How to Ensure Safety at Home: 11 Excellent Tips

The first time I heard: ‘home accident,’ I was surprised and a bit confused. 

As a child, I felt ‘accidents’ only occur on the highway. 

I couldn’t believe my eyes when my mum broke her arm some years back. 

If you’ve experienced such or know someone who has;

You will agree that home accidents aren’t a sweet experience.

Sadly, some home accidents have even claimed lives.

What a tragedy!

Well, there is good news! Check these 11 practical tips on how to ensure safety at home here. 

11 Tips on How to Ensure Safety at Home

1. Floors

The majority of casualties in homes result from floors. 

Incredibly when slippery, it can cause slips and falls, leading to serious injury. 

Tips:

• Ensure adequate lighting at home to quickly identify wet areas.
• Keep mopping sticks or other substitutes handy.
• Place foot mats at the entrance of each compartment, bathrooms especially.

Also Check How to Deep Clean Kitchen: 6 Simple Ways

2. Electronic Appliances

Electronic instruments can be a significant cause of accidents at home. 

Because it has become such a normal part of most homes, some tend to use electronics nonchalantly. 

This has caused lots of unavoidable accidents. 

Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to electronic appliances.

Tips:

• Do not touch electrical appliances with wet hands.
• Do not manage plugs or cords; replace them as soon as they fray or break.
• Make it a habit of switching off all appliances when not in use and leaving home.

3. Cooking

Apart from the risk that comes with the cookers themselves, mistakes while preparing meals occur too. 

This includes burning yourself or cutting your hand while slicing. 

Want the best tips on how to ensure safety at home?

Tips:

• Avoid cooking late at night, especially when there is no artificial source of light.
• Remove all dangling jewelry before cooking.
• Keep potholders handy.
• When lifting and stirring in a hot pot, do it away from yourself and not towards.
• Don’t cook when you are tired; you could sleep off. 

4. Waste

Here’s another aspect worthy of consideration if you want to know how to ensure safety at home.

Storing waste improperly or for long breeds unwanted organisms at home. 

This results in an offensive odor and ultimately increasing the chances of accidents.

Tips:

• Take practical steps to reduce the waste generated in your home.
• Recycle all recyclable items.
• Neatly place trash bins at necessary places in the house.
• Resist the urge to throw things in the trash bin. Gently drop inside instead (yes, gently) lol!

5. Use of sharp objects

One of the easiest ways to get hurt at home is through the use of sharp objects. 

The sad thing is, you just can’t do without them at home.

Tips:

• Store sharp objects like forks and knives in drawers with safety latches.
• Keep appliances with sharp parts in a separate cabinet.
• Arrange breakable objects in less reachable areas.
• Avoid bending sharp objects with your hands.

6. Labeling

Wondering what this is about? 

Here it is!

Various spices are used in the kitchen, each with their distinctive use. 

One way to stay safe at home is by correctly labeling each container for keeping spices. 

This even eases work for you and others whom you might grant access to use your kitchen.

Tips:

• Keep suitable containers to store spices.
• Correctly inscribe names on the containers.

7. Medications

Observations show that medications put householders, especially children, at risk of accidental poisoning. 

Here is how to ensure safety at home when you have medications around.

Tips:

• Dispose of expired medications as soon as possible.
• Always keep medications out of the reach of children.

Also Read How to Take Care of Your Health During Covid-19

8. Chemicals

Exposure to chemicals at home is another major cause of home accidents. 

Chemicals are especially dangerous.

They can cause far-reaching harm within a short time.

Tips:

• Boldly label containers that contain chemicals.
• Dispose of batteries as soon as they expire.
• Store chemicals in locked cabinets.

Though some substances are not outright dangerous chemicals, they should be seen as such. 

Dish detergents, cosmetics, polishes, and remote batteries can lead to home accidents.

9. Litters

Items discarded on the ground can easily cause falls.

And this is a significant type of home accidents.

Most people leave little or no time to keep the house free from tripping hazards.

They rush out of their homes every day to go to work and come back late at night. 

Tips:

• Have specific areas to keep shoes and toys (Applicable in homes with children).
• Ensure adequate lighting at home to quickly identify obstructions.
• Make it a habit to pick things up as soon as they fall.

10. Water

No, it’s not drinking water; keep calm.

Baths and other water features around the house pose a threat to home accidents.

Tips:

• Keep areas of water bodies clear of toys or other objects that can cause tripping.
• Ensure that children do not go near them without supervision.
• Restrict access to water bodies.
• Do not drink alcohol in excess before entering pools.

11. Heights

Storing particular objects on shelves, cupboards, or tables is a great tip to stay safe at home. 

But, it could also pose a threat. 

Falling objects from heights is a common cause of home accidents.

Tips:

• Avoid overfilling shelves and cabinets.
• Use a step or ladder when needed.
• Avoid storing items higher than shoulder height.

Final Thoughts

Pay attention and apply these tips on how to ensure safety at home. 

If you do, you can limit or eradicate home accidents! 

But you know, we are imperfect, so expect a few cases of home accidents. 

To Prepare for that, Keep a first aid box! 

But trust me, you would relieve the first aid box of so many duties if you align yourself with these tips.