Creating a safe home is crucial for your family to thrive and grow. Unfortunately, your home can be susceptible to several safety hazards. Statistics reveal that nearly 6,000 tragedies happen every year in homes across the UK. So, can you ensure safety in your home? To do so, you must know the hazards you are exposed to. Here are four common home hazards and how you can prevent them.
Falls
Injuries, like broken bones or head injuries, are common in most homes due to tripping and falling. Studies show that children aged 5 and younger and adults older than 75 are most at risk of being injured from falling and tripping. Wet floors, clutter, and stairs are potential causes of falls around the home. Keeping your stairs free from tripping hazards like toys and installing strong handrails for support is advisable. You should also install shower support in your baths. Be sure to clean slippery floors properly, provide adequate lighting for visibility and provide safety gates to prevent small children from accessing home areas with fall risks.
Poisoning
Numerous household items can pose some poisoning risks. This includes medical supplies, cleaning and maintenance supplies, and other chemicals you use in the home. You should ensure that you keep these items away from your child’s reach to prevent accidental ingestion. It would be best to keep your chemicals labelled to avoid mistaking them for an edible item.
The release of poisonous gases is also another issue. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas emitted from home appliances that use a substantial amount of fossil fuels like coal or petrol- like your heater or oven. It is nearly impossible to detect carbon monoxide in the house; therefore, it is vital to maintain such appliances regularly to ensure safety.
Mould
When water, due to condensation, is left on your surfaces such as your window frames and walls, it is exposed to humid air, leading to mould growth. This can cause various allergic reactions such as headaches, itchy eyes and sneezing. These reactions could worsen, creating an even bigger health risk. To prevent this, be sure to check common damp areas like your kitchen and bathroom for mould growth and have experts clean them out. You should also ensure your air vents are clean to prevent inhaling mould particles and causing allergies. You consider using damp-proof products like the Visqueen gas barrier to prevent water from condensing and creating a mouldy home.
Burns
This may not appear a common household hazard. Yet, there is that risk anytime you use your stoves and dishwashers. However, you can latch your dishwasher, install a knob cover on your stove, and use your stove’s back burners. This can prevent your kids from reaching the hot stovetop. Several ordinary things in the home like food, bathwater and electrical outlets pose risks to your kids. You may want to reduce your water temperature, avoid hot spills, and test food temperatures before feeding your young children.
Being aware of your home hazards is crucial for preventing them. While these four hazards are the most common, the list isn’t exhaustive, so it can help to look out and assess other risks in the home to keep your family safe.
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