According to the British charity run organization called Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, chances of accidents occurring at home are more than any other place. Every year the organization reports over 6,000 deaths caused by accidents that happen at home. Children under the age of 5 years and people over 65 years of age are most susceptible to be involved in an accident at home. This is why is this post we would like to share with you some of the most common home injuries and the precautions that you can take to avoid them, bringing their chances down considerably. So let’s take a brief look at them each:
Falling & Tripping
The most common of all home-related injuries are due to a person falling, losing their balance, or tripping over an object. There are times when a fall can be serious where a person might lose consciousness, feel drowsy afterward, or start coughing blood. During these times medical assistance should be acquired without any delays. In order to avoid such occurrences at home you could do the following:
- Keep areas of your house with high foot traffic spick and span.
- Walking hallways should be clean and tidied up.
- Remove obstructions that can be considered dangerous for people if they walk over or around them.
- Manage indoor spills and leakage of fluids with extreme caution.
- Floors that are slippery after a wash should be avoided until they are completely dry and safe for walking.
- Cluttered passages should be cleared without postponements.
- Proper lighting adjustments should be made so that poor visibility within the indoors can be shunned.
- Install rails and other equipment that helps the old and the young to keep their balance and seek support to stand and walk if they require it.
- Use sturdier shoes and slippers when walking indoors to avoid slips and skids.
- Make your bathrooms a non-slip zone by installing grab-bars so that anyone can grab them when using the toilet or the washrooms also.
Bruises
These are undoubtedly quite painful to deal with and though you could apply a cold pack on them to lessen the pain, never the less, experiencing a bruise itself is quite excruciating. Though a serious bruise that could swell up and may even hide a broken bone underneath might require you to instantly call an accident injury doctor, here is how you can avoid them in the first place:
- Make sure that there is enough space in the room for people to move freely without bumping into furniture or objects.
- Poor visibility within the room should be dealt with properly by installing adequate lighting.
- Clutter, untidiness, and a messy room is bound to create a hazard, avoid them at all cost.
- Keep pointy and edgy furniture or upholstery out of reach and away from walking paths within the indoors.
Poisoning
According to the National Safety Council of USA, indoor poisoning cases were found to be more of an epidemic during 2011 than compared to fatalities caused through motor vehicle crashes. Poisoning is usually caused by unsafe contact with chemicals, gases, and other substances found within our homes. Here is how you can avoid a grave incident occurring at your own home:
- Make sure that all pipelines, outlets, and inlets of gas within your home are properly maintained, regulated, and periodically checked for their functioning and workability.
- Keep all hazardous chemicals as well as medicines out of the reach of children by locking them in a secure cabinet taking them out only when in use and then putting them back at their place.
- Educate the young and old about the hazards of chemicals such as prescriptions drugs, bleaching liquids, washing powders, detergents, paints, and other cleaners.
Cuts & Burns
Kitchen is the most common place where cuts happen and with them comes blood. Keeping a first aid kit at your home is a must so that for minor injuries an antiseptic can be applied without delay. As for burns, hot drinks, appliances, and unattended fire are the primary causes. Here is how you can avoid them:
- Make sure that water coming into the shower or the sink is never over 120 degrees or it will cause scalding.
- Install smoke alarms in your house to detect unattended fire outbursts.
- Keep your cutting utensils in a safe storing position. Always be aware where the knife has been put after use.
- Make sure that your home and loved ones are prepared for a fire outburst. Teach them drills and install home safety devices as well.
- Always use proper safety amenities when touching or using the stove for cooking, such as gloves, mittens, or any other utensil.
We hope this post was able to offer you some great insights regarding some of the worst and most common types of indoor accidents and injuries that occur at homes. We know that as a sensible adult you would take the right precautions to ensure that such incidents are avoided at all cost. For more questions and queries regarding the topic please feel free to leave us a comment in the section below.
