More accidents, we are told, happen in the home than elsewhere. There are ways to minimise the chances of accidents occurring – follow these safety tips and make your home safer.
- Clear glass doors can be dangerous, especially for children who may run into them. Put tape or stick a picture or poster on them so it is easy to see when they are closed.
- Never wear just socks, with no shoes or slippers, around the house especially for going up and downstairs. You are much more likely
to slip in them. - Make sure that the handles of pans on the top of the stove don’t stick out over the edge. Not only can young children pull them
off, adults can knock them off too. - Never leave oil or fat heating in a pan for even a short time. It can easily overheat and cause a major fire.
- If a deep fat fryer catches fire, the most dangerous thing you can do is try to put it out with water. Instead, turn off the heat and then cover the flames with a lid or damp towel. Don’t attempt to move the pan until it has cooled right down and there is no further danger.
- Don’t use polystyrene ceiling tiles. They are a major hazard in a fire as they catch light and then drip burning polystyrene so spreading the fire more quickly.
- If you have toddlers, put a child safety gate across the kitchen doorway to stop them coming into the kitchen. If this is a problem
because you have to keep climbing over it, fit a garden gate with a latch instead. - Another tip for those people with toddlers: if you want to keep front or back doors open in the summer but don’t want your toddler going outside alone, again use a safety gate.
- If you have a garden pond and young children, the combination can be dangerous. Either fill in the pond, you could make a bog garden
if you want moisture loving plants, or put a very strong grill over the pond. If you choose the grill, make sure there is a wide overlap over the edges all round the pond so it won’t slip if a child falls on to it. - Keep garden and DIY tools well out of the way of children. Hang them up or put them on shelves well out of reach.
- In a thunderstorm, unplug all electric appliances.
They can be damaged if your home is struck by lightning even if the socket is switched off. - Never put things on the stairs to remind you to take them up or down because people can trip over them.
- Don’t put sharp knives in washing up bowls ready to wash later. You may forget and cut your hands when you do wash up.
- Similarly, never store sharp knives in the same place as other knives because you may not notice them.
- Keep plastic bags out of the reach of children.
If you store them, tie a soft knot in each one so a child can’t put the bag on his/her head. - If an electrical appliance catches fire, first switch off the electricity, then smother the fire with a thick blanket or rug. Never throw water on it because there could still be some electricity in it.
- Never store easily flammable material, eg newspapers, paint, under the stairs because if there is a fire, they could help the stairs to catch fire more quickly and prevent escape.
- Make sure all dangerous substances like bleach, disinfectant, pills, medicines, etc, are in childproof containers and that the tops
are on properly. - Never leave matches and lighters within easy reach of children.
- Check that cables on electrical appliances are in good condition and not frayed or damaged – if they are, don’t use them.
- Keep your water heating temperature down so that scalding water never comes out of the taps.
- Always run hot and cold water together into a bath. This is especially important if you have young children.
- Don’t use damp kitchen towels to pick up hot dishes. The water in the cloth will transmit the heat to your hands.
- Put childproof locks on doors where dangerous substances or tools are stored. If you don’t have locks, put an elastic band over adjacent
knobs or handles. - Use smoke alarms in your home and check the batteries regularly.