Home Safety

Every year in the UK more than 4,000 people die in accidents in the home and nearly three million turn up at accident and emergency departments seeking treatment. But, because the accidents happen behind closed doors in isolated incidents they rarely attract public and media attention.

Preventing Accidents in the Home Advice Tips

Unfortunately your home is the place where accidents are most likely to occur. Everyone should be aware of the dangers in the home so that accidents can be avoided. The purpose of this information sheet is to raise awareness of the type of accidents that may occur in the home and what steps you can take to prevent them.

Fire Safety

Fires can start suddenly and spread quickly, damaging your home and furniture and putting lives in danger. They are caused in a variety of ways, but there are a few simple hints you can follow to prevent them starting.

• Keep all fires and heaters well-guarded, especially open fires. For fitted or portable heaters with a built in guard, give extra protection by adding a surrounding guard particularly if you have young children or elderly people in the home. For children, use a nursery guard with side clips that fit into fixed wall brackets.
• Keep portable heaters and candles away from furniture and curtains in a safe place where people can't trip over them.
• Don't dry or air clothes over or near the fire, or the cooker
• Do not smoke in bed
• Many fires start in the kitchen, especially fat fires. Keep an eye on the pan when deep fat frying and watch for overheating
• If there are children around, keep matches and lighters where they can't see or reach them.
• Fit approved smoke detectors on each floor. Chose a smoke alarm that is mains operated or one with a long life (ten year) battery
• Remember Get Out, stay out and call the fire brigade out!

Electrical Safety

Electricity must be treated with respect. Here are some advice tips.

• Have your wiring installation checked at least once every five years by an approved contractor, or straightaway if you are buying an older property. Look for an NICEIC or ECA member.
• Do not use appliances with worn or damaged flexes. Don't wire flexes together.
• Keep portable mains-operated appliances out of the bathroom.
• If an appliance appears faulty stop using it and have it checked at once.
• Consider having a RCD (Residual Current Device) for whole house protection. These are especially valuable when power tools are used.
• Look for the CE mark, the BEAB mark, BS safety mark or British Standard number when you buy electrical equipment.

Heating Hints

Safety is especially important when choosing and using heating products.

• All fuel-burning appliances use up fresh air as they burn, and give off waste gases including the deadly carbon monoxide (CO). Never block air vents or airbricks.
• If you use a chimney or flue, or bring one back into use, have it swept at least once a year, or more frequently if you burn wood.
• Never block any outside grilles or rest anything against it.
• If a gas flame, which normally burns blue, burns orange this may be a built up of carbon monoxide. Have your appliance checked immediately.
• Check the pilot regularly on gas cookers and water heaters to make sure it has not gone out.
• When buying gas appliances look for the British Standards safety mark or British seal of Approval and beware of second hand bargains and cowboy installers.
• If you suspect a gas leak, open the windows, turn off the supply and call your gas supplier. Don't operate switches as a spark could ignite the gas.
• Always keep a special watch on young children and elderly people when fires and heaters are in use.

Safety glass

Ordinary glass is dangerous particularly at low level because it breaks in to large, jagged pieces, which can cause serious injury. The Building Regulations require safety glass to be fitted in glazed doors, side panels and areas below 800mm in new buildings.

• Safety glass is specially made. There are two main types: laminated glass and toughened glass. When it breaks it breaks safely in a way unlikely to cause injury.

If ordinary glass is in use, you can help reduce the risks.

• Make sure that people know that the glass is there and see that the area is well lit.
• Prevent people banging into the glass by blocking access using a piece of furniture (not something easily knocked over)
• Never let children play near glass they could easily crash through it and receive a serious injury.

Safety in the Kitchen

• If you have the opportunity plan your kitchen for safety as well as for comfort and efficiency.
• Many fires start in the kitchen, especially fat fires. For safer deep fat frying choose an electric fryer.
• Take extra care with hot water, tea, coffee or soup if there are young children around, they could get scalded.
• Keep knives sharp and in good condition. Make sure your can opener works efficiently.
• Plan your storage areas carefully so that heavy items are not kept on high shelves, and items in daily use are within easy reach.

Safety with medicines and cleaners

Chemical preparations of any sort, whether in the form of medicines or household cleaners should always be treated with caution.

• Consider having a proper lockable medicine cabinet.
• Keep medicines in their original containers, clearly labelled
• Avoid taking other people's medicine, or letting others take yours.
• Return leftover medicines to the pharmacist for destruction don't hoard them.
• Keep medicines and all chemical products such as bleach, turps and caustic soda where children can't see or reach them.
• Chemicals used in the garden, garage or workshop need to be used and stored with great care. Store them in a safe place where children can't see or reach them.

DIY Safety

• Be realistic and don't tackle a job unless you really have the ability. A competent, qualified person should always do gas and electrical renewal or repair work.
• Keep any tools clean and in good repair, and give each one a quick check over before you use it.
• Always plan ahead accidents happen more easily if you are unprepared and rush.
• Wear trousers and heavy shoes when mowing the lawn and keep your feet and hands well away from the mower blades. Stop and disconnect the mower before checking a fault or cleaning clogged blades.
• Take extra care with sharp cutting tools. Never leave sharp tools lying around.
• Follow makers' instructions very carefully when using adhesives, especially the instant type

Child Safety

Babies and young children depend on you for safety.

• Be aware of your baby's changing abilities and learn to look at them from a safety point of view.
• Always keep an eye on children at play.
• When running a child's bath put cold water in first then hot.
• A child can easily fall out of a window. Fit safety catches on all upstairs windows restrict openings to 100mm and keep furniture they can climb on clear of windows.
• A young baby can easily suffocate or choke. Avoid small objects.
• A child can drown quickly in a few inches of water, stay with young children at all times when they are in the bath or in an inflatable garden pool.

Source: RoSPA The Home Safety Book Ref: HS 178

Information provided by ROSPA  (External Link)