With accidents in the home accounting for over one million child hospitalisations each year,* Clippasafe is advising families to assess the safety of their homes, to help prevent young children from being exposed to increased dangers over the Christmas period.

Roger Cheetham, managing director of Clippasafe advises: “During the festive season, there can be a lot of added dangers in the home that are easily overlooked. I would encourage parents to inspect their houses for any new hazards, such as the increased usage of electric sockets for lights.”

“Christmas trees must be secured with a balanced base, so that they can’t be easily knocked or pulled over and Christmas lights should be inspected before use to make sure there are no exposed wires. Most decorations are unsuitable for small children, as they often have small parts that can lead to choking, so these should be hung out of reach.”

Clippasafe is also encouraging parents to keep children away from any possible sources of burns or scalds this Christmas.

“With lots of hot pans around, the best thing parents can do is to keep children out of the kitchen. As this may not be possible, saucepan handles should be turned away from the edge of the stove, and nothing hot should be passed over a child’s head.”

As many families enjoy sitting by the fire at Christmas, Roger is also encouraging parents to use fireguards, so that a warm fire can be enjoyed at a safe distance. He comments: “Young children are often intrigued by fire, but don’t realise how dangerous it can be. With families busy preparing meals, it may be difficult to keep as close an eye as usual on children, so the safest thing to do is take preventative measures.”

As well as sending out the safety message to parents, Clippasafe is also encouraging friends and family who are expecting young visitors to inspect their homes for potential dangers.

“Visiting friends and family is a key part of the Christmas celebrations, so it’s important that people ensure their home is safe. Simple safety devices like cupboard and door locks will stop little ones getting into places they shouldn’t,” concludes Roger.

Clippasafe will be offering lots of safety tips via its Twitter feed in the run up to Christmas, so follow @clippasafe for lots of handy hints, or visit www.clippasafe.co.uk for more information on Clippasafe products.