Simple tips to ensure a safe home

Home, safe home, but is it? Home-related injuries result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits every year, according to the Home Safety Council (HSC). The top three culprits include falls, poisonings, and fires and burns.

Since we know these leading injury causes, we should be able to avoid them, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. A recent HSC survey showed that while 92 percent of homeowners think about home safety often, only one-third were able to name a precaution they had actually taken at home.

It’s time to stop thinking and start acting. A few simple home updates will protect you and your loved ones from these top home dangers.

Fight against falls
Did you know that a person who lives to be 75 years old will have spent an average of 1.5 years in the bathroom? That’s why it’s essential that this highly used room be as safe as possible. Grab bars are an easy and effective solution to avoiding falls. Some have integrated accessories, combining the safety benefits of a grab bar with three common bath essentials, a towel bar, a toilet paper holder and a shelf, making each bath functional and fashionable.

Next, add a light-sensor nightlight in the bathroom – or in the hall outside the bathroom – to provide a well-lit path for nighttime visits to the restroom. The illumination will allow you to see where you’re going and avoid any potential tripping hazards in the path.

Prevent poisoning
Accidental poisoning is the second leading cause of unintentional home injury deaths in the United States. In fact, more than two million poisonings are reported to poison control centers each year – with the highest rates among children younger than five. Luckily, preventing these poisonings can be simple. To start, do nothing. That’s right; keep all cleaners, chemicals and medications in their original containers with labels to ensure that they are all used properly and not mistaken for another product.

Next, ensure that all poisonous items and medications are locked and out of reach of children. This can be as simple as adding child-proof locks on cabinets (which are simple for adults, but children are usually not coordinated enough to open) or purchasing and installing a medicine cabinet or storage cabinet with a built-in lock for added safety.

Banish burns
It’s a good thing that 93 percent of adults report working smoke alarms in their homes. However, some burns occur without any smoke. In fact, more than 112,000 emergency room visits occur each year from burns caused by hot tap water. To prevent tap water burns, simply turn your hot water heater down below 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, never leave potential fire hazards, such as space heaters, candles, irons, curling irons or food on the stove, unattended. Try replacing lit candles with battery-powered ‘flameless’candles or put your curling or flat iron in a protective case (or even a pot holder) when finished for added precaution.

In no time at all, your home will be better equipped to fend off the top three home safety hazards.

File photo