If you are clumsy, a bit of a butter fingers or you live with somebody who is, it’s important to take steps to prevent injuries at home. A home should be a safe haven where family and friends can relax. And while accidents are by their very nature impossible to stop, we can take measures to reduce the risk of loved ones, friends and even ourselves face. So with that in mind, here’s four ways you can prevent injuries in your home:
- Keep everything well lit
The importance of good lighting in your home cannot be overstated. Humans can’t see in the dark, and wandering around in it is a recipe for disaster. It’s important therefore to have light switches readily available so at the flick of a switch you can see where you are going. If there are any light switches oddly placed, moving them is relatively simple. It’s also important to turn the lights on when you can’t see – that sounds stupid to recommend, but you would be surprised how many people leave the lights off in the middle of the night.
- Call in an electrician
If you are concerned about the state of your electrical supply, call an electrician. You should do this if you experience any odd behaviour in your home, such as appliances blowing their fuses, the lights flickering randomly or multiple light switches dying. Although most of the time such behaviour is harmless, a mouse could have chewed some important wiring or you may have a leak where your circuit board is. You just never know, so be careful.
- Don’t rush
Have you ever stubbed your toe? Banged your knee on a corner? Well, you’ll know if you have, because doing so is incredibly painful. The number one cause of such injuries is rushing around and not looking where you are going. I know, I know, the pizza in the oven might be burning or your cat might want letting out, but what’s a couple of seconds, really? Take your time with things, and you’ll cut the number of injuries in your home by half.
- Make your bathroom safe
Bathrooms are the most common room where injuries occur. Why? Because this is a wet room, and people can slip on tiled surfaces, in the shower or in the bath. Slipping can actually cause serious injuries, and there have been personal injury claims made against landlords who failed to provide handrails and other safety features in their bathroom (if you have had such an accident, then you should seek personal injury advice). Even putting a towel down on the floor can be enough to stop nasty injuries from happening. Oh, and keep your hands away from towel rails – they get really hot!
