Your home should be a safe haven for you and your family. A sort of private comfort zone. Everyone hopefully feels at peace when they are at home. Unfortunately, sometimes there can be many hidden or unknown risks in your home. Accidental injuries in the home happen all the time and they account for more than 20,000 deaths a year in the US. Every day approximately seven people die a day in home fires in the U.S. Apart from fires, there are many other home injuries and deaths from causes like falls, indoor pollution, and CO poisoning.
So what can you do to hedge your bets and make your home a safer place to be? Here’s a list of some safety ideas that can help your home be a safer place.
Safe housekeeping
This means eliminating safety hazards by going through your home and making sure you are using good safety practices. First, to avoid trips remove all clutter in front of all doors, steps and stairways. Ensure all cords are tucked away from all foot traffic areas. Keep all things that are potentially dangerous out of reach of young children. Also keep heavy things away from the reach of children. All cupboards, drawers, and cabinets should be closed when they are not in use. Make sure solvents, cleaners and other hazardous chemicals are safely and securely stored.
Home fire safety
Home fires are devastating and can be life-threatening. Any items being cooked should never be left unattended. Keep all the counter surfaces and stoves free of clutter. Also keep flammable objects such as air fresheners, bug spray or hair spray away from hot surfaces. If you have to leave anything cooking unattended, set a timer to remind you when the cooking is done. Always have fire safety measures in place in case of a fire emergency. For instance, always have a fire extinguisher handy.
Get rid of electrical risks
Electricity is incredibly convenient and useful in our everyday lives. However, it also poses a safety risk if not well managed. Replace all frayed or damaged electrical cords and wires. Throw out faulty electrical appliances. Don’t overcrowd your electrical outlets and follow the right procedure when replacing bulbs. If you have children, make sure all your electrical outlets are covered. Never allow children to plug-in electrical appliances, always do it yourself.
Kitchen safety
Make sure your kitchen is always clean and well maintained. Keep raw meat and fish far from vegetables to avoid food contamination. Wash your hands regularly when handling food especially raw meats. Knives and other sharp cooking utensils should be kept away from children and handled with utmost care. A kitchen is a slippery place. It’s hard to cook and avoid spilling water as you wash food, utensils or dishes and pans. Once you spill water, wipe it dry immediately to avoid falls and injuries.
Do you have an emergency first aid kit in your home? If not, get one and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use it. Also, train everyone so they know what to do if an emergency situation happens in the house. Make it the norm for everyone in the house to practice home safety.
