Safety Practices and Policies for Toddlers

           Toddlers are experiencing most things for the first time and therefore do not understand the dangers that could happen as a result of there curiosity.  As stated in Robertson (2016) adults that do not provide supervision, knowledge, communication, and understanding of a situation can contribute to a child’s injury. Being conscious of the developmental levels of children and avoiding situations that are not age appropriate can reduce the risk of injury. Prevention is the single most significant factor in risk management for safety (Robertson, 2016, pg. 81).

Choking        

         According to Robertson (2016) choking can be related to food, small objects, and toys that are not examined and age appropriate for the specific age group. Robertson (2016) states that when food is introduced teach children to chew and never be allowed to play with their food. To prevent chocking on toys they should be checked regularly for any broken pieces or toys that small enough to choke on. As stated by Robertson (2016) toys should be checked for recalls. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, 2016) does not promote toys with small parts to children under the age of three. Prevention at home by checking toys and areas before play and supervising children while eating foods such as hotdogs, grapes, chips, and snack foods will prevent incidents.

Drowning

        For children under the age of five drowning is the second major cause of death (Robertson, 2016). According to Robertson (2016) drowning can happen in a small amount of water. There should be locks on toilets or children should be supervised when bathroom doors are open. If there are buckets or water tables making sure these things are cleaned up and water is never left standing unsupervised. To ensure safety at home bathroom door should be closed and access to any outside water should be gated off and locked as well.

Interpersonal Safety

      According to Robertson (2016) children under the age of three can start to display behaviors such as biting, kicking, scratching or hitting.  When a physical situation between children happens acting quickly and knowing how to properly handle the situation is necessary.  If a child has a habit of biting teachers or parents can help by assessing the reason for biting.   Biting can be a sign of teething or the lack of ability to communicate the child’s feelings. It is not uncommon for toddlers to bite but the action should never go unnoticed and action and redirection should happen immediately.

Safety Devices

      Electrical sockets, stairways, cabinets, and doorways are very dangerous for curious children. Teachers and parents should child proof the environment as best as possible before children are allowed to explore and play. According to Robertson (2016) electrical covers should be placed over sockets, doorways should be lockable or gated off so children are unable to get into them, and stairs should be gated off to prevent a child from falling.

Toxins

       Infants and toddlers spend much of their time indoors and on the floor. As stated by Robertson (2016) making sure that chemicals used to clean these surfaces are safe made of non toxic ingredients. Cleaning and vacuuming regularly helps to reduce the exposure to things such as mold, dust and germs. The environment children are in whether it is home, daycare or at school should be safe and the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals to an ultimate low. The CPSC discourages the use of flame retardants because of the toxins. This is helpful because many infants and toddlers put toys and objects in their mouths. Checking the labels on things such as toys, child care products and cleaners can help to keep children safe from harmful toxins.