Preparing for an emergency can be critical for keeping a safe home and family. Without preparation, household injuries can often be much worse than they should have been.
Following a few of these simple safety tips can go a long way to increasing your peace of mind and long-term safety.
How to Prevent Falls and Other Injuries
One of the leading home safety foes are falls, which is why you should take steps to help prevent them along with other household injuries.
Falls cause some of the most common injuries for both adults and kids. Here are some ways you can help prevent them in your home:
- Keep floors clear of anything that could make someone trip, including shoes and magazines.
- Make sure your area rugs have nonslip mats under them.
- Turn a light on if you get up in the middle of the night.
- Use slip-proof mats in the shower.
- Fix any loose stairs or railings.
- Install grab bars in the tub or shower.
- Use stools, ladders, and stepladders with caution.
To help reduce the chances of other household injuries:
- Keep sharp or electric kitchen and bathroom items out of the reach of children.
- Keep electric appliances away from water.
- Follow the manufacturers’ instructions when storing and using cleaning equipment or chemicals.
- Make sure that the handles of pots and pans in use are out of reach of children so the contents are less likely to spill causing burns.
- Attend to food while it's cooking to prevent burns
- Never leave a child (or pets) unattended near water.
Remember the Boy Scouts' Motto: Be Prepared
You never know when a first aid situation might come up at home, so here’s a list of helpful tools and supplies you might need. You can find these items at most drugstores or pharmacies. Keep everything in one place so you can find what you need at a moment’s notice, and make sure everyone in the family knows where to find your first aid supplies.
For scrapes and cuts:
- A gauze roll
- Adhesive strips in different sizes
- Adhesive tape
- Butterfly bandages
- Cotton balls
- Gauze pads
- Scissors
- Tweezers
If you have a child who is six years old or younger, you may also need:
- A rectal thermometer
- A syringe or bulb aspirator
- An otoscope (for checking the ears)
- A cold pack
- A heating pad
- Elastic bandages
For other first aid issues:
- A blood pressure cuff
- A dental mirror
- A penlight
- A stethoscope
- An eyedropper
- Nail clippers
- Safety pins
For additional resources about how to stay safe at home, visit the Home Safety Council's website, a leading online resources for safety in the home. Learn how to prevent falls, poisoning, fires, burns and chocking.
To make sure you're even more prepared for a household accident, have each member of your family attend a first aid class and get certified in CPR; you'll never know when you might need it. Plus, it's a good time to go over family safety plans such as preparing and practicing in case of fire or natural disaster such as a storm.
Reference:
The Health and Wellness Bulletin, Keeping Your Home Safe, June 2009
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