Common items found around the house can help you evaluate whether your home is safe for children.
Consumer Reports' publication ShopSmart recommends gathering these things for a do-it-yourself home safety tool kit:
Ruler: Use it to make sure steps are the same height and to check spaces between crib slats and deck rails so a child's head can't get stuck. Crib slats should be no more than 2-1/2 inches apart; deck rails should be no more than 4 inches apart.
Digital thermometer: Put it under running hot water to test your tub and tap water. If the temperature is higher than 120 degrees, turn down the thermostat on the water heater.
Toilet-paper tube: If an item can fit through, it's a choking hazard for a child younger than 3. Test toys and small items that are accessible to small children who live in or frequently visit your home.
Electrical polarity tester: Use this to test whether an electrical outlet is wired properly and to test ground-fault interrupters. The testers are available at home centers for about $10.
Block of wood: Place a scrap of 2-by-4 lumber under your garage door to make sure the electric opener will reverse itself in case a child is in harm's way.
Lead test kit: It's a quick way to check toys or paint that you suspect might be tainted.
Radon test kit: This will tell you whether your home harbors radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. Test the lowest occupied level of your home.
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and send him a direct message.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to feedback@sacbee.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.