Accidents at home – how to avoid them
Accidents at home are currently estimated to account for 77% of all accidents. Obviously, this figure is skewed slightly by the fact that most of us spend more time at home than we do at work, or in the car, or down the pub (most of us); however, even taking this into account, we find that the home is an inordinately dangerous place: about 1 in 17 people each year will suffer an injury caused by an accident in the home. A fatal injury in the home occurs approximately once every 14 minutes; for non-fatal (but in many cases, still serious) injuries, the figure is once every 4 seconds. On top of all this, The Home Safety Council’s estimates show that accidents at home, in total, cost the economy as much as £237 billion each year.
How, then, can the home be made safer, short of selling all the knives and scissors and turning the home into a padded cell? There are a number of small ways in which to ensure the home is safe. Firstly, falls are the number one cause of injuries in the home; the majority of these take place on the stairs. It is a good idea to use non-slip rugs and carpeting, particularly in high-risk areas such as staircases and bathrooms. It is also highly advisable to ensure that these areas are well-lit. If you have children, a childgate is a good investment; is inexpensive and provides a huge amount of security – it is well worth it for the minor inconvenience of adults having to open and shut it each time they go upstairs or downstairs. On that note, it also advisable to buy soft furniture, with rounded edges, where possible. Children are bound to fall down – that’s unavoidable – but you can at least ensure minimum injury when they do so.
For children, however, statistically a greater danger of death comes from poisoning. Keep medicines, as well as other potentially poisonous products such as bleach, out of reach and/or under lock. Children are also at high risk of drowning. Should you be lucky enough to have a swimming pool – or even simply an inflatable paddling pool, for your garden – never leave children unattended in or near the pool.
Also – this cannot be stressed enough – buy smoke detectors and check their batteries regularly. Yes, it’s annoying when they go off for burnt food, and then they refuse to believe there isn’t a fire and they won’t reset, but it’s worth it. There is a domestic fire every 8 minutes in the UK. There is a reason for all of those fire safety adverts.
Finally, you can avoid a lot of accidents by simply being careful. Don’t run up and down the stairs. Definitely don’t slide down the banisters. Clean up spillages immediately. Don’t carry more than you can handle. Turn off the electricity before doing things like changing lightbulbs. Remember the advice in this article, and remain safe in the home.
|
