{"id":1877,"date":"2019-06-24T18:29:57","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T18:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/?p=1877"},"modified":"2023-11-07T16:03:23","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T16:03:23","slug":"household-hazard-prevention-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/household-hazard-prevention-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Household Hazard Prevention Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When was the last time you considered the hazards lurking around your own home? Even common household items, like cleaning solutions or scissors, can pose a risk to your family \u2014 especially if you have children or pets in your home. Taking the time to assess these hazards, however, can help you keep your family safe while minimizing your risk of an accident. Here are a few things to consider to make your home safer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><b>Falls\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most common household hazards is injury due to falls. According to the CDC, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/graduateway.com\/blog\/facts-about-falls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">number of injuries related to falls in older adults has increased by 30% since 2007<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Falls can lead to broken bones, sprains, bruises and severe head injuries. To help minimize the risk of a fall in your home, here are a few things you can do:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure all staircases have solid handrails, safety gates if there are small children, stable steps and adequate lighting. Keep stairs clear of debris inside and outside the home including snow, ice, toys and other household objects.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Place non-slip mats at every entrance of your house to keep water from getting tracked in. Secure bathroom rugs to avoid slipping on slick surfaces and add non-slip stickers to your shower floor. If you have a rug, make sure to place a non-slip pad under this to keep the rug secure and in place.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep walkways clear of anything that could create a trip-risk. Consider things like cords from electronics and even upturned carpet corners.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pick up items off the floor and keep them in a safe place to avoid tripping. Provide a space for everyone in the family to easily store items such as toys, shoes, bags and books.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Fires<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On average, there <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfpa.org\/public-education\/campaigns\/fire-prevention-week\/fire-facts\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are over 355,000 household fires<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> each year in the United States. From mild smoke to severe fire damage, fires pose a significant threat to anyone in the home. Luckily, there are many things you can do to help minimize your risk of a fire.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install fire alarms on all levels of your home and check the batteries twice a year. Smoke detectors should be replaced at least once every 10 years, or sooner if they are not working properly. You should get in the habit of checking smoke detectors once a month. If a smoke detector begins beeping and there is no fire, do NOT just disconnect it \u2014\u00a0instead, replace the detector so it is fully functioning.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NEVER leave candles burning unattended. The same goes for any flame, including your fireplace or wood-burning stove.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minimize your risk of an electrical fire by never overloading your circuit. Even if you use a surge protector, you should minimize the number of appliances plugged in. Unplug electronics and appliances when not in use to avoid an electrical fire.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep fire extinguishers handy throughout your home \u2014\u00a0consider having one near your kitchen, fireplace, or anywhere you\u2019re more likely to have a lit flame.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Carbon Monoxide Poisoning<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even small levels of exposure to carbon monoxide can cause headaches and dizziness, with high levels of exposure leading to even more <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/carbon-monoxide\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20370642\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">serious symptoms.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Carbon monoxide is difficult to detect as there are often no indications of exposure until someone has fallen ill. To help prevent carbon monoxide you can:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install a carbon monoxide detector to alert you to high levels in your home.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regularly have a licensed and insured professional check your HVAC, water heater and other appliances that use gas, oil or coal.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Bodily Injury<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even common household items can cause bodily injury. Anything from opening a can to arts and crafts projects using scissors can pose a risk, especially if you have children in your home. Though these kinds of injuries are one of the most common in the home, there are several ways to help prevent them:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Store sharp appliances and kitchen tools securely and make sure they are out of reach of children.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep yard tools safely in a garage or shed and NEVER leave them lying around in the yard.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep trash cans locked with a secure lid.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install locks on any doors or drawers that may contain sharp objects such as scissors or knives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep electrical cords properly stored and out of reach of little ones to avoid getting tangled in cords or electrocution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tie back any loose cords on windows to avoid accidental strangulation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Poisoning<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the U.S. Poison Control Center, there are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poison.org\/poison-statistics-national\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">over 2 million incidents<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of human poisoning in the U.S. annually, with personal cosmetic items and household cleaning supplies being the top two causes. One of the best ways to avoid an incident like this is to be aware of which substances are toxic and to be educated on proper storage of these items. A few ways to help avoid a poisoning incident include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep paint and other harsh chemicals out of reach of children and in a safe place away from any possible flames or high heat.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Properly dispose of any unused medications or chemicals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read the labels on chemicals and have a thorough understanding of which ones should never interact with one another.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put away all products when not in use including makeup, hair products, soap, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lock any cabinets or closets that house dangerous products to keep children and pets from accessing them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep laundry detergent on a high shelf out of reach of children and make sure any bottles are secured tightly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Drowning<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you may think of drowning in relation to pools, lakes, or the ocean, drowning can also be a hazard in home bathtubs. Even small amounts of water can result in a drowning incident. To help minimize your risk:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never leave children in a bathtub alone as it only takes a few inches of water for a child or baby to drown.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empty any buckets of water you may have used for cleaning once you\u2019re done.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/15\/summer-water-safety-tips\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">safety fences and alarms around backyard pools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to make sure the pool is not used when there is no adult supervision available.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We hope these tips help you protect the ones you love. If you have more questions, however, we work with over 500 independent agents who are ready to help. Visit our website to find a local agent near you: bit.ly\/QuincyFindAgent <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When was the last time you considered the hazards lurking around your own home? Even common household items, like cleaning [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1884,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Household Hazard Prevention Tips - Quincy Mutual Group<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/household-hazard-prevention-tips\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Household Hazard Prevention Tips - Quincy Mutual Group\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When was the last time you considered the hazards lurking around your own home? 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