It’s a nightmare for all parents – what if the toddler manages to get her hands on the pot of scalding hot water? What if he falls and hits that really sharp edge of the table?

As many are aware, household accidents happen and can cause serious injuries. We might think it looks a bit paranoid, but we check an extra time if the oven is turned off, the knives safely locked away.

But what we often don’t think about is that the new devices and gadgets we bring into our families’ lives every day, small as they might seem, come with their own hazards.

Read on to see what the dangers are!

1 Power Windows

A number of children die each year by being injured while leaning out of a power car window. It easily happens that the child presses the power button while leaning out, and the window will close. This can lead to dramatic injuries, most of all in young children.

Some power windows have lock mechanisms you can use when you have your children with you in the car. Otherwise, be sure that you restrain your children with proper seat belts so that they can’t activate any window. Don’t leave your key in the ignition or in the “on” position, even if you only walk away from your car for a moment.

2 The Dishwasher

Dishwashers can be a great place for children to find any number of fun, dangerous things: knives, sharp kitchen instruments, detergent which is highly corrosive.

Have your dishwasher locked at all times, even when it’s running. Place cutlery and other sharp things upside down in the basket, so the child can’t hurt herself by just moving her hands around. Only put detergent into the dishwasher right before you intend to run it.

3 Space Heaters

Heaters are a great way to keep warm in winter, but if you use them in your home you must always be aware of the fire hazard. It’s not that they spontaneously combust – many people simply don’t think about that you’re not supposed to place flammable objects near heat sources. That includes paper, wood, but even anything clad in fabric like couches or drapes.

4 Cleaning Products

Well, you think, really? Of course I keep my cleaning supplies away from grabby little hands! There are a few additional things to think of: Be careful where exactly you store your cleaning supplies. Are they locked away or just up on a shelf? If it’s the latter, consider that children love to climb and that bottles can easily topple over and fall down.

Something that can get dangerous for your entire family is storing chemicals near heat sources. The gases they can produce can cause serious injuries.

5 Chargers

Placing heat sources in close quarters can be dangerous. This often applies to chargers for mobile phones or tablets. Often, outlets are in somewhat obscure places behind furniture, which makes the space even more enclosed.

Over the last few years, very cheap counterfeit chargers have started to appear on the market. These chargers have less than half the number of parts the originals do, and have actually caused houses to burn down!

6 Lamps

No, we’re not saying it’s dangerous to turn your lights on. But if you are a hobby electrician and like to do things around the house yourself, be careful.

If you wire your lamps the wrong way, you may electrocute not only yourself, but others too – lamps can be wired in a way that electrifies the entire lamp, so anyone who touches it is in danger of sustaining serious injuries.

If you’re in the least unsure about how to wire something, let a professional do it!

7 Toasters

Yes, you can burn yourself on a toaster, but that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about serious fire hazards. Everyone has a toaster, but how often do you clean it? Not wipe it down, but turn it over, get everything out, remove the crumb tray?

Many people don’t at all, and that’s when it can get dangerous. The crumbs and grime that build up can catch fire from the heat generated by the toaster.

8 Headphones

The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that hearing loss among children and teens is 30% more frequent today than thirty years ago.

For many teens, headphones are the culprit. Nowadays headphones are not only used to listen to music, children have them on practically all the time they’re on the computer while chatting, playing video games or watching movies.

The most dangerous of them all are earbuds. Surprised, because they’re so tiny? That’s exactly the problem. They can produce 110 decibel (as loud as a rock concert!) and are placed right next to your inner ear.

9 The Stove

If you’re worried that making sure you’ve turned the stove off isn’t enough to keep your children safe, you’re right. There are more things you can do:

Install an oven lock that will prevent children from opening the oven at all. You can even get locks for the knobs so they can’t be turned. This is not only practical for preventing children from turning on the stove, but also for adults doing so while brushing the stove.

(via Better Family Home)