You should feel safe at home. Your house should be the safest place on earth for you. Still, there are many health and injury risks in all our homes. Some are pretty new and came with modern technology, others have been around forever, and we still make the same mistakes.
Why don’t you take a quick tour around your home and see if you find one of these deathtraps in your house? We’re pretty sure there is at least one of these threats somewhere. Stay safe, and better yet, make your home safer!
Unchecked Smoke Detectors
This is one of the most significant risk factors in people’s homes. Most homes are equipped with smoke detectors, but many aren’t. You must have at least one smoke detector in the kitchen. The problem is, even if you have one, you probably don’t check if it works very often. Does it still have batteries? Keep your smoke detectors in top shape.
Unattended Pots and Pans
The most common home emergencies reported to 911 start in the kitchen, and they’re often fires or burns caused by unattended pots and pans. Cooking is a hands-on activity, and you just can’t walk away to do other stuff. Boiling water is a tremendous risk for kinds, and so is food left sitting on a hot pan. If you’re cooking, do it right.
Clutter
Many home accidents happen because our homes are messy, and it’s even worse if you’re a compulsive hoarder. Tall piles of stuff and things all around can cause health risks, unwanted pests and accidents — you can get yourself a free ride to the hospital if you trip in one of those boxes you have lying around.
Large TVs
Large TVs are a recent health risk in many homes. Televisions have never been so large, and if installed poorly, they’re a big death trap. These bad boys weigh a ton, and they can injure your toes if they fall off their precarious wall mount. Small kids can also tip TVs over themselves, and it happens more often than you think.
Cellphone Chargers
If you’re like most people, you have your phone charger plugged in 24/7. Most of the time, that’s not a big deal, but you must respect electricity. A faulty wall plug or a damaged cable can cause sparks and start a fire. Even worse, they can damage your precious phone, while zapping you at the same time.
Cleaning Products
This death trap has been around for decades, but people still get intoxicated by cleaning products and other dangerous chemicals we all have at home. Small kids and not very smart teenagers can poison themselves with anything from chlorine to Tide pods. Keep your cleaning products away from reach in a secure location and talk to your family about the risks of ingesting or being in contact with them.
Pools
Eleven people drown every day in a pool. That’s a lot of people that should be enjoying the luxury of having a pool at home. Still, pools remain a death trap and a dangerous one at that. We should never leave kids unattended while in the pool, and grown-ups should avoid drinking alcohol around the pool as well. Pools are fun, but they’re also dangerous.
Window Blinds
Window blinds are harmless, but their cords are authentic deathtraps. People still die suffocated by tangling themselves in window blinds, especially small kids. When possible, have cord-less window blinds installed, and if your blinds have cords. Tie a knot high up where the small ones can’t reach them. We’re fairly sure your mom told you about this one.
Slippery Floors
Many calls to the emergency services have to do with people slipping in their own homes, more often than not in the bathroom. Slipping can cause severe injuries and death, and it’s not all that uncommon. There are ways to prevent slipping in the bathroom. For starters, have a sturdy mat inside and outside the shower, and don’t go running around when the floor is wet.
Is Your Home Safe?
No home is 100% safe. There are always risks around us. That doesn’t mean you can’t try to make your house safer for you and your loved ones. After all, spending time at home should be that one time where you’re safe from everything and everyone. Is your home safe? Make sure it is!
