4 TIPS TO AVOID HOME ACCIDENTS

When thinking of injuries, you think of the harm that occurs at a school playground, on the football pitch, road, hiking trail, or somewhere outside. Many of us don’t imagine injuries happening in our home, probably because we see it as a sanctuary that lacks elements that may cause us harm. But that isn’t true.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 53.6% of all injury-involved accidents happen at home. In a nutshell, a huge percentage of injuries occur at home. Given the high occurrence, it is best that you, as a parent or guardian, take precautionary measures to prevent home accidents from happening on your turf. What measures are we referring to? Listed below are a few to start with. 

Don’t hesitate to clean up spills.

Spills – especially those on slippery surfaces like tiles and vinyl flooring—should be treated as an accident waiting to happen.

What this means is that whenever you see a spill of liquid, grease, or anything that could cause one to slip and fall, clean it immediately. You never know what could happen if you wait a minute later or even a few seconds.

Secure rugs

Unlike slippery surfaces like tiles, rugs aren’t dangerous when wet, but they can be dangerous when not properly secured. Unsecured rugs could move when stepped on, causing slip and fall. Consider securing your rug with non-skid pads, or go for those rugs that have slip-resistant backings. Another alternative is to secure the rug using double-sided tape.

Be careful where you keep hot liquids.

After boiling water for your coffee or tea, where do you keep the hot kettle or cup containing the hot liquid? Some of us are careful enough to keep it in a safe place, high enough out of the reach of children or clumsy spouses. Others aren’t careful, which may result in scalds when such liquids spill on someone.

To prevent scalds, make a habit of keeping hot liquids away from the reach of children or household members. If hot liquid spills on your kids somehow, make sure to treat it by pouring tap water on the affected surface to reduce the temperature. Afterward, proceed to apply manuka honey to treat the wound (for minor and superficial burns only). Honey boasts of antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, making it ideal for treating various types of wounds, including scalds and burns.

Keep electronics away from water.

Accidents involving electronics are prevalent (about 400 people are electrocuted at home each year). But why? We can easily link the frequent occurrence of such accidents to human carelessness. 

Many of us keep electronics near water. Some of us keep our clippers, hairdryer, and other electronic gadgets close to the water when bathing. Of course, you could be lucky a few times. But what happens when your luck runs out? 

Conclusion

Your home is a haven, yet it contains elements that could make it more dangerous than a hiking trail filled with lots of jagged surfaces or a playground filled with lots of high stuff. To ensure that you or your household members don’t make up the percentage of individuals who suffer from home accidents, please make sure to follow the precautionary tips listed above.