Advocacy

Take responsibility for potential hazards before they become an issue for you, your loved ones or your guests. Home safety is a key factor to consider.

While you may not be able to eliminate all of the hazards from your home, with some effort, you should be able to minimize as many potential hazards as possible.

If you start with the top five common hazards and evaluate room by room, you should be able to cover most of the potential issues in your home, whether your home is new or not.

After that, as a responsible homeowner, you should make regular evaluations of your home every season or so. This will also give you a different perspective on what is needed as some hazards in and around your home are often seasonal.

While the responsibility of home safety can be a drag, the benefits far outweigh the risks. The effort takes to assess and reduce the dangers vs dealing with the potential dangers (fire, disease, poisoning) is definitely worth making time for. While going under home remodel, either is a small one or a big one, provides a good opportunity to tackle possible hazards. Doing initial testing or even a few years into living in your place, can help you identify toxic elements such as radon and many others.

1. Falls
2. Poisoning
3. Fires/burns
4. Choking/suffocation,
5. Drowning/submersion.
6. Air quality (humidity, mold, etc)

These hazards don’t only affect children or older people, however, a comprehensive study by the Home Safety Council found that home injuries cause 21 million yearly medical visits and almost 20,000 deaths, 2,000 of which are children.

But don’t be shocked. Most homeowners are not preventing injuries because they don’t know any better, not because they are lazy.

You can avoid these tragedies in your own home simply by being more conscientious in your evaluation of your surroundings and making a few simple adjustments if needed, keep in mind that something such as a simple power surge can bring problems.

Let’s go room by room and see where the hazards may be…

Bedrooms and Bathrooms  – Where you sleep and shower may seem like the safest place to be alone with your thoughts, in a quiet space but your bedroom and bathroom may harbor hidden hazards you are least expecting Here are some things to consider:

• Slippery surfaces/non-slip surfaces – In the bathroom, consider adding non-slip surfaces to the tub and floor surrounding the tub/shower/sink. In the bedroom, look for potential slipping on rugs and runners or clothing left on the floor to keep slip hazards at bay. More tips on how to remove old paint here.
• Candles – Ambience is sweet but considers safety first with candles in bathrooms and bedrooms. Keep open flames away from flammable chemicals and fabrics and never leave open flames unattended.
• Safety rails – Are handy in bathrooms and bedrooms around the toilet, bathtub, and bed for getting safely up/down or in/out.
• Toys – Keeping toys cleared off of the floor and out of the tub after use is always a good idea to prevent trips and falls.
• Bathroom sharps – Keeping razors, scissors or other sharp objects safely stowed away is a good idea for safety’s sake. Also, check for types of molds that can build up.
• Poison – Cleaning products as well as hygiene products found in the bathroom or bedroom can be harmful if accidentally ingested. Remove, contain, and safely store anything that may be unintentionally or potentially harmful to children or pets.
• Falls – Can be a potential hazard around beds and cribs. Put soft, protective surfaces under play equipment or furniture where accidental falls are a potential hazard.
• Drowning – This is truly one of the most potential hazards in the bathroom area and drowning happens quickly. Ensure thorough monitoring of children and pets around the tub and toilet. 

Kitchen, Pantry & Laundry – While these are the most common areas for healthy housework to be done, they are also common places for health and safety hazards. Look for potential safety issues in the following areas:

• Carbon monoxide – Every home should have a carbon monoxide monitor installed wherever a source of natural gas is present.  A CO2 alarm plugs into an electrical outlet or is installed like a smoke detector. This device will notify you if there is a harmful gas leak, which otherwise may be undetectable as it is odorless, highly toxic, and potentially fatal.
• Lint trap – The lint trap on your dryer is a potential fire hazard if it isn’t cleared away regularly. Ensure your family’s safety by emptying it after each use.
• Lock up kitchen tools – Knives, scissors and other sharp kitchen accessories are dangerous for those who don’t know how to use them yet. Keep them safely out of reach.
• Detergents, cleaners – Even though these are effective ways to keep our spaces fresh and sanitized, they can be poisonous if ingested or used inappropriately. Keep your detergents and cleaners safely out of reach of children and pets.
• Burns – Another potential hazard is a burn from the stove. Getting burner covers is a great solution. Burner covers are available for ceramic, gas, and electric stoves.

Stairs, Basements & Attics – These are the hidden areas of home and health hazards. 

• Stairs – The most common areas in the home for slips and falls are stairs. Check for irregular stair placement, install railings, and place grip mats of carpet on the stairs for protection from slipping. Consider installing a light on the staircase and paint your bottom step a bright color to make it more visible. For outdoor stairs, use nonslip mats and salt in icy weather.
• Fire Alarms – Install fire alarms in the attic, basement, and stairwells of your home for added assurance of fire protection.
• Pests – Pests such as rodents and insects tend to be found in the hidden areas of your home such as attics, basements, sheds, and stairways. Regularly inspect these areas for yourself and hire a professional if needed. Preventing infestations before they happen will save you time and money.

Living Rooms and Sitting Rooms – The hazards of the most relaxing areas of your home may not be so obvious.

• Air Quality – Good indoor air quality can reduce allergies and asthma. One way to eliminate allergens is by choosing hardwood or laminate flooring over carpeting. Air-filtration systems and certain houseplants can also help to improve indoor air quality
• Strangling – Check the blinds and drapes for potential strangling hazards. There may be a manufacturer’s suggestion to avoid strangling hazards.
• Window rail safety – Putting window guards on windows could result in a 50% reduction in falls and 35% reduction in deaths.

Yards, Garages, Sheds – The working spaces of your yard have hidden hazards, too. Check out these hidden spaces:

• Yard tools – Sharp tools are generally used for yard work so it makes sense to keep them safely and securely stored to misuse or injury.
• Poisons/toxins – Toxic chemicals are generally found in these areas, keep them safely contained.
• Always use a step stool or ladder for things out of reach – Make sure to use a sturdy step stool or ladder when getting things out of reach. Avoid balancing on furniture and fences, it can be dangerous!

 When you are buying or renting a home, it is important that the safety of yourself and your family is top of mind.

Evaluating and identifying health and safety hazards is extremely valuable and important when making your choice.

You may need to ask your landlord to make adjustments before you sign a lease, negotiate repairs before buying a property, or simply update your existing home. Whatever you need to do, ensure you are covering the basics of the potential hazards throughout your home.