Each year, thousands of young children are injured in the home by everyday appliances that seem safe. However, toddlers with their limitless energy and curiosity often discover new ways of getting hurt.
Open dishwashers with their array of shining utensils are irresistible to toddlers who can be badly injured if they fall on pointy spiked objects or if they play with forks or knives. Dishwasher detergent can also irritate your child’s delicate skin and eyes and can burn the lining of her mouth and esophagus if she swallows some.
Make sure your child isn’t underfoot when you’re loading or unloading the dishwasher. Make certain that knives, forks and other sharp objects are placed downward in the utensil baskets. Don’t fill the detergent dispenser until you’re ready to run the load and wipe out any that is left over in the cup after each cycle. Keep the dishwasher closed and latched when not in use.
Kitchen stoves are another often overlooked danger. Obviously, a child can be burned by open flames, a red-hot heating element or scalded by hot liquids. Not so obvious, however, is the danger to a toddler who places his hand on the hot oven door. Did you know that toddlers have been critically injured when they climbed on an open oven door and the range tipped over — scalding them with boiling water that was on top of the stove?
Make sure your free-standing or slide-in range is properly installed with anti-tip brackets that secure the rear legs to the floor. Keep the oven door closed whenever you’re not using the oven and never allow your child to lean on or climb on the range or the open oven door.