Kitchen and Bath Safety Audit

If you’re a parent, you’ve already thought about minimizing or eliminating safety hazards in your bathroom and kitchen. With new, recently developed products, you can easily remove much of the risks. Start by taking a fresh look at your home while conducting a safety audit. Does your bathroom and kitchen have the following safety features?

Bathroom

Slip-resistant strips in the bath tub and nearby to minimize the risk of slipping and falling

• Grab bars in tubs and showers
• Towels bars/rings close to the tub and shower
• Impact-resistant safety-glass or plastic tub/shower enclosure
• Shatter-resistant safety tub faucets that don’t have sharp edges

Recessed soap dishes (those that stick out from the wall can cause injury if a person falls against them)

The new soft bathtub, which is made of impact-absorbing materials to reduce the risk of injury for young and old alike

• Non-slip tile to reduce the risk of falling on a wet surface
• Toilet latches to prevent children from opening the lid

Electrical outlets designed to automatically cut off power in presence of water contact or faulty circuitry

Door hardware that can be unlocked from either side

Temperature-controlled faucets to avoid serious skin burns (typical faucets can produce water that is more than 120 degrees F, which can scald a child’s tender skin).

Kitchen

A stove with top controls that are difficult for children to reach

Appliances, sharp knives and other sharp objects kept out of sight and reach in appliance garages, in-drawer knife blocks, and built-in storage units

• Slip/impact-resistant flooring
• Cabinet latches to keep children from dangerous products