Home Safety The First Frontier
Since man began to walk on two feet thousands of years ago, he has encountered a basic safety hazard that is universal in nature - tripping and falling. Early man had to deal with rocks, roots, and wild vegetation as tripping hazards. Modern times brings walking hazards to the forefront of our struggle for home safety.
It is a fact of today’s lifestyle that we all like stuff and lots of it around our home. Often times this stuff either doesn’t have a permanent storage area or has not been replaced in the proper area. A classic home safety tripping hazard is all of the stuff left in the walkways of our homes. Boxes, toys, shoes, clothes and many more items are common problems when left on the floor where people walk.
Furniture can be a painful problem for shins, knees, and elbows if the proper spacing is not maintained due to squeezing it all in a hall or room. The government sets safety standards at about 30 inches for walkway clearances between furniture and other obstacles. Many hallways or rooms do not meet this standard and have not been adjusted for the actual size needs of the family.
Shelves in closets and storage areas in general are very often victims of clutter and overloading. It is a classic cartoon notion for the closet door to open and everything fall out on the hapless character involved. In real life it is not funny and can be painful. Overloaded shelves can fall on a head or body at any time to cause injury.
Many homes have a mixture of carpet, wood floors, and tile or vinyl in the kitchen and bathroom areas. The transition areas that border the different types of flooring can be home safety difficulties. The trim used for the border can trip people or the nails holding the trim can come loose over time. Just the different heights of the surfaces can cause careless walkers to stumble at best.
Placing protective covers on knives, corners and electrical outlets is a great way to prevent possibly serious accidents. Knives left on a counter or table can fall or be accidentally handles with dire consequences. Is there anyone that hasn’t bruised a hip or shin of a sharp corner of a piece of furniture? The covers for outlets are an opportunity to combine home safety with decorating since they come in many designs.
Tripping and falling are common hazards in a house and often develop after time instead of immediately. The hallway rug was nice and smooth to start with, but after the kids and pets chased on it, the ridges and ruffles are just waiting to trip someone. Borders that were once secured between flooring and carpet come loose over time and can lead to unexpected falls.
Sharp and hot objects are another danger in the kitchen to take precautions against. Knives are essential to food preparation, but need to be stored in a wood block or drawer. Stove tops and ovens need precautions as well to note if the heat is on and to avoid contact.
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