Winter safety checklist

Shalinee

• Do you have smoke alarms in your home?
• Are your alarms in working order? Have you tested the batteries recently?
• Are you drying clothes on a drying rack and not a heater?
• Does your heater need a safety check (eg. dust removal, frayed cord, a guard for electric and gas)?
• Is it secured to the wall?
• Do you keep all matches and lighters out of reach?
• Are your children's nightclothes close fitting?
• Do they have safety labels attached (eg. White-label - Low fire danger or Red label - Warning High fire danger - keep away from fire)?
• Are all contents of cupboards in kitchen, bathroom and laundry free of sharp objects, poisons, cleaners and medicines? (these should all be kept out of reach of children)
• Are your bath and basin plugs out of reach?
• Are all electrical cords secure and out of reach?
• Have your electric blankets been checked?

This checklist has been provided by the New Zealand Child Safety Foundation, one of New Zealand’s least known but most valuable charitable foundations. The Foundation is not funded by the Government and derives it’s funding from donations and fundraising. The foundation, through the generosity of its sponsors and other limited funding does manage to provide worthwhile services to support young families.