AVOIDING MISHAP

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19959, 17 November 1934, Page 14

AVOIDING MISHAP

SAFETY HINTS FOE THE HOME By the formation of a few sensible habits, most of our minor accidents which occur almost daily in households containing children can be simply avoided. For instance, never place kettles on the stove with the spouts facing the front, or saucepans with their handles protruding over the edge of the stove. What could be an easier way for a child to be burned than if he should run past the stove and knock over a saucepan of boiling soup or fat? Another precaution that should be

practised is the careful selection of toys for children. Never give them anything with sharp points that can be fallen on or put into each other’s eyes. They should never be allowed to play with fire of any kind and guns, even if only toy ones, are not a good idea for small children. Avoid giving a child a saucepan or other cooking utensils, as this is all very well when it is not filled with some boiling substance, but the child seeing his plaything on the stove will probably try to take it off to play with an spill the contents with perhaps disastrous results. Always label poisonous medicines in large letters on both sides of the bottle to avoid any mistakes and keep them in a locked cupboard. Highly polished floors and loose mats are dangerous to young and old alike and should be avoided where possible. Also, always use a ladder, and not a chair or table, when hanging anything on the wall or trying to reach a high shelf, and see that the ladder is firmly set before climbing it. Never neglect a scratch or cut however small it may appear; apply an antiseptic immediately and be sure to keep the cut clean. Just three more cautions! Wear gloves when gardening, as many plants are poisonous, and severe blood poisoning may be caused if you happen to have even the tiniest piece of broken skin. Always see the guards of the carving-fork are in position before commencing operations on the joint, and use a metal receptacle for used matches, not a wooden or card-board box.