Not surprisingly, most accidents involving children occur in and around the home.

This is because children spend a good deal of their time at home. Babies and very young children spend nearly all of their time there, and in a world where everything's new and calling for investigation, accidents are bound to happen.

While common sense should prevail at home, a surprising number of accidents occur which could have been prevented. Some standard safety rules should be imposed on children so they know you're serious about their safety.

Some things to watch out for around the home are:

• Pharmaceuticals - Don't leave these around where children can get to them. Many children confuse pharmaceuticals with flavoured drinks or sweets. Kids often nick them and party-on while Mum's not looking....but they can be lethal.

• Electrical equipment - Make sure you teach your children from a very early age about the dangers of electricity. Use covers on unused powerpoints. Install a safety switch (a shut off device that disables the power in the event of a short circuit), and don't let your child use metal objects to remove toast from the toaster. Never let your children use electrical equipment near water.

• Hot things, like fires, irons, and saucepans or frypans on stoves are especially dangerous. Open fires fascinate children and they love to try lighting pieces of paper or wood and watching them burn. If you have an open fireplace, make sure you use a fire-screen, and never leave children alone with hot things on the stove.

• Broken Glass - Kids love playing in the garden or in sand-pits. Check to make sure these areas are free from any broken glass. Small pieces of glass can be very difficult to see - until it's too late.

• Learning to fly - Never let your children get up on the roof of your house. They may try to jump off wearing their Superman suit, thinking they can't get hurt.