Introduction
Every year, more than 1 million Americans are treated in emergency rooms for home accidents. This can be scary and inconvenient, not to mention expensive. If you’re worried about an accident happening in your home, here are five common accidents that can happen—and how to avoid them:
Poisonings.
If your kids are anything like mine, they're always in the kitchen with you, looking for something to do. They're also always underfoot when you're cleaning or cooking, which makes it easy to forget that they're around. Accidents happen when adults are distracted by their own activities and fail to think about what might be happening around them at any given moment. In fact, according to the
(Centers for Disease Control), poisoning accounts for more than 20% of all unintentional injuries among children under age 6—the majority are due to ingesting medications or other household products that weren't properly stored away.
So what can you do? First of all: make sure your family members know where everything is located in your house so that no one gets confused about locating something like aspirin or bleach inside a medicine cabinet or storage cabinet in the kitchen pantry area! And second: keep everything out of reach from little hands (and paws). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends keeping medicines and cleaning products locked up high on shelves so that children cannot reach them themselves; if this isn't possible due to lack of space then consider getting a lockable storage container so that only adults have access when necessary during an emergency situation such as this one where someone needs medication right away without having to dig through cabinets looking for it while someone else might be experiencing symptoms like nausea/vomiting etcetera which would require immediate treatment before long term damage occurs within an individual's body system(s) including brain cells destroying themselves over time because there wasn't enough oxygen present during those critical moments between breaths taken during sleep hours at night--which leads me back into my original point made earlier today: never leave young children alone unattended near any toxic substances whether
Falls.
Falls are easily avoidable and can result in fractures, sprains and dislocations. They are the leading cause of injury for people over 65. To prevent falls at home:
Wear proper shoes. Avoid walking barefoot or wearing slippers. If you have dementia or Alzheimer's disease, ask your doctor about tests to check if you're at risk of falling so that appropriate safety measures can be taken to reduce the chances of this happening.
Avoid dangerous areas: Do not use stairs without holding on to the handrail; do not cross steps without holding on to both sides of each step; keep loose rugs away from high traffic areas where they may pose a tripping hazard; remove throw cushions from chairs if someone might sit down suddenly behind them; place light bulbs at eye level or below so that you don't reach up too far when turning them on/off (put a timer switch in any room where there is no other light source). If you're having trouble keeping up with housework alone, consider hiring a professional cleaning service or asking family members for help with chores around the house every week so that less time spent doing routine tasks means more time enjoying yourself!
Choking.
Choking is a common cause of injury in children, who may have trouble coughing up or swallowing an object. In adults, the risk for choking increases as we age. Some people have difficulty chewing and swallowing due to neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
The best way to prevent choking is by keeping small objects away from children, including toys and food items with small parts that can break off. For adults, make sure you eat slowly so you don’t swallow food too quickly. Also be aware of any medications that may affect your ability to chew or swallow safely, such as antidepressants and tranquilizers (sleeping pills).
Drowning.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under five, so it's important to be aware of the risks. In fact, drowning accidents can occur in a bathtub or pool, lake or ocean; they don't have to be limited to swimming pools and lakes.
Drowning is almost always preventable with simple precautions like having a fence around any body of water near where you live—and knowing CPR if something goes wrong. Make sure everyone in your family knows how to perform CPR—it could save someone's life someday!
Fire-related accidents.
Fire-related accidents are a common cause of home accidents. Whether you have a small kitchen fire or your entire home catches on fire, it's important to understand what you can do to prevent these types of accidents and how to handle them if they occur.
Preventing fire-related accidents
Preventing a fire is always easier than dealing with the aftermath; here are some ways that you can keep your home safe:
Keep flammable materials away from heat sources (like stoves and ovens). Never leave candles unattended; make sure they're in glass containers and never near anything that could catch on fire. Install smoke alarms throughout your house to alert you when there is an emergency situation.
Dealing with a fire if it occurs
Take care to prevent these common home accidents, and make sure you have insurance in case something still happens.
Accidents happen, but that doesn't mean you have to be caught off guard. Take care to prevent these common home accidents, and make sure you have insurance in case something still happens.
A home inventory will help keep track of what is in your house and can be used if there is a fire or other disaster that results in damages.
Make sure your home maintenance is up to date by scheduling regular inspections with a licensed contractor and keeping an eye on small issues yourself.
A fire extinguisher should be easily accessible and visible at all times in case of an emergency. Check the expiration date regularly; it should be replaced every five years if not sooner depending on the type of extinguisher and how often it's used (some types last longer than others).
Conclusion
These are just some of the most common home accidents. For any other questions or concerns, please reach out to us at Building Specs Home Inspection Service today!