When we talk about accidents, people are often quick to mention road accidents. But there is a certain type of accident claiming lots of lives and leaving people severely injured—household accidents.
Household accidents are rife and can be life-threatening. In fact, in 2020, around 156,300 preventable injury-related deaths happened in homes and communities. While household accidents are starting to seem like the order of the day, there are certain tips that’ll help you avoid them.
Here are 5 household accidents and how to prevent them.
1. Slips, trips, and falls
Over a million people visit the emergency room annually for slip and fall accidents, making them the most common household accident.
So how do you prevent this accident?
Slip and fall accidents can be prevented by removing hazards from the floor, including trailing wire, defective flooring, and clutters. You should also ensure that water spills are cleaned immediately to prevent slips.
To prevent trips and falls in stairways, try not to place items on the stair and steps. And always be strict about decluttering to reduce hazards.
2. Burns
From hot ovens to candles, fireplaces, and faulty outlets, there are many home appliances that can cause severe burns. And while adults are often careful enough to steer clear from hazards that cause burn, children aren’t, thanks to their sheer ignorance.
So if you have a little kid at home, ensure you make little changes to how you use items like your pans, kettles, ovens, and cooking ranges. For instance, don’t leave hot kitchen appliances in easily accessible areas. The same applies to hair straighteners, matches, and radiators.
3. Cuts
Glass objects like drinking glasses and bowls, forks, scissors, and other sharp utensils can lead to severe cuts, so ensure you monitor your children, especially in areas where these items are located. If a glass gets broken, don’t hesitate to sweep the shards and dispose of them in a secure place.
To ensure no shards are left, we recommend using a strong vacuum cleaner to swallow up any tiny fragments that are hard to see. If you have children at home, keep sharp objects, including glass items, from their reach.
Finally, ensure you have a first aid kit at home to treat cuts. The kit should consist of manuka honey ointment—a product that boasts antioxidant and antibacterial properties and is effective in treating wounds.
4. Choking
Choking is a common accident that affects children. Babies and toddlers often insert things in their mouths, including buttons, coins, balloons, toy parts, or watch batteries. These items can completely or partially block their airway, causing them to choke.
To reduce the chances of a choking accident, ensure you store small objects that might be swallowed in a safe and secure location.
5. Drowning
Like choking, children are also prone to drowning at home. Unsecured pools, unattended baths, and badly designed garden ponds are some major causes of drowning in the home.
Children are often prone to drowning due to their height and ignorance. So ensure you barricade your pools and keep an eye on your kids when around water bodies, no matter how small.
Conclusion
Household accidents can be prevented by identifying and reducing hazards in and around the home. If you have children, ensure you monitor them always.
You want to ensure that you watch their every move, especially around high-risk areas like the kitchen, toilet, and yard, to make sure they aren’t doing anything that can harm them.
