How to Prevent Accidents at Home

Many people hardly pay attention to home accidents and how to prevent them, despite them being responsible for various fatalities over the years.

The majority of the accidents at home are usually in the form of cuts, falls, suffocation, poison, burns, scalds, and sprains.

Since the home should be a safe haven for comfort, security, and relaxation, every homeowner should endeavor to mitigate or prevent the level of accidents that occur in their homes.

Accidents are often detrimental to health and could lead to death when one does not take preventive measures. The most common people affected by home accidents are teenagers, children, and the aged.

 

Common Causes of Home Accidents in the Home

Poor lighting

Installing proper lighting is an easy way to improve the safety of people living in every home. Areas of the home not adequately lit present numerous safety risks to people residing and visiting the premises.

Low light situations, broken lights, and outright darkness at home increase the risk of falls, slips, trips, traumatic brain injury, fractures, spinal cord injury, and other kinds of serious accidents.

 

Poor environment

Some negative environmental factors like sound pollution, air pollution (including the presence of toxic fumes and vapors or harmful particulate matter) could lead to suffocation or cardiac attack if inhaled excessively. Therefore, ensuring that your home is in a pollution-free environment is highly important.

 

Poor housekeeping

When the home is not regularly maintained and cleaned at all times, it could lead to accidents. Some of the most popular accidents caused by improper maintenance of the house are slips, falls, and trips.

For example, when you do not store kitchen utensils and household items appropriately, people are bound to trip over them. Also, you create slippery conditions when moisture, oil, water, or grease are left on the floor around the house without being attended to or cleaned.

 

Parents’ lack of attention towards their kids

Accidents are likely to occur when parents fail to monitor their kids' activities in the house. Therefore, it is significant to monitor and pay attention to children at home because there are numerous elements that could increase their risk of sustaining severe injuries.

 

Being hasty

There are times you might have to move hastily around the house. It could be due to items forgotten, unlocked doors, or the faucet you left on. Whatever the case may be, hurrying or rushing may lead to accidents if you don’t take care.

 

Slippery floor

There are several causes of slips and falls in the home, including spills on walking surfaces, ice, snow/rain, loose mats or rugs, boxes, or containers that could obstruct your view.

Liquid spilled on the floor should be mopped or cleaned at all times.

Once the floor is mopped clean, it must be left to dry before you allow anyone to walk on it.

 

Not keeping household utensils and objects safe from children

Knives, shaky furniture, hot water faucets, hot pots on hot stoves, hot tubs, and swimming pools must be used with caution and kept safe from children.

Children are most vulnerable to accidents at home, so monitor them appropriately.

 

Congestion and poor property arrangement

Some homes are often overcrowded and stuffed with things that are not needed. Such could lead to congestion and lack of ventilation, which might eventually cause suffocation, especially to asthmatic people.

Homeowners must learn to declutter old and unused items in the house to give room for a healthier environment and cross-ventilation.

Also, a house that's not well-built or structured might collapse, which can cause terrible accidents to those who live in it.

 

5 Proven Ways to Prevent Accidents at Home 

1. Search for the cause of falls

Check things like frayed floor carpets, power cords, lamp stands, wobbly dining table and chairs, stepladders, porch, welcome rug, high cabinets or cupboards, living room extension wires, and footstools.

These things can cause serious accidents if they are not properly taken care of. They can cause you to fall and sustain severe injury if carelessly scattered on the floor.

Hence, you need to keep them safe and secure at all times.

Have handholds along the walls of your home, from the living room to the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. It is very important, especially if you have an older person at home.

In addition, the carpet edge must be firmly secured to the floor or completely removed to prevent falls.

Arrange shoes and books in their appropriate places and make sure that you keep your food items where your hands can easily reach them to prevent you from falling when you're trying to access them.

 

2. Identify feasible sources of fire

Fire is one of the commonest accidents in homes. Fire hazards are generally caused by faulty electrical wiring, overloaded electrical outlets, using inferior plugs and sockets, unplugged electric appliances, smoldering cigarette butts, leaking gas cookers, and burning candles.

To eliminate these possible causes of fire hazard from your home, endeavor to use a good wire and socket-outlet, and turn off your appliances when they’re not in use or when you’re leaving the house.

Smoke detectors or alarms are also essential in every home. So, make sure you keep them on and functional at all times. Install fire extinguishers in every room to help prevent major fire outbreaks.

Having a fire escape plan will also help to keep you and your family safe in the case of a fire outbreak.

 

3. Carefully use equipment or items that could cause burns or scalds

Among the causes of burns are cookers, electric kettles, hot baths, and even a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.

To avoid the risk of sustaining burns, ensure that you properly arrange all your utensils and always wear kitchen gloves to protect your hands from hot items, especially when you want to check the food on your cooker, oven, or microwave.

Also, while using the bathroom, turn on the cold water first before slowly turning on the hot water knob to avoid burning yourself.

 

4. Keep the bathroom safe at all times

Bathrooms, as small as they may seem, are big when it comes to home accidents. Accidents often occur in the shower, toilet, and bathtub.

Install non-slip tiles in your bathroom and use non-skid mats at all times to prevent slips.

 

5. Avoid Toxic Substances

People with weaker immune systems and lower metabolism are prone to poisoning. Accidental poisoning or drug overdose could also happen if you lack proper knowledge of your prescription drugs or take drugs not meant for you.

Also, storing semi-opened canned foods for too long in the refrigerator can cause food poisoning.

Don't stretch your food budget too thin to eat stale or moldy foods, as this can lead to food poisoning. Always check the expiry date of any product before buying it.

In addition, always wash your hands before working around food, and avoid recycling food that has been in the refrigerator for more than two days.

When it comes to your medications, buy from trusted pharmacies. When asking for drug prescriptions, always ask your doctor about the possible adverse reactions or side effects to prevent any health complications or accidents when using it at home.

Most importantly, never abuse drugs. Take only medications that your doctor or pharmacist prescribes. And always keep medications out of your children's reach.

 

Safety Devices to Have at Home in Case of Accidents

Accidents are less likely to occur at home with the stringent adherence of people at home or homeowners to the above preventive measures and safety regulations.

However, in case of an accident, the following safety devices are essential to help salvage the situation.

• Fire extinguisher
• Sand buckets
• Hand gloves
• First aid kit/box
• Water hose
• Smoke alarms
• Carbon monoxide detector

 

Final Thoughts

Accidents in homes are widespread due to carelessness and lack of preventive measures. Unfortunately, most homeowners are lackadaisical about some crucial things to put in place to prevent accidents in their homes.

If you follow the various preventive measures discussed in this article, you will most definitely reduce the level of accident that occurs in your home and even eradicate it. By doing this, you will have a comfortable, safe, peaceful, and accident-free home to reside in.