Equipment Advice
Home safety equipment
Participating Schemes carried out ‘home checks’ to establish what safety equipment each family needed. However, it was anticipated that the average set of equipment provided to each family would be:
- Safety gates (up to 2)
- Window restrictors (up to 6)
- Non-slip bath or shower mat (x1)
- Fire guard (x1)
- Locks for kitchen cupboard containing cleaning chemicals and medications (x2)
- Corner cushions (up to 2 packs of 4)
Self-extending Screw Fixed Safety Barrier
Using research and evaluation reports from existing schemes the equipment sets were worked out on an average 3 bedroom home with a set of window restrictors being fitted to the first floor windows only. There was some variation in the needs of families depending on the size and layout of the property and the age of the children. So there was the capacity to fit extra equipment into homes if justifiable.
Safe At Home did not provide smoke detectors. The Government provides support for Fire and Rescue Authorities to deliver community fire safety activities. This involves carrying out simple fire safety checks and the fitting of smoke detectors, where the need is identified. Participating Schemes were encouraged to work with the fire service in order to support local fire safety activity, providing smoke detectors to families where they are available from the local Fire and Rescue Service.
Safety Equipment supplied under the Safe At Home Scheme
Self-extending Screw Fixed Safety Barrier
Safe at Home wanted to ensure that our choice of gate was as versatile as possible and able to fit as many situations in the home as possible. We therefore opted for a wall mounted extending gate, as opposed to pressure mounted. One of the reasons for this is that fitting against flexible newel posts and some plasterboard walls, means that the required pressure needed by pressure gates, cannot always be constantly maintained; in this situation the gate can become a hazard. A wall mounted gate must be permanently attached to the wall, stair structure or door frame by screws and appropriate fixings, thus ensuring its stability. In order to ensure that the majority of fitting requirements and aperture sizes can be addressed, we opted for the self-extending version. The extending gate offered has no trip bar at the base, so that its installation does not introduce a further potential hazard in use. For this reason this gate is also suitable for fitting at the top of stairs, when deemed appropriate. The gate offers a full-width opening, similar in operation to a garden gate, ensuring no width constrictions to users when walking through.
Self-extending Fireguard
If fitted at the top of stairs, the gate includes the provision of one way limiters within the fittings to prevent the gate opening out over the stairs. This is an important safety feature as it means when a parent is coming up the stairs they can only open the gate away from them towards the landing, and if descending the stairs, the gate must be opened back towards them. The gate fully conforms to the relevant standard BS EN 1930.
Bath Mat
Self-extending Fireguard
In order to ensure that the majority of fitting requirements can be addressed, we opted for a self-extending fireguard. This offers great versatility. This product conforms to BS.8423:2002.
Bath Mat
We chose an anti-slip rubber bath mat which is a one-piece moulding, complete with integral suction cups. It covers the full length of the bath, minimizing the risk of a slip leading to a fall. There is currently no BS EN Standard on Bath Mats.
Cupboard Lock
Cupboard Lock
It is an important consideration to differentiate between locks and catches for this situation, as child resistant catches for cupboards can often be overcome by children by copying their parents who would use the product daily. The chosen lock is versatile and easy to fit. One lock can effectively secure up to a maximum of four drawers/cupboards. The lock has a universal key so that spares can be provided if required and one key can allow parents to access all cupboards/drawers when required. This is a truly effective way of protecting children from access to products and implements that can cause them harm. There is currently no BS or EN standard on small child safety products for cupboards and or drawers.
Corner Cushions
Corner Cushions
In order to minimize the risk of a child being injured on a sharp corner in the home, we proposed to provide eight plastic adhesive corner cushions. There is currently no BS or EN standard on small child safety products.
Window Restrictor
We chose a window restrictor with a ball and socket hinge joint which pivots in many directions, this ensures that it has versatility for the fitting of the widest range of windows possible. It allows the opening of windows for ventilation but is limited to ensure a child’s safety from falling out of a window accidentally.
Window Restrictor
The restrictor has no key (which can be misplaced or lost) so that safety is not compromised if a parent or carer needs to escape through the window in an emergency. It is secure enough so that a child cannot overcome it, but can be released with a great deal of strength by an adult should an emergency situation arise. There is currently no EU standard on a separate add-on window restrictor, however the restrictor has been tested to the respected Swedish standard SS3587.
Window restrictors were supplied with no fixings, so that fitting agencies can provide the correct fittings depending on the individual requirements, i.e. UPVC, Aluminium, wood etc.
What else did Safe At Home provide?.
Scheme documentation and an evaluation process
All participating schemes used standard documentation to:
- Report on a home visit;
- Place orders for equipment;
- Recover the cost of installation (if authorised by RoSPA);
- Monitor local accident rates amongst 0-5s.