How to Prevent Home Accidents

Whether you live in a house, apartment or condo, the potential for household injuries lurk around every corner. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 11,000 people die at home every year from unintentional injuries resulting from falls, fires, drownings, or poisonings. By safeguarding your home, you can help prevent household accidents.

Prevent falls

• Install lights at the top and bottom of stairways. Make sure there is a stair rail.
  
• Mount grab bars and use nonslip mats in bathtubs and showers.
  
• Provide safety gates in homes with small children.
  
• Put nonstick backing on all area rugs.
  
• Remove all spills from floors at once.
  
• Pick up all clutter on stairs and floors. Clear out any obstructions, debris or any other obstacles that create a potential falling hazard.
  
• Repair any damaged stair steps. Fix torn carpeting, loose boards, or uneven steps.
  
• Shovel snow and ice off of all walks and driveways.
  

Reduce potential fire damage.

• Avoid putting flammable items on or near the stove.
  
• Turn all pot handles in when cooking on a stove.
  
• Stay in the kitchen at all times while cooking.
  
• Prohibit smoking inside your home.
  

Minimize chances of drowning accidents.

• Supervise young children in bathtubs or when they are near water.
  
• Enforce water and pool safety rules with your children. Make sure they use flotation devices until they learn how to swim proficiently.
  
• Empty all wading pools, buckets or other water receptacles when not in use.
  
• Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). According to the CDC, victim success rates were much higher when CPR was administered while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
  
• Construct a four-sided, fully- enclosed and locked fence around all swimming pools.
  
• Clear all pool areas of toys after use to discourage small children.
  

Minimize potential poisonings.

• Ventilate all rooms when using cleaners and chemicals.
  
• Keep all medications, chemicals and cleaners out of reach of children.
  
• Dispose properly of all medications that have expired.
  
• Remove all peeling and lead-based paints from your home.
  
• Ensure that all gas appliances are installed and serviced by professionals.
  

Tips

• Keep a list of emergency numbers in a highly visible location. Include poison control, doctors, and phone numbers of friends and family.
  
• Install nightlights in the bedrooms of elderly and children to help prevent falls during the night.
  
• Set your water heater's temperature to 120 F (50 C) to prevent scalding.
  
• Turn off and unplug all appliances before leaving home.
  
• Always keep a phone within reach in the event of a fall.
  
• Close cabinets, drawers, and doors after use.

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Article courtesy of Wikihow. Photo by Sarah Horrigan via Flickr.