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Home | Hallway Safety
Hallways should always be free of obstructions and items that
can be easily knocked over. In addition, furniture such as chairs
or tables should not be placed anywhere near the railings along
the hallway as children can use these to climb. Objects such
as chairs, stools, etc. that can be moved by children should
be relocated away from the hallways.
Stairs and Railings - The maximum safe distance between
spindles in any railing is 4”. Carefully measured the spindle
widths at different heights because many spindles are thinner
at the top and fatter at the bottom. These types of spindles
are the most dangerous because if a child can clear their head
through at the top and fall, the child will be stuck between
the spindles.
If spaces between spindles on hall railings are greater than
4”, we recommend installing barrier protection (Kid
Shield railing and balcony protection) to prevent
children from getting their heads and/or their whole bodies
stuck, and to prevent them from falling between the spindles.
Hallway railings should be at a minimum height of 36”.
Stairs
Stairs are one of the most dangerous areas in your home, and
many times overlooked or improperly protected. From the time
your child is able to crawl he or she will be able to reach
the stairs. Don’t underestimate the ability of your child,
at any stage of development. One day your child is barely moving,
and next day they can be half way down the hallway in a blink
of an eye. Creating a safe and positive environment for your
children can never been understated.
Stair Access - It is important to restrict access to
both the bottom and top of your staircase. Once a child is on
the staircase, he or she can fall and get seriously injured.
Only the
right gate should be properly installed at the top and bottom
of your staircases.
Stairway protection - The location and the proper installation
of a stairway gate is critical to its overall safety and effectiveness.
Improperly mounted gates can pose a more serious hazard than
not having a gate at all.
The construction and operation of the gate are all very important.
Below are some example of improper use of gates on stairs:
- Improperly mounted gates - i.e. pressure mounted gates,
gates with tripping hazard, insufficient overall height, dangerous
placement
- Accordion gates (potential finger pinching hazards,
also create foot holds for climbing when gate is open and
locked.
- Gates mounted on third step - This is strongly not
recommended because a child can still get seriously injured
by falling from a height of as little as one step.
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