Child Home Safety

Homes are often where people feel the most safe and secure. It’s where you spend much of your time, day in and day out. It’s where you eat, sleep, laugh and play, and see your children grow up. This sense of security though is only surface deep. There are dangers in the home, like smoke, fire and carbon monoxide, that can be a threat to any family.

But being prepared with the right alarms (carbon monoxide is undetectable without one) and emergency plans can help reduce the risks you may face. Use the safety tips and checklists here to help prepare your kids and family for things like a fire or carbon monoxide leak:

Fire Safety in the Home

Here you'll find fire and smoke alarm safety checklists as well as information about escaping from fire. For more information about fire safety, check out these Fire Safety Tips from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
  • Never leave the kitchen while you’re cooking, or leave unattended items on a heated stove, especially when cooking at a high temperature.
  • Never leave children alone in the kitchen. If you leave, take children with you.
  • When children are in the kitchen with you, keep them away from cooking and heating appliances.
  • Teach kids never to play with fire. Don’t entertain kids with matches or lighters because they may imitate you. Keep matches, candles, gasoline and lighters locked up and out of children’s reach.
  • Place space heaters at least three feet from things that can catch fire. Make sure they won’t tip over.
  • Don’t plug several electrical cords into one outlet. Replace old or frayed cords, and keep all cords on top of rugs. Cover outlets you’re not using with safety devices or tape.
  • Never leave the room when a candle is burning. Place candles away from things that can catch fire and where children or pets cannot tip them over.
  • Never smoke in bed.
  • Put out all cigarettes and candles before leaving the room or going to sleep.
  • Install smoke alarms in your home on every level and in every sleeping area. People living in homes with working smoke alarms are much less likely to die in a fire.
  • If you live in an apartment building, insist that smoke alarms are installed and check that they are functional.
  • Replace the batteries at least two times a year, such as when daylight savings time starts and ends. 10-year lithium alarms do not need battery changes.
  • Replace alarms every 10 years.
  • For the best protection against different types of fires, consider installing both “ionization” alarms (better at sensing flames) and “photoelectric” alarms (better at sensing smoke).
  • While security bars may help keep your family safe from intruders, they also can keep you from getting outside if there is a fire! Make sure windows and doors with security bars have working devices that allow them to be opened immediately if there is an emergency.
  • Make sure children recognize the sound of your smoke alarm. Let them listen when you test the alarm each month.
  • Plan and practice at least two escape routes from every room. Practice helps, as children can get very scared and will rely on their instincts and what you teach them.
  • Find a safe meeting place outside. Call 911 or the fire department only from a neighbor’s home or a cell phone outside.
  • Teach children the safe way to get out.
  • Leave right away if you hear the smoke alarm, smell smoke or see flames
    • Do not hide
    • Stay low and crawl
    • Feel doors with the back of your hand before opening them. If a door is hot, don’t open it and find another way out
    • Do not stop or go back for toys, pets or anything else.
  • When firefighters arrive, tell them right away if someone is inside or missing.
  • Sleep with bedroom doors closed to prevent smoke, gas or heat from entering the rooms.
  • Keep furniture and heavy objects away from doors and windows so escape routes aren’t
    blocked. Also, keep hallways clean and free of clutter so everyone can get outside safely.

Carbon Monoxide Safety

Carbon monoxide is called the silent killer because it is lighter than air and can’t be seen, smelled or tasted. It’s formed when wood or a fossil fuel such as kerosene, natural gas, gasoline or coal is burned. If carbon monoxide is not vented properly, it can fill a room quickly and may result in tragedy. Although anyone can be poisoned by inhaling carbon monoxide, the unborn, young children, persons with respiratory illness, heart disease or anemia, as well as the elderly are at greater risk.

Carbon monoxide poisons the body’s cells and deprives them of oxygen. Mild exposure to carbon monoxide may cause flu-like symptoms including a slight headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. More significant exposure may produce an intense throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion and heart irregularities. An extreme exposure to carbon monoxide may cause convulsions, unconsciousness, heart failure, brain damage or death. The medical treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning depends on the amount of carbon monoxide in the blood and the patient’s symptoms.

  • Gas and oil furnaces, boilers and gas water heaters
  • Gas, oil and kerosene space heaters
  • Gas clothes dryers
  • Gas and wood kitchen ranges, ovens and fireplaces
  • Gasoline-powered lawn mowers, snow blowers, chainsaws and weed eaters
  • Cars, trucks, motorcycles and mopeds
  • Charcoal grills and gas lanterns

Gas water heaters, dryers and oil burners must have flues that vent the carbon monoxide outside. Vent failure can be caused by venting systems or chimneys that were installed incorrectly; a deteriorating or obstructed chimney; chimneys that are too short; and appliances that are not equipped with venting systems.

  • An obstructed chimney or flue
  • A malfunctioning gas clothes dryer
  • A wood-burning fireplace or gas log burner that is not vented properly
  • Barbecue grills used indoors
  • Pool and spa heaters that are not vented properly
  • Automobile running in an open or closed garage

The key to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning is good preventive maintenance. All fuel-burning appliances, furnaces, and fireplaces should be checked yearly. Every home should have at least one carbon monoxide detector near the bedrooms to warn you before the carbon monoxide concentration reaches dangerous levels.

Both electric and battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors are available. A portable, battery-operated detector is good for use in homes during electrical outages, while camping or while traveling. Do not use detectors that warn potential victims solely through a color change. These sensors do not sound alarms, so they can’t warn people who are sleeping. If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds, do not treat it as a false alarm. False alarms are rare.

If your alarm sounds:

  • Account for all residents and pets, and move everyone to fresh air.
  • If anyone is ill, contact emergency medical services immediately.

Whenever possible, identify and eliminate the source of carbon monoxide. Contact your local poison center at 800-222-1222 immediately from a neighbor's home or using a phone that is away from the carbon monoxide contamination. The poison center will advise you regarding the need for medical care and anyone else you may need to contact for additional support.

The best way to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning is to have your heating system inspected yearly by a qualified heating contractor. The vent system and chimneys also should be inspected, repaired and replaced as needed.

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