Parenting : Out of Harm’s Way : * Home safety devices help protect adventurous children. But there’s no substitute for a watchful adult.

Thirty seconds. That was all it took for Mark Zeolla of Calabasas to get Popsicles from the garage freezer for 3-year-old Christina and 13-month-old Ciara.

Thirty seconds was all it took for Ciara to drink from the oil-filled lamp on the living room table.

When Zeolla returned, Ciara was gasping for breath.

A year later, she’s fine. But, Zeolla remembered, “it was traumatic seeing my daughter almost die in my arms.”

He and his wife, Cindy, consider themselves safety-conscious. They had installed a gate at the entrance to the living room. But on the day of the accident, the gate was inadvertently left unlatched.

“Child-proofing can give a false sense of security,” said Daryl Gregory of Mr. Baby Proofer, a Van Nuys safety device installation service. “The key to protecting your child is supervision.”

While safety gadgets are no substitute for a parent’s watchful presence, they do cut down on the potential for disaster. For a curious child exploring the world, the potential is considerable. The National Safety Council reports that in 1991 about 2 million injuries and in 1992 more than 2,000 deaths of children under 5 years were due to home accidents. And the dangers arise early.

Child-proofing should begin before a baby can crawl--usually when the child is 6 months old. At that point, it’s wise for parents to inspect rooms thoroughly from the little one’s perspective--on hands and knees--to eliminate potential booby traps.

Experts in the field single out the following devices and products, which address the most common hazards around the home:

* Cabinet, drawer, garbage pail and appliance latches keep sharp utensils, cleaning solutions and other dangers inaccessible to small explorers.

* Plug inserts for unused outlets, outlet shields, wire covers, lamp cord shorteners and VCR guards reduce electrical accidents.

* Window shade/blind cord shorteners help avert strangulation accidents.

* Window locks/guards keep children from falling out.

* Security gates block off stairways and rooms.

* A locked fence around the pool is a must. Children require constant supervision around water, and safety advocates caution against reliance on flotation devices or bath support rings for security.

* Toilet locks, which prevent children from falling into the bowl, can protect against drowning.

* Rubber mats, non-skid appliques and cushion covers for faucets and spouts add to bathtub safety. Anti-scald devices offer extra protection.

* Table-edge cushions and corner bumpers prevent injuries, as do interlocking mats on hardwood floors and wall braces for heavy furniture.

* A choke tester is a handy device when older siblings play with small toys. If a toy fits entirely within the tube, it’s a hazard to babies.

* Stove-knob covers and range guards protect youngsters against burns. Even more important, advised Keith Noren, co-owner of Safer-Baby, a retailer of safety products in Studio City, adults should “discourage play in the kitchen and bathroom.”

Gregory suggests creating a safe room where a supervised child can explore without risk. “But there are rooms that should be off-limits, including the office and exercise rooms,” he said.

* Door locks and knob covers keep young ones from entering forbidden rooms or wandering away from home.

Safety devices are available at Safer-Baby, Toys R Us, baby furniture stores, home-improvement stores and self-service stores, such as Target. They can also be ordered from catalogues, among them Perfectly Safe (1-800-837-KIDS) and The Safety Zone (1-800-999-3030).

Noren and Gregory agree that products made outside the United States aren’t as durable as some domestic offerings. Brands they recommend include First Years, Gerber, Kinderguard, Playskool, Mericon and Totlock.

Above all, say experts, parents should be aware of their own habits and example. It’s inadvisable, for instance, to take medicine in front of copy-cat kids, or leave plastic dry-cleaning bags around.

If responsible parents inoculate their children against disease, they might consider child-proofing as just another way to ensure that a youngster grows into a healthy adult.

Sources of Information

The following sources offer further information on child safety around the home:

Books

* “Baby Proofing Basics” by Vicki Lansky, The Book Peddlers, 1991, $5.95.

* “The Childwise Catalogue: A Consumer Guide to Buying the Safest and Best Products for Your Children” by Jack Gillis and Mary Ellen R. Fise, Harperperennial, 1993, $14.

* “Fifty Ways to Keep Your Child Safe: Physically, Emotionally, Medically, Environmentally” by Susan K. Golant, Lowell House, 1992, $10.95.

* “Making Your Home Child-Safe” by Don Vandervort with editors of Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine, Lane Publishing, 1988, $7.95.

* “Safe From the Start” by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson, St. Martin’s, 1989, $4.50.

* “Safe Kids: A Complete Child-Safety Handbook and Resource Guide for Parents” by Vivian Kramer Fancher, John Wiley & Sons, 1991, $12.95.

Video

“Home Baby Proofing by Mr. Baby Proofer” ($14.95). Call Mr. Baby Proofer at (818) 763-3900 to order.

Organizations

Los Angeles Regional Drug and Poison Information Center, (800) 777-6476.

National Safety Council, (800) 621-7619.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, (800) 638-CPSC.