The winter season promises plenty of fun family activities, but it’s important to keep in mind the hazards of cold weather months.
Whether spending time outside in the snow or staying cozy and warm inside, there are safety precautions parents and caregivers can take to help keep children safe.
The Window Covering Safety Council suggests the following guidelines:
- Children love to peek out the window to see the snowfall. Be sure to only use cordless window products in the homes with young children. Replace older window coverings with today's safer, cordless products.
- Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall. cord stops should be properly installed and adjusted to limit the movement of inner lift cords.
- Move all furniture, cribs, beds and climbable surfaces away from windows.
- Make sure that children play in areas with a warm shelter nearby. Children should take frequent breaks from the cold to warm up and drink plenty of liquids.
- Dress children in several layers of clothing so that they can remove one layer if they get warm to prevent overheating.
- Remove wet shoes and clothing immediately when children return from outside.
- Keep space heaters three feet away from anything that can burn and be sure to turn them off when you leave the room.
- Do not let children play outdoors if the temperature or the wind chill is below 32°F. Check the weather forecast to ensure temperatures won't fall drastically throughout the day.
For additional child safety tips, visit the council's website at www.windowcoverings.org.
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