The home can be a death trap. Unfortunately, there are more household accidents that lead to death each year than one might realize. It is also an age-wide issue. It is not just young children and babies or older adults who suffer from accidents and end up getting severely injured. Anyone can be harmed simply because of improper care at home. The following are the most common household accidents and what you can do to ensure your security.
Falling: falling down stairs, falling in the bathroom, falling upstairs, and a host of falling can occur in the home. Ladders, footstools, chairs and much more can be a part of the issue. Each one requires its own prevention.
Falling up or down stairs is preventable by carrying smaller loads, looking where you walk, and using handrails. If you have pets secure them if you have to move a large object up or down the stairs. Also, ask for help with larger objects.
Falling in the bathroom can be prevented by grip mats. There are safety reasons why hotels have to provide non-slip tubs and mats to you. So why not use them in your home to avoid being a bathroom statistic? Also, have rugs in your bathroom that are evenly spaced to prevent slippage by wet feet.
If you have small children at home, then you could consider getting a footstool coffee table or other similar short furniture that your kids can sit on. It would be a wise investment as your children would not hurt themselves as much when they fall from it.
Lastly when needing a boost in height make it an appropriate ladder or stool, not a household chair, table, or other object not meant to withstand your weight. Have a spotter when you work at heights whenever possible.
Falling Objects: let’s face it if you do not put the object up high where it could fall, you can prevent this one. Any object that is high should be properly secured or not placed there due to the dangers. You don’t stack inappropriately at work, so why do so at home?
Fire: put down that phone and pay attention. Is the heater off or turned on low with all flammable objects at an appropriate distance? Is the stove or oven turned off? Do you have a lid ready for a stove fire? Did you buy a gate for in front of the fireplace? Fires are prevented by you paying attention and being careful as well as knowing how to put out fires when they occur.
Electrocution: this is a common injury sustained by many in a household. This is often because of faulty wires and outdated fuse switches. And these two become a common occurrence in most homes as they age. To prevent it from becoming dangerous, however, experienced Electricians are often required. They can fix the components, so as to ensure the house is safe for everyone.
Even after this safety measure, however, small children are still at risk as they don’t yet understand the dangers of electricity and often want to put their fingers inside the plug sockets. This is because plug sockets are commonly at the perfect height for small children to easily see, whilst the prong holes are just big enough for little fingers to fit inside. You might be tempted to use socket covers to prevent this, but modern wall outlets have built-in shutters that prevent children from touching any live parts.
The most important thing for children to understand is that water and electricity don’t mix. This is why bathrooms have different types of electrical outlets to other rooms of the house, helping to prevent water from coming into contact with live parts. Make sure children understand that they should never use an electrical device with wet hands, or place live items into a bath or sink full of water.
Poisoning: put the poison in a hard-to-reach place, mark it clearly and make sure pets and children cannot get to it. You might also get poisoning from bad food or water. If you have muddy or murky water coming out of your taps, chances are there’s something wrong with your plumbing. In such a case, you might want to contact plumbers in Waukesha WI, or somewhere closer to you. They would be able to figure out what is wrong and repair the damage so that no one gets poisoned drinking bad water.
Cutting: another one where it pays to pay attention. Cuts due to knives in the kitchen, cheese graters, and tools in the workshop will happen. However, you are less likely to do real harm when you are awake, healthy and paying attention to the task at hand. Most cutting incidents happen when someone is looking at their phone, tablet, talking with friends, or not cutting on a proper surface.
These are the most common household accidents that you can prevent with ease. Never do something that would be considered dangerous in the workplace simply because you are home. Always be careful and make certain you have proper safety protocols in place whenever you can. Only you can prevent accidents in the home.
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