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General Kitchen Safety Tips  Keep appliance cords out of reach. Buy appliances with shorter cords, or tie the extra length and keep it safely out of the way; don't let extra cord length dangle.
Keep smaller appliances (anything but the stove and fridge) unplugged when not in use, and tack cords behind them.
Keep garbage container safely covered, and make sure it is not tippable.
Install and use good lighting in the kitchen.
Keep matches away from children; store them in closed metal containers.
Never leave plastic bags lying around; they can suffocate a child.
Keep safety locks on cabinets and cupboards. Keep drawers containing cutlery and sharp utensils locked.
Keep the dishwasher door locked; when using it, place knives blade down, and fill the soap container only when ready to turn the appliance on.
Cooking Safety Tips
Remove knobs from gas stoves when not in use.
Turn pan and pot handles inward, away from the front of the stove, but not over another burner.
Use safety guards around a stove top if toddlers are insistent on exploring the stove top.
Keep baking soda and a fire extinguisher next to the stove, and know how to use them. If a fire is small and contained, you may try to extinguish it yourself. If a cooking fire breaks out, use these to put it out, but call 911 anyway.
Never pour water on a grease fire -- it will only spread it.
If possible, keep microwave in a spot where children cannot reach the controls; always keep a glass of water in the microwave in case it gets turned on by accident.
Locate wall ovens no higher than user's chest.
General Storage Tips
Store glass pop bottles away from children; if tipped or dropped, these can explode and cause serious injury.
Use lead-free drinking containers, cups, and pitcher; acidic juices (orange, tomato, lemonade) draw out toxic lead from poorly sealed ceramics.
Keep potentially harmful items out of the bottom shelves of the fridge out of children's reach.
Storing Dangerous Household Chemicals
Adults treat household cleaners and chemicals with respect; they have learned that these are can cause great harm if misused, splattered on the eyes or skin, or inadvertently swallowed. It's extremely important that these solutions be kept away from children, and that children be taught to recognize warning symbols denoting toxicity.
If at all possible, household cleaners, insecticides, and other toxic chemicals should not be kept in the kitchen at all, but locked away in an area that's out of bounds, or at least unreachable, to kids. And remember that "green", or environmentally friendly products, even though frequently less toxic, still can pose a danger if swallowed.
When purchasing cleaners and other dangerous chemicals, look for child-resistant containers.
Store cleaners or other toxic fluids in their original containers.
Always replace the cap before you set a container of cleaning fluid or other dangerous product down, even if you are still using it.
Keep the telephone numbers of your doctor, poison control centre, ambulance and fire department prominently by every phone in the house.
At The Table - During Meals
Never leave your child unattended when eating.
Avoid the use of tablecloths (which may be pulled off the table, along with hot dishes, etc.).
Serve food and drinks in non-breakable dishes.
Don't let children walk around holding anything made of glass, such as a tumbler.
If your child uses a bottle, be alert for chipping rubber nipples and toss them out at the first sign of decay.
Wipe up any spills immediately.
At The Table - Hot Foods & Drinks
Young children don't understand that hot drinks can be dangerous. They see parents drinking from cups much like their own, and are sometimes tempted to reach for a drink not belonging to them. For this reason, keep hot drinks (and any hot foods or dishes) in the centre of the table, away from a child's reach. Keep condiments, salt and pepper at a safe distance, too.
If you are sitting at the table with a child in your lap, don't drink anything hot. The child may jostle your hand when you are holding the hot drink, and it could spill and scald.
Remember that water in a kettle or teapot can scald up to half an hour after it has boiled.
Don't carry hot drinks over a child's head.
Don't walk near or over children (playing on the floor) while you are carrying a hot drink.
Highchairs & Hook-On Chairs
Many children have been injured when falling from a highchair, usually because seat belts were not used, or the child was not closely supervised. Ensure that your child's highchair is approved by the Canadian Standards Association, and use it correctly. Here are some important guidelines for choosing the best highchair, and using it safely.
Pick a highchair with a wide, stable base, nonskid feet, and a seat belt.
Make sure a child's hands, fingers, or head cannot become entrapped anywhere in the chair; always use the seat belt.
Never leave your child unsupervised.
Never assume a child cannot undo the seat belt or lift the tray.
Don't let older children climb onto a highchair, even when it's unoccupied.
Place the highchair where a child's legs cannot reach walls or nearby furniture; children can push against something and topple over; place the highchair away from the stove and cabinets.
With a folding model, make certain that the locking device is in place, so that the chair cannot collapse.
Don't let your child stand up in a highchair.
When attaching a hook-on chair to a table, locate it between the table supports or legs, so that a child cannot push against them and dislodge the chair from the table.
Be sure restraining straps are in proper condition, and use them at all times.
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