No Job Too Small to Build in Safety

An important aim for every do-it-yourselfer is to avoid building anything that might be hazardous for children.

Here are some risks to children:

* A child’s head can become trapped in openings between slats, railings and other spaces that young children are likely to peek through. To avoid that hazard, keep those spaces less than 3 1/2 inches wide.

* Small parts can be a choking hazard. Make sure that no toy or removable part of furniture (such as a knob) is less than 1 3/4-inch in size.

* Sharp corners and thin, sharp edges on drawers, coffee tables and other furniture can cause more than scratches and bruises. Remember that children are short--what jabs you in the thigh is at a child’s eye level. Round all exposed corners and edges that children may encounter--or pad and tape them.

* Pinch and crush points can cause painful injuries. These are tricky to assess because adults don’t have tiny fingers and wouldn’t think of grabbing things the way children do. To prevent finger pinching, enlarge any opening that might admit a 3/16-inch-diameter rod so that it is enough for a 1/2-inch rod. Example of a pinch point to avoid: a wagon with wheels mounted close to the wagon bed, where tiny fingers could be caught when the rider grabs the side of the wagon.

* The leading threats from toy chests and boxes are falling lids, pinching hinges and entrapment leading to suffocation. Always equip a lid with a positive support mechanism--and never with an automatic locking device. Drill ventilation holes so that a trapped child can breathe. Make the gap between the front edges of the box and the lid at least 1/2-inch wide, so small fingers can’t be crushed by a closing lid.

* Children can pull large pieces of furniture onto themselves. A child, for example, may try to climb up the front of a dresser using the drawers as steps. Bolt large pieces such as dressers, chests of drawers and bunk beds to the baseboard or the studs in the wall--always a good idea in earthquake country anyway.

* Large, unstable toys are dangerous. Keep the design of wagons, hobbyhorses and the like relatively wide and low, to reduce the danger of tipping over. Test such toys in their “worst case” positions. You may decide to add stops to rockers or outrigger supports at the side of a toy to stabilize it.

* Children might strangle if a collar, drawstring or hood on their clothing becomes entangled. Make sure that cribs, bunk beds, railings, play equipment and similar items are free of projections that clothing might catch on. (Also avoid dressing children in clothing that is oversized or has a drawstring.)

* Because children place toys in their mouths, make sure the finish on a toy is nontoxic. On wooden toys, a lack of finish is safest, followed by a coat of mineral oil--the grade sold in pharmacies is safe for human consumption. Raw (not boiled) linseed oil, fresh shellac and waxes containing either carnauba or beeswax are also considered safe. The safest choices of nontoxic paint are those sold in arts and crafts stores. Look for the label of the Arts and Crafts Materials Institute or the words “Conforms to ASTM D-4236” on the label.

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* For further information, the publication “Standard Consumer Safety Specifications for Toy Safety” (F963) is available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.