by Stephanie Harris
When it comes to the church nursery, the old saying "Better safe than sorry" is an understatement. However, let it be your guiding philosophy as you examine your church nursery for any possible danger to the precious little people it contains.
Church nurseries often receive donations by well-meaning people. This can be a good thing.
Without such generosity, our nurseries may be devoid of any number of essentials. However, this also means you will need to take a second look at the donated items to make sure they are up to safety standards. Here are some guidelines to follow with regard to cribs:
The bars on a crib should be no more than 2 3/8" apart.
There should be no space between the headboard and mattress for a baby’s head to get stuck.
Make sure there are no posts on the four corners of a crib. They are not safe, as clothing can easily get caught on them.
Carefully check crib edges and underside. Look for any loose parts or sharp edges.
Be sure the mattress fits securely inside the crib.
Don’t place the crib directly under a window.
Experts suggest not keeping comforters in cribs if babies are younger than 18 months. Crocheted and waffle-type blankets are best, as they allow babies to breathe if their heads get covered of course, no baby in a church nursery crib should ever be unsupervised. Remember: better safe than
sorry.
Other Nursery Safety Rules:
Keep a supply of liquid hand sanitizers. They do not require water and simply evaporate after application. They are a great way to fight the spread of germs and viruses among the kids.
While plastic outlet plugs are commonly used in nurseries, it is recommended that nurseries replace them with a safety plate with doors that snap shut after a plug is pulled out. Children can pull plastic plugs out of the outlets. They then become a choking hazard, while at the same time exposing the outlet.
Be sure all drawers and cabinets in your nursery have safety locks to prevent pinched fingers and to keep babies from getting into things.
Check your smoke detectors. Is there one in the nursery as well as in the hallway outside the nursery? Are the batteries good? Do a test run periodically to double check.
Take a fresh look at your changing table. Is it under a window? Are diapers, wipes, etc. in baby’s reach while the baby is being changed? Double-check the pad on the changing table to be sure it is securely fastened to the changing table to prevent accidents.
Finally, if your nursery is furnished with torchière-style lamps (pole lamps with exposed light bulbs on top), move them away from curtains or wall hangings. These lamps can become a fire hazard if materials come in contact with the hot bulbs.
