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June is National Safety Month
Home Safety Tips
Your home is your castle, where you feel safe from the world’s demands and dangers. However, accidental poisonings, falls and fires cause almost half of all home accidents that can be fatal or lead to serious injury. Here are some tips to help you stay safe at home:
Preventing falls
Each year falls at home cause serious injury, lasting disability, and death. To prevent falls:
- On the stairs
- Use safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs if you have small children.
- Paint the bottom step a bright or contrasting color in dimly lit areas like garages, attics, and basements.
- Keep stairs free of shoes, toys, and put handrails on both sides of the steps.
- In the bathroom
- Put non-slip strips in your tub or shower.
- Keep a bath mat with a non-skid bottom next to the shower or tub.
- Around the home
- Use nightlights in hallways and bathrooms.
- Open windows from the top only, or put in window guards, if you have young children.
- Avoid using rugs. If you have to use a rug, tape all edges to the floor.
Fire safety
- Never smoke in bed, leave burning cigarettes unattended or empty smoldering ashes into a trash can.
- Keep matches and lighters where a child can’t reach them.
- Put smoke alarms on every floor of your house and check the batteries each month.
- Don’t leave food cooking on the stove when you can’t be in the room.
- Make a fire escape plan with at least two different ways to escape every room of the house.
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