9 safety hazards around your house

Building a safe home for your family is important and crucial for their survival and happiness. As such, you should be aware of serious home safety hazards and purpose to prevent them from causing injuries or discomfort to your family. Here is a guide to 9 home safety hazards you should watch for and address.

Falls

Injuries resulting from falls can fatal depending on the severity of a fall. Slippery tiles, wet floors and scattered toys are the leading causes of home falls. Strive to minimize the risk of falling by stabilizing your staircases, clearing outdoor steps, securing your bathrooms to prevent water slips, designate a space for kids to play with and store their toys and above all, install supports such as safety rails to help elderly relatives get around the house safely.

Fires

In the USA alone, fires are the leading cause of home losses and sometimes death among toddlers. The slightest mistake like leaving an iron unattended can lead to fires. However, the good news is that there are numerous ways of preventing house fires. They include; installing fire alarms strategically in the kitchen, garage, basement and corridors, never leave candles unattended especially near flammable items, unplug all electrical appliances that are not in use and when leaving the house, and invest in a home fire extinguisher. 

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas dubbed the silent killer. Exposure to carbon monoxide leads to headaches, nausea, dizziness and death if inhaled in high amounts. Hence, home safety experts advise on the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in all halls, the kitchen, garage, and basement. 

Choking

Choking is also a leading cause of death, especially among children. Children are experimental and love putting everything in their mouth. As such, they easily swallow small items that end up choking some of them to death. An adult can also choke on food that goes down the wrong way. Minimize choking risks by inspecting toys to ensure that they do not have loose parts, keeping small hard goods from children, chopping foods to small pieces. 

Cuts

Cuts are often overlooked and not considered as home safety threats. However, cuts can range from mild to detrimental based on their cause. Apart from knives, there are other items like garden hoes that can cause cuts. Cuts can only be prevented by keeping sharp kitchen and gardening supplies out of reach for children. 

Poisoning 

Many household items possess the risk of poisoning if not stored appropriately. Children never realize the difference between toys, edibles and dangerous items like cleaning supplies. They will want to play and taste everything they come across. So, store medicines, paints, chemicals, and detergents out of reach. 

Strangling

Cords on curtains and blinds are a strangling hazard, especially among playful children and toddlers. So, keep cords away, trim long window cords or wrap them up. 

Drowning

Drowning not only happens in outdoor pools or parks, but it is also a home safety hazard especially if you have a bathtub. Attend to your children during bath time and keep big buckets out of sight. 

Burns

Burns are not common, but they are mainly caused by stoves and dishwashers. They pose risks to children. So, ensure that the dishwasher is latched and cannot be opened by curious children and use back burners that prevent children from touching hot stoves. 

Bottom line

Keeping you family safe should be your top priority. As such, it is important to know what to look out when inspecting for home safety hazards and how to act appropriately to prevent accidents. However, it is hard to be on duty to protect your family always. But you can protect them with home automation and security systems that alert when a safety threat presents.