Make radiators and hot surfaces safe for children

Make a room safer for children by taming hot radiators, fires, kettles and hob hazards, and fitting secure guards.

AB-01Walk the room and list the hazardsLook at each room from a child's height. Check radiators, heated towel rails, any open fire or wood burner, the hob, the oven, and anywhere flexes trail from kettles, irons or hair straighteners. Note which rooms have cots, beds or playpens near a heat source, and where hot drinks tend to get left within reach.

AB-02Turn TRVs down and move beds clear of heatIn children's bedrooms and nurseries, turn the thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) down to a lower setting so the radiator surface stays cooler. Move beds, cots and playpens so they are at least 300mm from any radiator or heated towel rail. Never push a cot right up against a radiator, even a cool-looking one.

AB-03Work out what's behind the wall before you fix anythingMost radiator guards stand on the floor or hook over the radiator, but some fix to the wall, and every fireguard should. Before you buy fixings, work out whether the wall is solid masonry, plasterboard on timber or metal studs, or plasterboard stuck onto masonry (dot-and-dab). HomeGraft's 'How to tell what your wall is made of' guide shows you how.

AB-04Fix the radiator guard or cover to the wallBefore drilling, use your detector but still treat the wall as live: cables and pipes can run almost anywhere, and detectors miss deep cables, armoured cable and anything behind metal-backed plasterboard. Radiator pipes often run up the wall right beside the radiator, so keep fixings well clear of them, and know where your stopcock is in case you hit one. Into a timber stud, use a 4mm or 5mm wood screw driven into the centre of the upright. Into a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a hollow-wall toggle - never a plastic wall plug or an ordinary wood screw, which strips straight through 0.5mm steel. Fixing into plasterboard between studs, use a toggle or hollow-wall anchor rated for the guard's weight. Into solid brick or block, drill an 8mm hole to the plug's depth and use a wall plug with a 40mm screw. Through dot-and-dab plasterboard, use a fixing long enough to pass through the board and dabs and bite at least 30mm into the masonry behind. Once fixed, check the guard still lets heat escape - never box a radiator in tightly, and keep the top and any vents clear.

1 each · Radiator guard or cover

Buy:B&QAmazon

1 pack · Wall plugs and screws (assorted)

Buy:Travis PerkinsB&QAmazon

4 each · Hollow-wall toggle fixings

Buy:Travis PerkinsB&QAmazon

AB-05Fit a fixed fireguard around any open fire or wood burnerChoose a full-surround fireguard meeting BS 8423, tall enough that a child can't reach over the top. Fix it securely to the wall on each side of the fireplace, using the same wall-type checks and fixings as the radiator guard - timber stud, metal stud, masonry or dot-and-dab. Never cover or block the fire itself; the guard goes around it with space to breathe, clear of the flue and any air vents.

1 each · BS 8423 fixed fireguard

Buy:B&QAmazon

1 pack · Fixing screws and wall plugs

Buy:Travis PerkinsB&QAmazon

AB-06Set a safe bath temperature for young childrenRun the bath and check the water with a bath thermometer before a child gets in - aim for around 37-38°C, never hotter. Always test with a thermometer or your elbow, not by eye. For a permanent fix, ask a plumber to fit a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) on the bath, which limits the hot tap's output automatically. Never turn the stored hot water cylinder down below 60°C - this risks legionella bacteria growing in the tank.

1 each · Bath thermometer

Buy:B&QAmazon

AB-07Make the hob and oven saferFit a hob guard across the front of the hob to stop little hands reaching the rings. Cook on the back rings where possible, and turn pan handles inwards so they don't stick out over the edge. Fit a clip-on oven door guard to keep children's hands off the hot glass.

1 each · Hob guard

Buy:B&QAmazon

1 each · Oven door guard

Buy:B&QAmazon

AB-08Tidy away everyday hot items and trailing flexesKeep kettles, irons and hair straighteners pushed back from worktop edges, with flexes coiled up rather than trailing down within reach. Let straighteners and irons cool on a heatproof mat, out of reach, instead of leaving them hot on a surface. Keep hot drinks away from table edges and never pass a hot drink over a child's head.

1 each · Heatproof mat

Buy:B&QAmazon

AB-09Final check and tidy upWalk back through each room and gently pull on every new fixing - the guard or fireguard shouldn't move. Check the radiators still heat the room properly with the guards on. Clear away packaging, screws and offcuts so nothing is left on the floor.

PART OF A BIGGER PROJECT

Childproof your home room by room

Travis Perkins links are affiliate links: if you buy after clicking, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. B&Q and Amazon links are plain searches and earn us nothing.

Save this as a project

Back to all guides

Related guides