The home is a safe haven for your family. After all, when you are uncomfortable or anxious, the first place you know you’d be safe is at home. However, the home can become just as dangerous if the right measures are not implemented. Statistics show that about 156,300 preventable injury-related deaths occurred at home in just 2020. Although this is a disheartening number, it also shows the importance of ensuring your home is a safer place for you and your family. Here are six essential safety measures you should implement in your home immediately.
- Be fire cautious
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 358,500 homes experience a structural fire each year. You can prevent your home from being a part of this statistic by identifying possible fire hazards on time before they become problematic. For instance, be sure your electrical appliances and cords are in good condition to avoid the risk of a fire due to a fixable fault. If you use a gas stove, you must learn more about propane safety tips you should know and implement. It would be best if you also taught your family how to be cautious around a fire, like not putting an open flame with flammable material. Installing smoke detectors is a great way to be notified of a possible fire and to put one out in time. Placing fire extinguishers strategically around the home is also a good idea.
- Be mindful of water
Water has been known to create great safety hazards, some even fatal. Therefore, the need to be mindful of water when at home is crucial. This is especially important if you have little children running around the home. If you have a family pool, be sure it is safeguarded appropriately with rails and a gate. You should also cover it to prevent accidental falls that could lead to drowning— which can happen to children and adults. You should also be mindful during bathtime. Although you may want to teach your child independence and give them some privacy, you should be mindful. Accidental drowning among children usually happens in the bathtub!
- Prevent falls
It may seem impossible to prevent falls in your home. After all, that is beyond your control. However, in some situations, you can prevent them. For instance, a poorly secured carpet is bound to cause a few trips and falls. Therefore, it is important to assess your home environment to identify issues that could lead to falls. One effective way to prevent falls in your home is to prevent clutter. Be sure pathways such as the hallway and staircase are free of clutter to ensure your family moves around without tripping over items. If you have older family members in the home, you must install grab bars and handrails in various areas to allow for easy accessibility and support.
- Store chemicals and medication properly
Cleaning supplies and medications are found in every home. Although these are meant to promote a healthy working space, they also risk harming your family. Various cleaning supplies cannot be mixed as they can create a dangerous cocktail and adversely affect your home’s air quality. In some cases, children have consumed medication and even cleaning products that have caused poisoning and fatal consequences. Therefore, it is vital to store these substances appropriately. Try to store your medications away from the reach of children. Also, be sure to keep medications separate to avoid family from taking a prescription that isn’t theirs as that could be just as dangerous. You should also clearly label cleaning detergents to ensure that the right ones are used immediately. You should also ensure that these chemicals are well stored and out of the reach of your curious children.
- Babyproof your home
Children are curious by nature. That means they are on a journey of discovery from the minute they start crawling! And the first place they start exploring is the home. That means pulling at items, opening cabinet doors, and climbing everything! Looking at all this can give you a mini panic attack as you worry about their safety. Therefore, it is advisable to babyproof everything. By baby-proofing or childproofing your home, you reduce the chances of accidents and injuries your child is exposed to. This also means you give them a safe environment to explore. It is advisable to keep your home childproof from when your child begins to crawl till they are about 4 or 5 years old.
You should also take measures to prevent your child from coming across harmful items. In addition to storing chemicals and medications out of their reach, you should also avoid placing small, swallowable items in their space. For instance, give them toys that wouldn’t pose a choking hazard if they put them in their mouth.
- Keep a first-aid kit
Unfortunately, accidents happen, and your family may experience cuts, burns, or other health conditions needing immediate assistance. This is why you need a first aid kit. This emergency kit helps you give your injured family member a quick response when they encounter an accident or injury. In many cases, this quick response would be what prevents the problem from being dire. For your first aid kit to be effective, you must ensure it contains various components such as plasters, bandages, scissors, a breathing barrier, and an oral thermostat. It should also include medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other medications specific to your family members’ health conditions, so keep this in mind. For instance, if you have an asthmatic family member, you may consider keeping a spare inhaler in your first aid box.
Keeping your home safe for your family is important to ensure they live productive, secure, and healthy lives. Fortunately, by implementing these tips, you can put yourself in a better position to achieve this. However, it is important to remember that safety is a continuous process, and you should actively find faults, fix them, and find innovative ways to prevent them.
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