Details of the set of criteria of safety for children at home issued by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Home Affairs in Vietnam

Criteria

Details

Ensure safety around
the house

• There are sturdy doors, gates, and fences of appropriate height for children's ages;

• The path to the house and the yard around the house must be suitable, non-slip and safe for children;

• High floors must have steps for children to get up and down appropriate to their age;

• Around ponds, water tanks, lime pits, and sewers in residential areas, there must be solid fences to ensure safety for children;

• Water wells, water tanks or other water containers must have safety covers;

• The surrounding area of ​​the house must be cleared;

• Pets in the house must be kept safe for children;

• Dangerous tools, utensils or objects containing dangerous toxic substances must be kept in a safe warehouse.

Ensure the safety of rooms
in the house

• Windows must have bars, sturdy vertical bars and a distance that ensures children cannot squeeze through;

• Windows and doors must have hooks close to the wall so that children cannot bump or get stuck when running or jumping;

• The room door must have a door jamb to prevent children from getting their hands pinched when opening and closing the door;

• Use safety glasses. High-rise buildings or places with high traffic density use tempered glass or double-layer glass and do not have gaps to prevent children from reaching through;

• Use anti-slip, anti-slip tiles to pave the bathroom floor. The bathroom and toilet floors must ensure there is no stagnant water;

• The bathroom area, especially the bathroom with a bathtub design and the toilet area, is always securely closed after use;

• The kitchen area must be separate, with doors and locks so that children under 6 years old cannot come into contact with the stove or gas cylinder;

• Safety barrier around the stove if the stove is on the floor.

Ensure electrical safety

• Electrical wires must be underground in the wall or have a sturdy cover if running outside;.

• Control switches, fuses, and sockets are installed out of reach of children under 6 years old and must have protective boxes or nets or safety covers;

• Lamps with outer shells made of insulating material must be used in rooms in the house;

• Do not place the electrical outlet in the restroom or bathroom. If there is one, it must be placed behind the fuse/Ap-to-mat and in a safe location out of reach of children under 6 years old.

Ensure safety of stairs
and railings

• Stairs must have sturdy railings and handrails. Stair steps have appropriate height and wide surface to ensure safety for children;

• The distance between the vertical bars of the stair railing ensures that children under 6 years old cannot squeeze through and there are no horizontal bars for children to use to climb over;

• For projects designed with open stairs, the gap between the steps must ensure safety for children not to fall through. The steps have anti-slip edges;

• Have a barrier door at the top or bottom of the stairs if the house has children under 6 years old;

• Handrails must have a height of 900mm or more. The handrail must be a solid support and allow for a tight grip;

• Railings must be sturdy at the edges of floors, balconies, loggias, roofs (including skylights and other openings) and other places where people walk.

Ensure the safety of
household appliances

• The thermos must have a carrying case or strap and be kept in a safe location out of reach of children under 6 years old;

• Lamps, matches and lighters, keep out of reach of children under 6 years old;

• Hanging cabinets for storing dishes and utensils are always sturdy;

• Medicines are kept in medicine cabinets and out of reach of children under 6 years old;

• Knives, scissors and sharp objects used for cutting should be kept out of reach of children under 6 years old.

Some
other safety regulations

• Do not let young children play with small toys or small objects that are easy to swallow;

• There is an appropriate design of internal pathways and toilets to ensure safety for disabled children if there are disabled children living in the house.