Hazards: How to Avoid Accidents in Your Home

In 2020, an estimated 156,300 preventable injury-related deaths occurred in homes and communities.

Making your home safe for you and your family is arguably one of the most important things you can do, especially because most accidents happen in the household. Many families are worried about their children having a serious accident in the home; with statistics portraying that 80% of accidents for under 5’s happen at home. This blog post is to help prevent accidents in your household, by displaying hazards which may occur and how to solve them.

Here’s to a hazard free home

Secure rugs

If your rug isn’t secure, it may move when you walk on them, causing you to slip. To prevent this, you can secure them with non-skid pads or buy a rug with slip resistant backing so they stay in place. This may seem minor, but if you are holding something heavy, sharp or have children running around, this could cause injuries which would be better avoided.

Shower / Bath grab bars

For those who are wobbly on their feet, maybe an eldery family member, a shower grab bar can reduce the risk of slipping or falling and therefore prevent injury. Grab bars can be used in the bath, as many of us have been unsteady getting out, bathrooms can be a very slippery room! You can get them in plenty of sizes, colours and styles to fit your own personal style.

Hot water heater

It is important to check your hot water heater as they can burn members of your family, especially younger children and elerdly members. Make sure to ensure the water heater has the water at 120 degrees. Burns can be extremely nasty and painful injuries, which can easily become infected if you aren’t careful. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention two children die from bin injuries every day, so please take this hazard extremely seriously.

Portable heaters

Regarding fire safety, remember to always keep portable heaters away from furniture and curtains in case they set alight. They can help keep us extra warm and cosy in these colder months, but we need to remember to not keep them on at night and position them where they can’t be knocked over- for our own safety.

Clean up spills

The most common household injuries are from slips and falls, so it’s important to clean up spills immediately to prevent any possible injury. Spills need to be kept away from any electricals.

Poisoning

Several household items, such as cleaning supplies and medicines, could be used to create dangerous liquids or be in reach on children. Make sure everything is kept out of reach and for chemicals to not be mixed. Sadly, carbon monoxide is another dangerous poisonous gas which can occur in our households; which is why we should always buy a carbon monoxide detector and ensure it is always working.

Will you have any changes in your home?

Everyday there are plenty of household hazards to look for and be wary of, which is why it is important to read up and gain knowledge on how to keep yourself and your household safe. You can buy items here on our website to prevent injuries and reduce the risk of hazards.

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Posted: 18 May 2023