Safety is an important matter that deserves careful attention. While some consider that nothing bad can happen to them while they are at home, they are actually wrong. According to research, a lot of accidents and injuries happen at home. That is no surprise considering the great number of bad accidents that are broadcasted on news channels each day. People of all ages become victims of accidents in the comfort of their own home because they don’t pay attention apparently insignificant matter. They can slip on watery surfaces or rugs, get food poisoning or fall down the stairs. Thus, not only kids and toddlers can suffer from bad accidents while at home.
There are many ways a home can present potential dangers. Households can become victims of burglary, flooding, and environmental factors. Even though it is impossible to be prepared for virtually everything, it is good to take measures to prevent the “less serious” accidents. Try to involve your kids, so they also understand home safety in order to feel more relaxed about their overall safety.
Heavy Furniture and Appliances
Small kids love grabbing onto furniture when they pull themselves up. Once they are old enough, they transform decor items into a playground that they can use to satisfy their curiosity. Parents are well aware that kids love exploring new places, finding new hiding spots and even climbing on top of surfaces. Nevertheless, this could turn into a fatality if no measures are taken. Pulling on furniture may cause them to trip over and get serious injuries. All kinds of home appliances can become injury tools for your kids. In order to prevent that you need to tether the furniture with screws and talk to them about the injury hazards of climbing furniture. Tell them that they should never do that unsupervised. They should let you know when they feel like climbing so that you can be around and take them to a playground or a tree and explore new dimensions.
Prevent Fire Hazards
Most people know the basics, but they are not prepared to prevent a fire. Unfortunately, a lot of factors can lead to fires. Thus, it is fundamental to never leave burning candles unattended, keep a fire extinguisher on hand and install fire alarms. Nonetheless, that is not enough. Once you do that you need to check and change the batteries on a regular basis. For even more protection you could consider purchasing a smoke detector. Remember that it could save not only your home but even lives. Furthermore, remember to unplug appliances when they are not in use, have your heating system checked regularly by professionals, avoid using outlet extenders because they can quickly overload, keep firewood and other flammable items away from your home and last but not least be sure to extinguish smoking materials properly.
Harmful Products
Poisoning accidents are a common occurrence, and it takes so many shapes and forms. As kids love exploring, they might come across all kinds of dangerous products in your home. Cleaning products and home maintenance supplies are the most common ones. However, with a bit of diligence, you can reduce the risk of poisoning. At the same time, having animals in the household can increase the risk of developing allergies if spaces are not cleaned properly. Teach kids to wash hands each time they play with the dog and never to get too close to it while eating. Do a thorough cleaning of your home every couple of months just to make sure you eliminate all risks. Disinfecting all surfaces, carpet cleaning and doing proper laundry are a good start.
Prevent Electrical Shocks
Electricity is the backbone of so many economies, but also a serious hazard around the home for kids and even adults. If you live in a modern home, then you definitely have a lot of smart devices that are electrically operated all over your home. Most of the time they need to be connected to plugs unless they are battery operated. As plugs are found at crawling level, it is critical to take measures to prevent electrical shocks. The simplest way of doing that is by covering electrical outlets with special devices that can be found on the market. Either way, supervise kids carefully and be prepared to take immediate first aid measures such as calling the ambulance.
Water Hazards
Drowning is a major hazard both indoors and outdoors. It can happen anytime, and it seems that the statistics on a number of deaths from drowning in a bathtub has increased a lot over recent years – by almost 70 percent. You need to prevent this from occurring at all costs. Supervision is, of course, vital during bath time. The hotness of the water could even make adults fall asleep, or it might even lead to cardiovascular accidents. Water in the bathroom can also lead to slips and falls that are preventable through the use of a bathmat. This is particularly something to look out for when your child climbs out of the bath or finishes a shower.
Eliminate the Risk of Burns
Even though burns might not seem a very common hazard, they can be caused by many factors. The principal ones are either dishwashers or stoves. Therefore, kids and adults alike are at risk of getting burnt in the kitchen. Some useful tips to prevent this hazard include securing the dishwasher so it can’t be opened by anyone, particularly when it blows off steam at the end of the cycle, use back burners when cooking, keep toys away from the kitchen so that kids are not tempted to play around fire, add stove knob covers and last but not least, have a first kid aid on hand.
The main priority with these preventative measures is to keep your family safe. Knowing which precautions to take simplifies your job as a family protector. Spending some time considering some potential risks can lead to you preventing small accidents that may have been avoided. A little goes a long way.
