Considering Gas Safety with Kids*

Being a parent is such a huge responsibility. As soon as your child arrives (if not even before that) you are constantly looking for ways to keep your child safe especially in the home. So many accidents can occur in the home but one of the main things to think about is gas safety. If you have gas appliances in the home, the best thing you can do is make your child aware of the dangers from a young age and get them involved in ensuring your home is safe. Flogas have asked me to share some ways you can encourage your child to recognise the dangers of gas and how to prevent them.

Explain What Gas Is
One of the best preventions is to understand just what gas is. Show your child what gas appliances you have in the home. At my parents they have a gas cooker and fire. At our house we only have the cooker. Explain to your child what gas does and how it’s dangerous, just as you would with electricity or fire.

Get Them to Recognise the Smell of Gas
One of the things that stands out most about gas is the smell. It smells like rotten eggs, which may get some kids laughing. But tell them if they ever suddenly smell rotten eggs to find a grown up and get straight out of the house.

Show Them Where the Carbon Monoxide Alarm is and Explain What It Does
In our house we have two carbon monoxide alarms, one in the kitchen where our gas cooker is and one at the top of the stairs. Press the test button so they recognise the sound it makes if it detects a gas leak so they know what to listen out for and what to do if it goes off.

Have a Gas Leak Plan
On the health and safety course I took not long after having Little Miss they recommended to having an “in the case of a fire” plan so your child would know what to do in an emergency which includes what they have to do if they hear the fire alarm, how to call the fire brigade, how to get out the house. Little Miss is at the age now where this is of interest to her and I can explain it properly to her without scaring her. She likes having a part to play in case of an emergency.

Helping your child to understand about gas safety is just important as any other sort of safety in the home and if you have gas in your house, it’s vital your child is aware of this especially as they get older. Point out other gas appliances you may not have in your home so they can continue being safe around gas wherever they go.