A hazard is an agent that has the potential to cause harm to a vulnerable target. In this case the "vulnerable target" is children in early childhood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Reducing risk is an important issue because young children explore their world with all their senses, including touching and mouthing everything within their reach. For this reason it is very important to eliminate any potential danger within its reach. To do this you need to think from the child's point of view. It can also be helpful to get down to the baby's level and crawl around his or her space to notice potential dangers. These are things that might be taken into consideration when deciding whether something might pose a danger to a child in the first few years of life. Are there areas accessible to children that are not visible to the caregiver from anywhere in the space? If so, rearrange the furniture or use mirrors to make these areas visible. Are all unused electrical outlets covered? These represent an electrocution hazard and must be covered. Are there cables accessible to children? These can pose a danger of both electrocution and strangulation. Secure the cables to prevent children from pulling on them or move the cables to make them completely inaccessible. Are there push-pull toys with strings longer than ten inches? These can become entangled and pose a strangulation hazard. This also applies to roller shutter cords. Do toys, including stuffed animals and dolls, have small parts that could break and pose a choking hazard? Make sure you have age-appropriate toys. Dolls or animals with button eyes or noses, for example, are not suitable for infants and young children. Are all potentially dangerous items stored out of reach? These items may include disinfectants and other cleaners, scissors, personal belongings of healthcare workers. Is the furniture in the space age-appropriate? Children's feet should touch the floor when sitting in a chair. If chairs are too high for children, they are more likely to fall while getting on or off the chairs. Is there a no-shoes policy in place for infant/toddler programs? Germs and dirt that enter the environment can be very dangerous for children who spend much of their time on the floor. You can wear surgical booties over your shoes to prevent this. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Do children have unsupervised access to any body of water, whether it is a pool, bucket, or groundwater? All children should be carefully supervised around any body of water. Very young children can drown in a few inches of water.