Parents of travelling children and especially toddlers need to be constantly alert to possible dangers; this is the age of exploration. Toddlers bore easily and go exploring in places, which may not be entirely safe.

Apart from keeping children entertained non-stop, safety is undoubtedly one of the biggest issues, and this includes keeping other people's medicines and noxious cleaning fluids, diesel, etc out of reach. The commonest time when British toddlers accidentally swallow a dangerous substance or medicine is during a visit to a friend or relative.

Electricity and falls are the commonest hazards. Bare wires and overloaded circuits are normal in developing countries. Often people will not bother with plugs, since it is easier simply to stick two bare wires into a socket!

Falls are common because of poor building standards. Marble floors and staircases look beautiful and are cool but are hazardous especially when wet, and increase the risk of injury if a child falls against a sharp corner. Roll or fold up mats and rugs over which toddlers can trip and discourage little ones from running around in socks.

Bring with you your range of safety gadgets from home for peace of mind whilst you are away. UK electrical socket covers don't fit overseas but two pin socket covers are available. Door slam protectors were definitely a finger saver in our Majorcan hotel as the heavy wooden sliding wardrobe doors fascinated Rory. You can also wedge open heavy doors that could crush little fingers if swung shut. Our Range of Safety Gadgets

A role of masking tape is great if there are plate glass windows - mark with a big tape cross to prevent anyone walking through one.

Childproofing can be a misleading term, since no place can ever be guaranteed 100% safe for a child, all children need supervision, particularly if they're under five. There is a lot you can do to minimise the risk of accidents on holiday starting with a tour of inspection.

If you feel that for some reason your accommodation is not safe, i.e. balconies without rails, or other hazards, ask to change rooms immediately.

The next most important thing is to put yourself in your Childs shoes. Think about the new environment and all the things in it he has never seen before. Try to foresee how they will strike him. Keep the hazard in mind and it will not happen.

Make a tour of inspection when you arrive. Scan your accommodation carefully, get down on your hands and knees and inspect the floor of your room including under the bed and in the bathroom. Chambermaids do miss things, and small objects that your little one might swallow and choke on may lurk out of your sight but not out of the sight of a crawling baby.

Examine all drawers and cabinets and remove items that could be dangerous and place in one cupboard secured with rubber bands. Remember to remove the toilet brush and any cleaning chemicals and store them well out of reach.

Look for hazards he can reach from his full height and for things he can't do while holding onto something but may do when he stands with both hands free.

Learning to walk also brings it's own very particular hazards in the form of furniture that will tip over on top of him if your child tries to use it to pull himself up to standing.

Lightweight spindly pieces of furniture are often used in holiday apartments etc, as are standard lamps and high stools. Banish as many unstable pieces of furniture as you can or if for example you don't want to banish the standard lamp you may be able to wedge it under a heavy armchair.

Check that low windows are securely shut and do not put anything under windows that can be climbed on. If you have a balcony please please be especially vigilant and check that the struts are secure. We take a collapsible travel barrier with us to make the balcony out of bounds, after all plastic balcony chairs are easy for a young child to move and climb up on to.

Automatic curtain pulls and ties and the pull cords of window blinds are desperately dangerous; hung at a level that invites a child to swing, ready for a head and very strong. Shorten them so they are out of reach

Remove all low-level glass furniture, such as coffee tables, or ornaments.

If there are open fires check that the fire guard can be firmly fixed.

Loose rugs on slippery (marble) floors should be removed.

Remove plastic bags from waste bins and dry cleaning/laundry collection bags.

Remove the tea/coffee making facilities to a safe area.

Check that lamps and light fixtures actually have bulbs; it's too easy for a child to stick a finger into a live socket.

Televisions and stereos should be positioned against walls at a low level where they can't be dragged down or topple on to a child's head. Bookcases or any other cupboards that could be pulled over by a child should be assessed.

If there is an easy to open mini bar, your child will open it, ask the hotel staff to remove it or its contents. If you are drinking alcohol in your room remember to keep it out of reach of your young children including 'empty' glasses. Alcohol is a dangerous substance for children, and not only because of the irresponsible state induced by drunkenness. Children under 16 who drink large quantities of spirits experience a dangerous lowering of their blood sugar which can cause fits or worse.

If you are not taking your own carrycot or travel cot with you make sure you check the suitability of the cot and bed linen provided for you on your arrival. Obviously most reputable hoteliers will ensure the suitability of all baby equipment but it is still worth checking.

Make sure the cot is strong and sturdy and in good condition. If it looks like it's had a quick coat of paint or varnish to smarten it up ask for another one, after all how do you know that the paint or varnish used is non-toxic. The bars should be no wider than (6cm). Missing or cracked cot bars present the same hazard, as do large cut outs in head-and footboards. There must be no sharp edges or sharp screws.

Cot sides should be high enough to stop older children climbing over, and have safety catches on the drop side to prevent it from being accidentally released. The mattress should be clean and close fitting with no gaps between the edges of the mattress and the frame.

If the cot is a mesh cot, ensure that the sides are securely locked up as children can suffocate in mesh cots if the sides are down.

Now that travel cots are so much more innovative why not buy your own and have peace of mind with one of our tried and tested models

Blankets or cot bumpers should not have a fringe, ribbons or ties or anything that he could put in his mouth and could choke on. Blankets need to be woven closely to avoid trapping fingers and toes.

Never place a child under 6 years old in the top bunk. Ensure that the top bunk has Bedrails on all four sides and that the mattress fits the frame tightly, check the frame for damage and sturdiness and ensure it has been put together safely. Discourage jumping on bunk beds.

If you're in your accommodation when the chamber maid arrives go out if you can it's far better than allowing your children to be exposed to the variety of chemicals she will no doubt start squirting and spraying around. If you decide to stay in keep an eye on where she leaves her cleaning products, buckets of hot water and check that she has not left bleach, toilet cleaner/and or disinfectant to soak in the toilet.

Sleepwalking is common in normal children around four to five years old. If often runs in families. If your family has this habit you must make doubly sure that the night time environment is safe, with windows and doors securely fastened. Bebetel Monitor

Check which tap is hot and which is cold, in Italy, for example, C stands for Caldo, which means hot, and Caliente is Spainish for hot.

Children can drown in less than 3cm of water. Never leave children or babies in the bath unsupervised, even for a moment.

Be careful that your toddler does not touch the taps in a strange bathroom where the water may be a lot hotter than at home. When running a bath at home or away turn the cold water on first and always test the temperature with your elbow before letting a child get into a bath or shower. If the bath bottom is very slippery use a small towel.

Small sized complimentary hotel soap becomes a choking hazard once it reaches the size of a 50p piece or smaller, so throw it away.

Make sure your child cannot reach hairdryers or other electrical items while in the bath.

There is no need to take special precautions before bathing children, unless you are in bilharzias country. Tap water is unlikely to be badly contaminated unless you are amidst a cholera outbreak, or if war or natural disaster has led to contamination of mains water supplies, or if the water smells bad or looks dirty.

Generally it is not necessary to bathe your baby in boiled or filtered water, and do not be concerned if your child drinks the bath water. Water, which looks and smells clean will be clean enough, and is unlikely to contain the critical infective dose of bacteria sufficient to cause illness.

Most microbes need to invade in their millions to make people ill, so usually swallowing a few drops of contaminated water will do no harm. An inflatable baby bath, however, is a good idea; it is easier to clean than the whole bath, safer than bathing in a sink and more comfortable for your little one.

Read and understand the emergency information in your room etc, have an escape route planned in case of fire, and practice it when you first go for a meal.

Lifts and Revolving Doors

Do not let your children play in and around lifts and tell them never to play with the emergency button as it will break the lift. Watch out for babies' and toddlers' finger's and toe's, they always seem to stick them out just at the wrong moment. If you are getting into a lift with a pushchair count yourself as 3 people. Be very wary of old-fashioned cage style lifts and warn your children about hands and feet getting stuck in lift and revolving doors.

Show your child how to get straight to the ground floor and the reception area in case that they ever find themselves alone in a lift.

Stairs

Toddlers and young children vary widely in their respect for stairs and their competence in climbing. The depth of stairs he can cope with at home may differ entirely to those he meets in your holiday accommodation. Intrepid toddlers who insist on climbing cannot be assumed to know their limits.

The stairs may also have balustrades or gaps between the steps into which little children can get arms, legs or heads stuck.

If you have a kitchen try and keep small children out whenever possible, check things that may be different in terms of safety at home like dangling kettle cords; tablecloths or large dinner mats - a child can easily pull them, and whatever's on them - on top of themselves; or oven doors that get hot.

If there is a gas cylinder in the kitchen, turn this off, so that it's impossible for little ones to turn and leave the gas on the cooker.

Take rubber bands with you to keep doors shut on cupboards with items that need to be kept safe, i.e. your travelling first aid kit, the microwave etc. Check all cupboards in the kitchen for dangerous products such as bleach, mouse poisons etc.

Some children's utensils, especially training beakers, can be difficult to clean and deposits of old food or milk represents an infection risk. Simply boiling utensils for five or ten minutes effectively sterilises and also tends to boil off food remains.

First Time you've used a dishwasher?

A holiday without washing up - great. Remember though, that knives, forks, scissors and other sharp implements should be kept in a drawer. They should never be left exposed and sticking upright in a cutlery basket of an open dishwasher, always remove the cutlery basket first from a dishwasher when it's cycle has finished; always reload it last.

The spouts of Anywayup cups etc should be rinsed with boiled water afterwards, as dishwasher salt tends to collect in them.

Sweep out the kitchen area as soon as the food preparation and eating is over to avoid unwelcome visitors in the form of ants.

Now go and check outside for danger. Even that innocent country cottage may have a bull in the next field, deadly nightshade in the hedge, a well in the garden or a delightful haystack with a pitchfork for him to jump on.

Poisonous Plants

As a general rule toddlers are unlikely to eat enough toxic leaves to poison themselves because leaves tend to be bitter. Fruits, berries and seeds are more of a risk, but even so most are harmless. Many of the plants within the potato and tomato family (Solanacea) are however, very poisonous; and they are perhaps more dangerous than most because some toxic fruits look like little tomatoes. The family includes aubergines, but also deadly nightshade and the poisonous angel's trumpets, Datura suaveolens; those evening-scented shrubs with spectacular 30cm long dangling white flowers which are common in gardens in tropical hotels. Datura stamonium, the thorn apple is also very poisonous.

Plants, which sting and irritate

Stinging nettles grow in many regions but the antidotes vary from continent to continent; their sting is immediately apparent. Any plant or part of a plant, which is covered in hair, is a guaranteed irritator; warn children that furry pods are not soft but are unpleasant to play with.

Poison ivy and poison oak are a problem in North America; if you are camping or walking in the forest get a local to show you what they look like. Red streaks or patches are the beginning of the problem and these break down into blisters, which ooze then crust over.

The problem with these plants is that the irritation starts several days to a week after contact with the plant, and if the victim uses a towel, the irritating oil can affect someone else and the whole family can suffer. Primroses in Europe also cause blistering rather like poison ivy in some allergic people.