Guidance for Installers

Guidance for fitting safety equipment in line with the National Home Safety Equipment Scheme recommendations

Safety Equipment can never replace adult supervision; it is a second line of defence only. It is intended to minimize the risk of an accidental injury if parents lose momentary concentration.

The instructions below are not a replacement to the fitting instructions supplied by the manufacturers; they are intended to provide further guidance and awareness of the product you are fitting.

Guidance for the following equipment is given below:

Multi Dan Extending Safety Gate

Multi Dan Extending Safety Gate

This gate extends from 61cm to 109 cm and therefore should fit most requirements.
Each box and gate is marked with a batch number, for example 0938. This means manufacture during week 38 of 2009. You should record this batch number at the time of installation on Form 1B. The batch number on the gate itself is on the underside.
The gate is provided with screws which assume that you are fixing the gate into wood, if you are fixing to any other material then these are not sufficient, therefore use appropriate fixings for the material.

HINT: wooden batons can be fitted to the plasterboard with appropriate fixings and then use the screws supplied with the safety gate to secure into the batons.
Think about the most suitable position in the home for the safety barrier, Guidance for this project is that safety gates should be fitted at top and bottom of stairs. Only if it is not possible to fit at top of stairs should an alternative like fitting at a bedroom door or across a landing be considered. If fitting at the bottom of the stairs is not practicable the most appropriate place that blocks off access to stairs should be considered.
There is a right way and a wrong way to put the two sections together, ensure you understand the correct way and why this is – to ensure that no gap is presented when the bars are lined up and positioned together.
Remember that the gap at the base of the gate should be limited also to ensure that a child cannot crawl and get stuck beneath it. This is also defined within the instructions.
Children have out of proportion heads to the size of their bodies, and can therefore crawl into a situation which can be very hazardous for them. The defined maximum and minimum gaps within the instructions are therefore important. There is a template for fitting the gate supplied and should be used as defined within the instructions which includes ensuring that it is touching the floor.
The recommended position for fitting at the bottom of the stairs, according to the Safety Standard EN 1930 is at the edge of the first step. This means that extra height is gained which will delay the child reaching and playing with the opening mechanism and climbing over for a little longer.
If fitting at the top of the stairs, use of the small white stop pins within the fixings are crucial to ensure that the gate is not allowed to open out over the stairs.
Explain to parents/carers the important age guidance on the use of safety gates and refer to where this is within the instructions for them, perhaps highlight this using a highlighter pen before you visit.
The European Safety Standard EN1930 states that the safety gate is suitable only for children up to the age of 24 months.
Advise the customer that the safety gate should always be closed after walking through.
Leave the product instructions and fitting tool supplied with the gate, there is warning within the instructions to “Keep for future reference”, therefore you need to leave them with the parent or carer and explain that they should be kept for future reference or use.
However, remove all packaging from the home for disposal.
Advise parents that older children swinging on a safety gate will put undue stress on the fittings and will cause their gate to detach from the wall causing a safety risk in the home.
Advise that the gate is checked periodically by the parents or carers to ensure that the fittings are still secure.

Extending Fireguard

This product has been chosen as it has an extendable feature, therefore it will be versatile for the projects when they are fitting. It will be suitable for any fireplace between 38 inches (95cm approx) and 66 inches (167 cm).
Both the box and the fireguard are independently marked with the batch number for example 2009/6 indicating manufacture during June 2009. Please record batch number on form 1b at the time of fitting.
The product comes with its own set of fittings to secure it to the wall, including rawlplugs. Ensure these are suitable for the wall type.
The fireguard arrives with both halves strapped together with both the end and top panels folded flat. Releasing the straps will allow the end panel to unfold. The top panel is clipped into place for transportation and will need a certain amount of sideways force in order to release it, the clip being on the end of the top panel. Easing the panel out prior to releasing will help.
From this point, assembly and installation becomes very easy. Each half of the guard should be pre-assembled by opening the end panel and clipping it into the top cover. Ensure the clip is fully engaged. Once you position the two halves together to the correct width, you connect them by the use of 3 sets of brackets, two sets top and bottom at the front, and one set at the top. The instructions recommend that you connect the top set of brackets first, and then the front sets. There is a correct way to fit the screw and nut, with the bolt on the inside of the guard, leaving the minimum protrusion on the outside. There are also defined positions on the fireguard for the positioning of the brackets, which are detailed within the instructions.
The wall “eye” screws should be positioned in the wall so that they are the same height as the spring catches already on the fireguard.
Leave the instructions and remove all packaging including banding straps, plastic bags and cardboard box.
Parents should be advised never to use this as a substitute table or a clothes horse. Remember to advise them that fireguards are made of metal and can get hot especially near the vents.

Window Restrictor

This is a versatile child safety window restrictor. It has a useful “ball and socket” joint which means it can fit different types of window and can cope with different window profiles.
The screws needed for fixing the catch to window/windows frames are not included because of the variety of materials to which these restrictors can be fitted. Remember; always choose screws which are suitable for the kind of material they are to be used with. e.g. UPVC, metal or wood.
There is an arrow on the grey closing mechanism, and this reminds you of the correct direction to insert the arm of the restrictor.
Drilling into UPVC can compromise the double glazing unit – so care should be taken.
The Baby Dan instructions are clear and pictorial and so give guidance on how to fit in each situation. You will appreciate that the closer the restrictor is fitted to the window hinge, the larger the aperture that the window will present. This is why the Baby Dan instruction leaflet always shows the installation as far from the hinge as practical. Either way, it is imperative to ensure that after fitting, the window presents a clear opening of no more than 100mm when fully open.
These instructions are available as a PDF document for reference.

Guidance on releasing the window restrictor

The only time anyone should override the window restrictor, is in an emergency situation. There is no key to find in a panic so all the parent/carer needs is their strength to squeeze and release and restrictor. It is not easy, and is not meant to be easy; otherwise children could release it themselves, removing all of the important child safety functions the product provides. It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the release mechanism so you can show this to parents/carers.

You can see on the prongs at the end of the arm that they have a non return barb of plastic, which stops the arm from being able to be pulled back through the mechanism. You need to ensure that these are away from the locator and then squeeze the prongs together pushing towards the locator and at the same time push the locator forward which will allow the arm to release.

Pop It Child Safety Lock

The POP IT comprises of a plastic bracket which is simply fitted, with two screws provided, to the upright wooden structure behind cupboard doors. This mounting bracket is only plastic, and can bend. This is a safety feature as much as anything, so that there is less chance of anyone catching themselves on the exposed end of the bracket. You then have the securing knob which is clicked onto this bracket ensuring that two cupboards are kept closed using only one single lock.
Later versions of the device are batch recorded on the grey plastic bracket. There is a date mark, for example 0709 indicating a manufacture date of July 09. You should record this batch number on form 1b.
It works best when it is keeping two cupboards closed, as the bracket needs a supporting structure both sides in order to be secure. In the case of two cupboards, the bracket is in the middle of them both, therefore cannot pivot side to side.
Fitting to a single door should be assessed on an individual basis. One option is to use a fixed adjacent structure, such as a filler panel for the bracket to rest against to keep it rigid. If the single cupboard has no such structure, consider the top of the cupboard using the worktop as the fixed structure (again will only work if this is flush), and if neither of these work, then you need to consider use of the alternative magnetic lock as provided by the scheme.
If fitting to a single cupboard as described above, think about the parents/carers access to the release mechanism on the knob for the “P” key. The knob can click on in either way, so the aperture for the “P” key can be left or right, one may be preferable to the other, and again, explain this to the parent/carer.

There are some locations where the POP IT lock may not be effective, and the diagram below may help:

The end of a row of cupboards for example, where there is no immediately adjacent cupboard, drawer or structure to provide the bracket stability. (A and E below)
Secondly, the knob itself is 45mm in diameter. This means that if 2 cupboards open in the same direction (B below), you may find the Pop-it knob restricts the opening of one of the cupboards.
The versatility of the Pop-it lock, is that correctly positioned, 1 knob will secure either 2 cupboards, 2 drawers (C and D below) or all 4, but the configuration must be correct.
Offer the lock up before installing; Try opening the cupboard once installed, and also adjacent drawers and cupboards to ensure it is working effectively.

Corner Cushions

Children learning to walk are often unstable, and therefore prone to falling against pieces of furniture. The purpose of the corner cushions is to cover sharp corners so that the injury outcome in the event of a fall is minimized.
The cushions are supplied with adhesive pads.
It is important that you ensure that the area to which the corner cushions are to be applied, is clean from grease, by using an alcohol based cleaner. This allows the product to have the best chance of adhering.
Ideally the installation should be done whilst the children are in bed. This gives at least a few hours for the adhesive to dry off properly.
The product is not a choke hazard, as it cannot fit wholly into a choke cylinder.
As a matter of course you should leave the fitting and use leaflet with the carer and remove any surplus packaging, including the polythene bag.

Cord Winder

Many parents are unaware of the accidents that occur due to entrapment in blind cords. The danger is that children can become entangled in either the loop cords or the individual pull cords, and lose their footing, causing strangulation or hanging.

You can also use this opportunity to highlight that any loop within a home can be hazardous, such as drawstring bags which if hanging from a bunk bed or similar, can provide the same set of dangerous circumstances.

Loops on blind cords can be shortened and cut in half which will reduce the hazard, however many parents do not want this solution, therefore we have provided this basic product as a way of minimizing this serious hazard within the home.

Fitting.

Simply lift off the top by holding the base and pushing upward on the rim. You will see inside the top are two plastic protrusions.
Position the top with the protrusions about half way up the cord and place the cord in the gap between the protrusions. Clip the base back onto the top so that the cords enter and exit the base through the cutouts provided. To retract the cord into the product, simply turn the cap clockwise. The cord will be wound internally around the protrusions. You cannot turn the product anti clockwise to unwind, you need to remove and start again to reposition. After installation, ensure that minimum exposed cord is beneath product, this may mean repositioning the product. Keep this out of reach of children.
To operate the cord, parents will need to remove the device and then subsequently rewind the cord. The direction of the slats on the blind can be altered without taking the product off, however to lift or draw the blinds, it may be necessary to remove the cord winder and refit after moving the blinds. Please show the parent/carer how to do this.
As a matter of course you should leave the fitting and usage instructions with the carer but remove all surplus packaging.

Bathmat

The Bath Mat chosen is full length and is provided to help prevent slips and falls in the bath. It should be fitted before filling the bath.

It is recommended that after each use, the product is lifted and rinsed.

Leave instructions but remove all packaging , especially the plastic bag.

Advice

It is always helpful to remind parents about filling baths with cold water first then hot, all the time, not just when running children’s baths as this helps to prevent the risk of a severe scald. It is also worth mentioning how little water is needed to be a drowning risk to a child and that a child drowning will be silent, so supervision at all times is paramount.