Recently I read an article on home safety. I strongly felt it was important to raise awareness so I have put a guide together which will help you prevent the most common household accidents. So, how safe is your house?
The Kitchen Area
Not surprisingly half of all domestic accidents happen in the kitchen. The most common cause is the use of kitchen knives. Using a knife incorrectly for the food you are cutting is one of many causes of injuries caused by knives. It’s like your mother always said cut away from yourself and use a chopping board, wet food counters cause slips, and chopping has grip to avoid vegetables slipping whilst wet. The storage of knives is also essential in avoiding unwanted accidents. It is wise to keep knives in a secure place, especially out of reach of children.
Another contributing factor to accidents in the kitchen is the cause of severe burns and scalds. Spillages of hot liquids, oils, hitting of electrical appliances can lead to infection and in some cases skin grafts. Use oven cloths and gloves when handling hot appliances. To prevent spills you should turn pots/pans handles away from the edge of the hob. Place the kettles and deep fat fryers towards the back of your counter top and away from edges. Always turn off hobs as soon as you’re finished using them and bear in mind a hot electric over hob will still cook for several minutes before it cools down, it is best practice to remove pots in use to a unused hob when cooking is complete.
Keep bleach, cleaning liquids up in a cupboard preferably of the ground level as kids, toddlers may drink the liquids. In case of grease fires, salt and baking soda will help if you do not have a fire extinguisher. Always make sure your kitchen is equipped with a fire extinguisher and the homes First Aid kit.
Stairs
The stairs are dangerous when someone is not careful even if you only fall down two steps it can be as deadly. What can you do to make your stairs safer? You can add another rail on the opposite wall this will create balance for people coming down the stairs, also you can add non slip strips on each step this will prevent a person from slipping down the stairs. Or you can get a rail raised upwards on each step this too can stop people from missing a step and falling, if you have children and toddlers place a stair guard at the bottom and the top of the stairs.
Sitting Room.
If you can and you have a flat screen TV, secure it to a wall, make sure you get someone to fit the bracket on the wall properly, ill fittings can be very dangerous should it ever fall (both for you and the Telly). TV wires and cables are best placed over the TV rather than under the TV, as kids and toddlers can pull the leads, again this can be very dangerous and it may bring the television down on the child. If you are still using open fire places always use the fire guards even if you’re only running upstairs or down the shops etc. Leave space around the television, video and stereo to prevent overheating.
To prevent cigarettes falling off, use stable, wide edged ashtrays and never empty ashtrays into wastepaper baskets.
Electrics
Never overload extension cords, bear in mind, only one heavy usage machine (washing machine, dish washer, freezer) should be plugged into any one extension cord. Check that you have the correct fuse in the plug for each appliance. If plugs or plug plates are warm to the touch, call an electrician immediately.
Carbon monoxide.
The number of deaths in relation to carbon monoxide is increasing every year. The only way to detect carbon monoxide in a home is to install a carbon monoxide device. It leaves no scent and can suffocate you in your sleep, as the fella says “its silent but deadly”, these alarms are inexpensive and should be kept on a low ceiling.
Home Security
Store valuables in your children’s bedrooms, it sounds counter intuitive but the fact is the majority of robberies that happen in this country the would-be thieves search the master bedroom but rarely the children’s rooms. Your letter box should be no higher than a quarter up your door frame, a letter box goes against the wood grain, weakening the structural integrity of the door and making it easier to kick in, the lower down it is on the door, the stronger the frame. If you’re lucky enough to have a front garden (or even a back) ensure you plant thorny shrubs as a deterrent to would-be robbers. Always keep your car keys beside you in the bedroom.
These suggestions are in the main, quite simple to make and while we can all be lazy, prevention is better than regretting an accident or a break in.
