picture of mum and baby using Fred Pressure Fit Wooden Stairgate at home

Think Your Home Is Babyproof? The Everyday Hazards Parents Could Be Missing

As little ones become more mobile, Fred Safety shares its guide to spotting the hazards at home that can easily go unnoticed.

One minute, your little ones are happily sitting on the playmat, and the next they’re crawling across the room, pulling themselves up on the furniture and embracing their natural curiosity. Suddenly, the home you once thought was baby-safe can pose more risks than you might expect.

Babyproofing isn’t simply about tackling the obvious hazards. It’s about looking at the home from your little one’s perspective - considering what they can now reach, pull, open, climb and grab. Fred Safety’s range of home safety products is designed to help parents stay one step ahead as their little explorers discover more of the world around them.

So, whether you’re babyproofing for the first time or giving your home’s existing safety setup a refresh, Fred Safety has the tips, tricks and thoughtfully designed products to help you spot potential hazards and create a safer space.

1. Where could they fall?

Stairs, steps and raised surfaces can all become exciting new destinations once crawling turns into walking. Fred Safety’s range of clear-view and wooden safety gates offers options for different areas of the home, helping parents create safer boundaries without completely closing off the room. Choose between:

With multiple options to suit every family’s needs, Fred’s Screw-fit gates are fixed directly into the wall for a more permanent solution, while pressure-fit gates are held securely in place without drilling, making them a convenient option for doorways and the bottom of stairs. Safety doesn’t come at the expense of style, with both wooden and clear-view options to choose from.

Please note that pressure fit stair gates include a base bar which can present a trip hazard if used incorrectly. They should not be used at the top of stairs.

2. What can they pull?

Once babies start crawling, it’s not long before they’ll discover they can pull themselves up. Fred Safety’s Furniture Anti-Tip Kits help secure furniture to the wall using Fred SecureHold™ adhesive, creating a strong bond without leaving sticky residue behind. For a more permanent fix, the straps can also be screwed into place.

Designed with everyday life in mind, the straps can be loosened when it’s time to clean, while buckle covers help prevent little fingers from tampering with them. Tested to withstand up to 65kg, they offer an extra layer of security for the furniture that suddenly becomes a tempting climbing frame for little ones.

3. What can they reach?

If they can reach it, chances are they’ll want to grab it, touch it, or investigate it. As babies become more mobile, everyday risks can suddenly be well within reach of little hands.

A quick way to tackle multiple risks at once is the Fred Safety Home Safety Starter Pack. Bringing together 17 baby proofing must-haves, including corner protectors, drawer catches, socket covers, a door slam stopper and a multi-purpose block, it’s a handy kit for parents to get started with babyproofing and cover some of the most common hazards around the home.

4. What could trap little fingers?

Doors, drawers, cupboards: anything that opens and closes becomes infinitely more interesting once a baby discovers it. Before long, tiny hands are reaching for handles, pulling at drawers and exploring anything that opens.

With Door Slam Stoppers and Double Door Blocks, there’s a simple solution for keeping hands out of harm’s way. Made from bite and choke safe materials they help keep curious little fingers safely away from where they shouldn’t be, while remaining easy for grown-ups to use.

5. What could cause an injury?

Some hazards are easy to spot, while others are simply part of everyday life. Hot drinks on low tables, pans on the hob and sharp furniture edges might be familiar hazards to adults, but little ones don’t know what to avoid.

Fred Safety’s Stove & Hob Guard provides protection around the hob, helping to keep little hands away from hot surfaces, pans and stove controls – whilst still looking stylish in the kitchen.

Around the rest of the home, Corner Protectors can help soften sharp furniture edges, while keeping small objects and hot drinks well out of reach adds another simple layer of protection.

Babyproofing is an ongoing job

The biggest babyproofing challenge? Your baby won’t stay the same size for long. As they learn to crawl, climb and eventually toddle, their view of the home - and what they can get their hands on - changes with them.

The good news is that babyproofing doesn’t have to be difficult. A few considered changes can make your home safer while still giving little ones the freedom to explore.

With Fred Safety’s range of practical, thoughtfully designed home safety solutions, parents can make those changes as their little one grows - helping them stay one step ahead of their determined little explorer.