Childproofing the Kitchen

Many child-safety experts believe that children should be kept out of the kitchen and that no amount of childproofing can make a kitchen safe. Jay Hanc of Safe Beginnings, a baby-proofing and safety company in Brookline, MA, says, “My first suggestion is don't allow kids in the kitchen. Between cooking and cleaning, the kitchen is not a safe place. If they are in the kitchen, they should be in their high chair.”

To keep children safe, all kitchen entrances should have a safety gate to keep children out. “The biggest frustration for me is hearing parents complain about the looks of some of the safety measures,” says Mat Dann, a firefighter and paramedic. “You can stain or paint safety gates to match your kitchen or your baseboards. The most important thing is the safety of your child.”

Cabinets and Drawers

Cabinets and drawers are major culprits for injuries to toddlers. Drawers, which are often at the height of a toddler's head, should be installed with automatic closing slides that keep the drawer shut even after a hard shove. Better yet, Merillat makes the Soft Action Drawer Guide System, which regulates the closing of the drawer to prevent drawer slams and pinched fingers.

Cabinets and drawers should all be secured with internal locking devices because external locks that need to be put back in place after each use are often forgotten. One highly rated product is the Safety 1st Tot Lock system, which is installed inside drawers and cabinets that are 0.5 to over 1.5 inches thick and utilizes magnets as a locking mechanism. A switch on the locks disables them when they are no longer needed.

Electrocution Dangers

The 911 Infobook reports that 86 percent of electrocution injuries involve children ages one to four, with the highest concentration of emergencies occurring at mealtimes. The likely reason is that outlet covers have been removed, appliances are out, and children are in the kitchen during busy meal preparation.

While outlet covers are the most common solution to keep children from electrocution, Hanc warns, “They're a choking hazard if they're left off, which all too often, unfortunately, they are.” Hanc prefers a self-closing outlet cover that slides back into place when the outlet is not in use.

GFI (ground fault interrupter) outlets are required in new buildings in most areas, and have cut down on electrocution injuries, but cannot accommodate a self-closing outlet cover. Make sure no appliance cords dangle within reach of children. A slide-out appliance shelf high up in a pantry with a recessed power strip is easy to install but difficult for children to access.