A child accidentally locked himself in the apartment - what to do first?

The name and certain details have been changed to maintain confidentiality.

Let's call the client Anna. She went out literally for a minute, and the small child remained inside the apartment. The door slammed shut and it was impossible to get back.

In such a situation, the main thing is to quickly assess the risk and not waste time on dangerous experiments.

First assess whether there is immediate danger

It's important to understand:

• is the stove turned on;
• whether dangerous electrical appliances are working;
• is the balcony or window open;
• is there a small child inside who may get scared or start looking for his mother around the apartment.

If there is a real threat to life or health, emergency services take priority.

Maintain contact with your child

If your child hears you through the door, speak calmly. There is no need to scream or show panic. Better:

• talk constantly;
• ask not to go far;
• explain that help is already on the way.

If the child is old enough and understands the instructions well, he can sometimes open the door on his own in the normal way. But you should not give complex technical instructions to a small child.

Why you shouldn't try to get in through the window

Even if the apartment is located relatively low, the risk of falling may be much higher than it seems. Climbing up balconies and facades is not a normal way to solve a door problem.

Why the master should arrive as quickly as possible

Not only the safety of the lock is important here. The main priority is access to the child. When contacting, immediately say:

“There is only one child in the apartment.”

This way the specialist understands the urgency of the call.

After opening it is worth understanding why the door was blocked

If the child:

• closed the internal valve;
• turned the latch accessible to him;
• the door locked itself,

It’s worth thinking about how to reduce the likelihood of the situation repeating itself.