safety, so that you don’t have to compromise on either. You can learn more about child safety in other areas of the home by reading related articles on the Perma Child Safety blog.