Home Safety 3

Home safety 3

In this post we will learn about the other hazards present in our homes.

Bathroom.

Risks associated with bathroom are: slips, trips, falls, and electric shock.

Ø  Since water and soap can make bathroom floor slippery, use anti-skid or mat-finish tiles for bathrooms.

Ø  Use bright lights in bathrooms.

Ø  Maintain bathroom floors dry.

Ø  Install hold bars to facilitate easy sitting and standing up for elderly people.

Ø  It is preferable to install locks in bathroom doors that could be operated from both inside and outside. This will be of great help in emergencies.

Ø  Provide electric controls outside the bathrooms.

Poisons.

Every home will have some type of poison. Be aware of them. Examples are pesticides, liquid mosquito repellents, drugs, etc.

Ø  Store them in their original containers, preferably in a locked cabinet.

Ø  Discard the left over poisons by flushing them in toilet.

Ø  Store aerosols, toilet/floor cleaners, paints, etc separately away from food items.

Ø  In case of accidental poisoning:

-          Give victim plenty of water or milk unless it causes nausea.

-          Identify the poison to the doctor

-          Save the suspected poison and the sample of vomit

Children.

Prevent your home from becoming a danger zone for children.

Ø  Never leave lose wire or electric cord on floors. It may get entangled around a child’s neck.

Ø  Never leave a  child alone near a water body like bucket with water, tub filled with water.

Ø  Store small and pointed objects away from the reach of children.

Ø  Install lockable gates on all stairs.

Ø  Never go away leaving a child alone in a room.

Ø  Never allow children to play in lifts, don’t allow them to operate the lift themselves unless they are old enough, educated, and trained.

Slips, trips, and falls.

Modern homes with  ceramic floor tiles pose a threat especially if they are wet. Even if  dry, glossy tiles pose a threat. It is very easy for the people to slip and fall.

Ø  Maintain adequate light in all areas.

Ø  Provide and maintain handrails for stairs.

Ø  Always keep all the floors neat and clean free from lose materials.

Ø  Be careful with chairs and stools, especially the plastic ones, as they can trigger trips and falls.

Ø  Don’t climb plastic chairs or stools. They become weak over a period of time. Nobody knows how weak they are!

Ø  If you use a ladder, always ask some one to hold it for you.

Ø  While using stairs climb or descend one step at a time.

Ø  Don’t run unless it is absolutely essential.

Ø  Be aware of level differences in floors.

Ø  It is preferable to have an inverter or an emergency lamp in areas where power failures are frequent.

General tips.

Ø  It is better to maintain a standard first aid box.

Ø  If you use room heaters during winter, keep them away from children’s reach.

Ø  Take special care off elders. Monitor their activities closely so as to help them when needed.

Ø  Maintain and update a list of phone numbers of: police, fire brigade, hospital, family or known doctor who is close by, neighbours, relatives nearby. Keep it in a place known to everyone and highly reachable.