Accidents happen every day in people’s lives, whether at home or out in public.
While accidents can occur anywhere and to anyone, some of the most common and even the most dangerous ones occur at home. While there is nothing that you can do to totally prevents them, many accidents can be avoided with a few safety precautions.ue to some small oversights, or policies that they were not aware of before they filed the petition.
Below is a list of some of The Most Common Home Accidents (And How To Prevent Them).
Trips and Falls – Obviously anyone can fall, but falls usually occur in young children and the elderly especially on the stairs. You can help prevent trips and falls by making sure things get picked up off the floor, that cords are not running along the floor, and by making sure carpets are tacked down.
Look for any tripping hazard and deal with it right away. Often times if a young child falls, you can soothe them with kind words and hugs and kisses. However, if you notice that after a person falls they become drowsy, vomits, or loses consciousness, get medical attention right away. There could be something seriously wrong and it’s best to get them checked out by a doctor.
Burns – Hot drinks and foods are the most common thing to cause burns and scalds to children under the age of five. Of course children should be kept away from the oven, open flames, and irons (anything hot). Also, make sure the temperature on your water heater is not set too high, to help prevent scalding burns in the bathtub. You should not have it set any hotter than 120 degrees.
The most common ways that adults get burnt is when cooking and straightening hair. All burn wounds should be held under cold running water for a couple minutes. The best way to cover a burn to prevent infection is by covering with plastic and taping down.
Sharp Objects – Beware of these, not just when you have children around. When you wash knives you want to make sure you put them away properly, so that when you reach for something you don’t accidentally cut yourself.
Glass Injuries – Broken glass can cause serious cuts and deep lacerations. Be certain that doors, tables, windows and shelving use tempered glass and make sure cups and glasses are kept out of reach of young children.
Bruises – Small falls or banging into furniture can lead to painful bruising. Applying a cold compress, like a pack of frozen peas, can help reduce swelling. Sometimes severe bruising can indicate serious issues like as fractured bones. If there is a continuous pain or movement restricted – professional help should be sought right away.
Dangerous Furniture – Be careful with furniture that has sharp corners, like a coffee table. You can get covers to make the corners not so sharp. Also, be careful with glass top tables, especially if you have small children. Take stock of the furniture around your home to see that it’s safe. Anchoring large, heavy furniture to the wall will help prevent you from getting pinned under these objects, especially small children. When hanging a TV on the wall, make sure it’s well secured and wires are tucked away.
Falling Objects – If you have children then you know that once they start moving around on their own, they begin touching everything in the house. They can potentially knock stuff over, leading to broken objects or a bump on the head. To prevent this from happening, make sure electrical cords, table cloths, and any dishes are out of reach.
Poisoning – Most poisoning incidents involve medications and household products. It’s important that these things are kept out of reach of children and anyone you feel may want to use it to intentionally cause harm to him or herself.
Choking – Kids often put objects in their mouths and swallow them. Sometimes these can cause the child to choke. If you cannot remove the object yourself, call 911.
Drowning – Young children can drown in shallow water like a bath or kiddie pool, and should be closely supervised at all times. Never leave a child unattended in or near water.
We hope this article on The Most Common Home Accidents (And How To Prevent Them) has been informative. When it comes to the health and happiness of our home and loved ones, we want to take all precautions possible to prevent injuries. If an accident does occur, though, it’s vital to know what to do.
For more information visit The Ultimate Guide to Accident Prevention at Home.
EK Insurance believes safety and prevention are some of the best strategies to prevent injuries and property damages. Please check out more of our articles on safety here:
