Canadian homes are not as safe for children as we think, according to a new survey released today by Safe Kids Canada, the national injury prevention program of Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.

The Harris/Decima survey found that the majority of Canadians (86 per cent) assume the products they buy for their homes are safe, even though this is not always the case. Thousands of kids visit emergency rooms each year because of injuries from everyday objects in our homes.

Nearly half of the 1.6 million emergency room visits for kids in the last 17 years were a result of such home products as furniture, window cords and magnets.

Safe Kids Canada executive director Pamela Fuselli points out that not all products sold in the Canadian marketplace are necessarily tested for safety to children.

The survey on home product safety also found:

  • 40 per cent of Canadian parents have used baby bath seats, yet 28 per cent do not believe they could cause injury to young child
  • 30 per cent have used baby walkers, a product that is now banned in Canada
  • 39 per cent do not believe magnets could cause injuries to children
  • 48 per cent cite news reports (print, radio, TV) as the most common way to find out about product recalls
  • 61 per cent have never checked to see if their children's products or equipment has been recalled for safety reasons

Here are a few examples of products that have caused serious injuries to children:

Magnets

Tiny magnets found in products like toys and jewelry can be extremely hazardous to children. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnetic strength will pull the two pieces together, even if the child's organs are in the way. The resulting internal damage can be life-threatening.

To keep your children, keep magnets out of reach of young children. Small children tend to put everything in their mouths as a way of exploring. This puts them at higher risk for small toys or small loose parts becoming a choking hazard. Keep toys intended for older children out of reach of younger ones. If magnets are swallowed; seek immediate medical care.

Falling furniture

Large pieces of furniture, especially bookcases and TV stands, are often viewed by children as great climbing apparatuses. But more than 100 children visit hospital emergency departments every year in Canada due to televisions that fell over on top of them and caused head injuries, broken bones, or internal injuries. Newer designs of TVs have even bigger screens and smaller backs, which makes them easier to topple as they are front heavy.

To keep your children safe, keep televisions on low, sturdy furniture. Use anchors to secure furniture to the wall and furniture straps or angle-braces to secure televisions to the furniture. Use child-resistant latches to prevent children from opening drawers and climbing up items such as dressers.

Window blinds

Although 56 per cent of Canadian parents use window blinds, nearly a quarter of them do not believe they could cause injuries to a child. The reality is that between 1989 and 2006, 27 children died and an additional 23 children were reported to have been injured by becoming tangled in window blind cords.

To keep your children safe from tempting window cords, cut the cords as short as you can and tie them out of reach. Furniture should not be placed near windows to decrease the likelihood of young children reaching for blinds or curtain cords.

Backyard playground equipment

Home playground equipment injuries are quite common; about 25 per cent of injuries to children occur on home playground equipment.

Kids aged 10 to 14 are most likely to be injured by playground equipment, with the most severe injuries resulting from falls off the equipment onto a hard surface like grass.

To keep kids safer, playgrounds should be surrounded by a deep, soft surface such as wood chips or sand, to help cushion a child's fall.

Drawstrings on children's clothing should be removed and scarves should be tucked into clothing, before children play on playground equipment.

Bunk beds

Bunk beds present numerous hazards to young children including falls and strangulations. Between 1990 and 2007, there were 5,403 cases of injuries associated with bunk beds in Canada.

Over 30 per cent of Canadian families have owned bunk beds, yet 10 per cent of parents do not believe they could injure a child.

To keep little ones safe from bunk bed injuries, make sure your bunk bed meets the ASTM standard F4127. Check the label or ask the retailer to find out if the bunk bed you are considering meets these standards. Only allow children over age of six to use the top bunk. Make sure the top bunk has guard rails on all four sides of the bed. Install padded carpeting in rooms where bunk beds are used.

Toys

Many parents think the ages mentioned on toy packages are there to advise which age groups would most enjoy the toy. In fact, most are there for safety reasons, advising that kids younger than the ages mentioned should not use the toy.

Fuselli advises that parents keep themselves aware of product recalls, many of which are not reported in the media.

Health Canada has a good Consumer Product Safety website that has lots of information on keeping kids safe from injury, as well as lists of recent product recalls. As well, parents can subscribe for Health Canada email updates about recalls, and report incidents involving toys that may have been defective or that caused injury.