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Home Sweet Home may not be home-safe-home
if you don't keep an eye on things. Each year
accidents in the home kill or injure more than
three million Americans. Most of these
accidents are the result of preventable falls,
poisonings and fires. Here are some tips for
preventing accidents in your home:
Preventing Falls
Make certain your home is well lighted
inside and out. Tack down loose rugs and
replace worn carpeting. To protect elderly
family members, install handrails around
bathtubs, showers and toilets. Place safety
gates at the top and bottom of stairways to
protect children. However, do not use
old-fashioned accordion gates. Children have
gotten caught in them and been seriously
injured or killed.
Preventing Poisonings
Nearly all cosmetics, cleaning products
and medicines contain elements that are
poisonous to children. Store anything that is
not a known, healthy food product out of the
reach of children. You can purchase
"childproof" latches at your local
hardware store. Install them on all of your
cabinets and closets.
Preventing Fires
Check wiring, fuses and circuit breakers
and replace all frayed wires. Before you throw
cigarette butts into the garbage, run water on
them to make certain they are out. Check your
furniture after you have a party. A cigarette
may have rolled down under a cushion. It can
smolder there for hours, then start a blaze
when you are fast asleep. Never smoke in bed,
when you are lying on a couch or when you are
nodding off to sleep in an easy chair.
Make sure you have enough smoke detectors
and that they are in all the right places.
Check with your local fire station for more
information. Also, remember to check the
batteries in your smoke detectors each six
months when you change your clocks to Daylight
Savings or Standard Time.
Prepare escape routes, in advance, from
every location in your home. Make certain
every member of your family knows them. Hold
home fire drills on a regular basis.
Renting and Reporting
If you rent your home, always report
hazards in writing to your landlord as soon as
you discover them. This will give him or her a
chance to make repairs. Keep a copy of your
report and, if possible, a photograph of the
hazard. The written report and the photo can
provide vital legal evidence if someone gets
injured. Call us immediately whenever you, a
family member or friend gets injured. We can
advise you of your legal rights and tell you
if you have a case.
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