Look Out for These Home Safety Hazards

You may think that you are safe in your home. However, there can be serious safety hazards lurking about that can be addressed with minimal fuss. Young children and the elderly may be at higher risk of serious injury from a potential fall or fire as they may have issues with mobility. Protect your household from such situations. Know the most common home safety hazards in the average home today.

Preventing Falls

Injuries stemming from falls are a common household hazard. Slippery stairs, wet floors and scatter toys can increase the risk of one falling and suffering an injury. Those who want to minimize such risks would do well to:

• Stabilize staircases with secure flooring and solid handrails. Safety gates are recommended in homes with small children.
• Clear outdoor steps of leaves, debris, ice and snow. Mats should be secures with grip tape.
• Make an area to store toys and secure mobile toys in areas where they will not be in the path of visitors or family members.
• Secure rugs in bathrooms and use non-slip stickers to prevent slipping on slick surfaces in the shower.

These are only a few of the tips to reduce the potential of slip and fall injuries from occurring to friends and family members. Those with prone to fall may want to make certain home improvements, such as installing safety rails in bathrooms or make addition modifications to a home.

Avoiding and Addressing Fire Hazards

Fires can cause serious injury and may result in death. A residential fire occurs every 66 seconds. Therefore, homeowners should take steps to understand more about this home safety hazard. Homeowners may find a fire start in attics, bedrooms, kitchens, workrooms and other areas of a home. Overloaded electrical wires, unattended kitchen cooking and sparks from a lit cigarette or a fireplace can lead to a fire. Homeowners may take precautions by installing fire alarms, maintaining electrical wiring, addressing rodent infestations, and keeping necessary types of fire extinguishers on hand. Know when not to use water to put out a fire. Remember to change out batteries on fire alarms as recommended.

Identify Potential Issues to Stay Safe

Homeowners with older homes either in Abacoa or elsewhere may need to update electrical wiring not up to current codes and make sure that home renovation projects requiring permits be done by licensed contractors. Explore the array of products on the market, such as fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, to improve the safety of all occupants in a home.