Cold Weather Safety Tips for Kids
Whether you’re out and about braving the elements or keeping snug at home, don’t let winter fun turn into a safety
hazard. Follow these cold weather safety tips from Safekids Aotearoa.
•Keep kids in child restraints till they’re 148cm tall. Driving in winter can be dangerous. Be prepared and make sure your child’s car restraint is installed correctly. Child
restraints reduce the risk of death for infants and toddlers by as much as 70% in a car crash. Booster seats for
children under 148cm reduce the risk of injury by as much as 59%.
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•When buying children’s nightwear, pick a design that is snug fitting and has a ‘Low Fire Danger’ label. Nightwear with this label is made of fabric that burns at a slower rate than others. However remember that ‘Low Fire
Danger’ does not mean ‘no’ fire danger -- all fabric can catch fire.
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•Heat your home safely. Make sure electric blankets and heaters are in good working order. Use fire guards and remember the rule to keep kids
‘a metre from the heater’.
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•Hot water burns like fire. Always keep hot drinks out of reach of children. In case of a burn emergency, run water from the cold tap gently over
the burn for 20 minutes or until an ambulance arrives.
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•Have working smoke alarms. Test them now. Replace batteries to ensure your smoke alarms are always working to save your life in a house fire.
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•Prevent button battery-related injuries. When a child swallows a battery and it gets stuck in their throat, it can cause serious burn injuries in as little as 2
hours. Safekids and Energizer recommends that you: SEARCH your home for gadgets that contain them; SECURE these devices
out of sight and reach of babies and toddlers, and keep loose batteries locked away; and SHARE this life-saving
information with caregivers, friends, family and whanau.
Finally, GET HELP FAST if you suspect your child has swallowed a button battery. Take the child to a hospital emergency
department imme
ends