Your home is the one place where you should be able to feel safe and secure and where you can escape the rigors of everyday life. But few people realize that, after your car, your home is the most dangerous location in which to spend a lot of time. Every year, over 18,000 Americans die because of accidents in the home.
Children and the elderly are, as you would expect, the most vulnerable to accidents, but anyone can become a victim. There are risks pretty much anywhere you look in your home but most accidents are avoidable by putting in place some sensible precautions.
So, how do you make your home a safer place for you and your family? Those with children and elderly family members might have to put a bit more thought into this question but there are steps that everybody should take.
The Dangers of Falling
There are many different causes of falls and this is way up there as the number one type of home accident. The most common injuries sustained from falls are fractures, head injuries, and cuts.
To reduce the risk of falls you need to remove trip and slip hazards. Don’t have trailing electrical cables, clean up any spillages immediately and tidy away shoes, toys, and other obstacles, especially on stairs. If you’ve got children that will seem like an endless task as they leave a trail of their toys behind them! Rugs should have non-slip strips to stop them sliding.
Take extra care if you’re doing DIY involving working at height and follow basic ladder safety. Don’t leave your ladders unattended as they can look very tempting to young people and a fall from a height can be fatal.
Put handrails and non-slip mats in baths and showers to make it safer to get in and out, particularly for older family members.
If an issue arises in a rental home that could cause a trip hazard, notify the landlord as soon as possible so they can put it right.
Fire Prevention
A fire in your home is a terrifying event and the consequences can be devastating. The most important step to take is fit smoke alarms on every level of your home. Having an early warning of a fire, especially when you are sleeping, could save not only your home but also your life. A monitored smoke alarm is even better as the fire department will be alerted even if you are not at home.
A smoke alarm is no use if it’s not working! Test them each month and replace the batteries twice a year to stay safe. If you live in a rental property the landlord should have installed smoke alarms but it is still your responsibility to test them.
To help to prevent a fire, have your furnace regularly serviced. If you have an open fire or log burner, make sure the fireplace and chimney are kept clean. Don’t leave lighted candles unattended. Tea light candles are particularly dangerous when placed on plastic surfaces. There is an increasing incidence of fires caused by cell phone chargers. You might not be able to prise your teenager away from their phone, but don’t let them charge them under their pillow as they can overheat and catch fire.
In the kitchen, don’t leave pans unattended on the stove and when children around try and use the back burners where they are harder to reach.
Poisoning Hazards
Poisoning is another big cause of home accidents with around 5,000 deaths in America each year. Household cleaning products can look tempting to children to keep them locked away in a secure closet. The same applies to medicines which can lead to poisoning or an overdose, particularly if the wrong combination is mixed together.
The toolshed usually has colorful products like paint which can be highly toxic and should be stored out of the reach of little hands.
Carbon monoxide is one of the most dangerous poisons in our homes and is the hardest to detect. Install CO detectors and, as with smoke alarms, regularly check that they are working. Any equipment that uses gas or oil should be professionally serviced every year. In rental properties, this should be arranged by the landlord.
Sharp Practice
We all have many sharp utensils and tools which can cause injury. These items need to be used correctly and properly stored when not in use. The kitchen, bathroom, and toolshed are mostly where the dangers lie and, if they are not out of reach, sharp implements should be locked away.
Precautions in the home can be as simple as putting knives and forks point down when loading the dishwasher to save an unnecessary injury.
Think Risk
There are many other seemingly innocuous items around our homes that can cause harm. The cords on window blinds can strangle a child. There is a risk of drowning just by leaving a bucket of water unattended. Burns can be caused by furnaces, dishwashers or just leaving an iron plugged in and forgetting about it. We just need to think a little more of ways to keep our homes as the safe environment that our families deserve.
Rental Property
Renters have just as much responsibility for their own safety as homeowners. However, as mentioned above, landlords have certain responsibilities towards their tenants. The structure of the property must be safe and secure. Heating and ventilation systems should be serviced annually. It is also the duty of the landlord to respond in a timely manner to any request from the tenant for repairs to any issue which causes a risk to health and safety.
If you get injured or suffer health problems that you think are directly caused by the negligence of your landlord, you may be able to make a claim for compensation. Even for something as small as trapping your finger in a faulty door, you should contact a legal expert who can advise you how to make a personal injury compensation claim. You could recover any expenses such as medical bills and loss of earnings.
