A common notion runs in the world that home is the place where you are most safe. However, that is not entirely true. Although you are safe from extreme climatic conditions and unforeseen circumstances, you may get hurt by your misfortune. A simple fall in the bathroom is one of the commonest home safety hazards in the country. Accidents such as burns from the gas stove or any hot utensil, cuts, and jabs from sharp objects lying in and around the house are some of the other reasons. Here are examples of a few home accidents and methods to prevent them-
Slips and Falls
Slipping, tripping, or falling at home is one of the commonest reasons for minor injuries across the globe. The reason for these accidents is wet floors, floors with soap spilled on them, accidental oil spills at home, trailing wires, to name a few. It is especially detrimental if an older adult falls because their bones are brittle and can easily break.
Hence, to safeguard your family’s health and you, avoid any unnecessary clutter on the floor. Make sure to remove any defective flooring and that the floor is not slippery. It is also essential for your family members to follow the same advice so that everyone contributes to the process of ‘decluttering’. Family cooperation is an important factor in preventing home accidents.
Nasty Burns
Nasty burns are another common home safety hazard in the homes of a large chunk of the world population. These burns mostly occur in the kitchen due to hot pans, kettles, ovens, cooking stoves, and other kitchen utilities. It’s no surprise that you suffer from frequent burns if you keep such hot utensils in and around the kitchen.
If you have small children, these hot utensils can be dangerous for them. Hence, you will need to make subtle changes in your kitchen habits, such as keeping the hot utensils further away from the kitchen edge to be accessible to small children.
Kettles must be placed in such a way so that your children cannot access their wires. These small steps can help you prevent nasty burns in the longer run.
Cuts from Sharp Objects
Cuts usually occur from sharp glass pieces, cupboards and counter edges, sharp objects present in your home. The first step to avoid cutting yourself is to be vigilant and careful at all times.
If you accidentally break a glass piece, make sure to sweep and rid the area of all glass pieces. You can also use a vacuum cleaner with a high suction power to remove all the tiny remnants of glass. Moreover, it is always better to keep glass items and other sharp objects away from your children’s reach.
Choking or Poisoning
There may be several objects lying around in your home as cutting and poisoning hazards. Accidents may happen due to lack of supervision or hectic life, when you do not have the time to keep these home safety hazards in their rightful place. Some of those miscellaneous objects may have the potential to choke a person, especially a baby or a toddler. A small child doesn’t have a sense of the object and wants to explore it with their mouth. This exploring tendency can lead to choking.
Moreover, there could also be several substances in your house that could potentially poison you or your family members. Most of them are usually bought for cleaning. Storing such items as bleach, polishes, sprays, and other chemicals unsupervised is risky, especially if you have children and furry pets at home. Such incidents of accidental poisoning or choking are a common occurrence in domestic settings worldwide.
You can prevent such incidents by keeping and storing the poisonous or hazardous substances in a safe place away from the reach of your kids. The place must not be accessible to children, and they must not have a clue of where such objects are kept until they reach a mature age.
You must also take chemicals such as bleach, liquid detergent, etc., from their designated spot only when they are needed and keep them back immediately. This shall substantially minimize the chances of any unfortunate incident.
A variety of home safety hazards are present in your home, including slips, trips, falls, nasty burns, and cuts from sharp objects. While removing those hazardous items is not possible, you can always take certain steps to prevent them. Moreover, you must always stay vigilant and alert to ensure that your family and you do not encounter such safety hazards. Small and subtle changes in your daily behavior shall help you in the longer run.