List of Safety Hazards at Home and How to Prevent Them
The fact of the matter is that your list of safety hazards at home can be longer than you think. There are a lot of things that you don’t think can be a danger in your home. However, you shouldn’t wait until the inevitable occurs before you know what to avoid, and ways to prevent it from becoming a danger in your home.
It doesn’t matter if you live in a conventional home, or one of those manufactured home communities. The fact is that safety hazards are common when you spend a lot of time in one place. And, if you don’t have a lot of time to inspect your home, you can end up missing the most obvious hazards.
This is why a list of safety hazards at home and ways to prevent them is crucial for you. Read on to learn more.
1. Clutter
When you think of your list of safety hazards at home, the first thing that should make your alarm bells go off is the clutter that you have. Clutter is one of those hazards that you hardly ever think about. Yet, your old appliances, and other things collecting dust all over your house can be quite dangerous.
In fact, a lot of falls and deaths are mainly caused by the clutter on your steps. Keeping your home clutter-free should be your main priority. If you have a basement in your home, this should be the first place where you can start with your clutter-free mission.
It’s so easy to keep things that you no longer need. You tell yourself that you’ll eventually get rid of them, but somehow you never get around to doing it. Until you find yourself landing face first because of the appliances that are lying around on your basement steps.
The thing about keeping clutter around is that it’s not only something that ends up being part of your list of safety hazards at home. But, it can also cause other detrimental problems for you. The following are some surprising ways that having clutter can affect your life.
- Clutter harms your health because it increases your stress levels, affects your diet, and it triggers respiratory issues.
- It can be a fire hazard.
- Clutter jeopardizes your chance to start relationships.
- It can isolate you from your loved ones.
- It decreases your productivity, and affects your performance levels.
2. Unsafe Windows
The great thing about coming up with a list of safety hazards at home is that it helps you to identify everything that you need to fix before it becomes too difficult to do so. You’d be surprised to find out how many injuries are caused by windows in America. It’s estimated that approximately 15 000 children are victims of window injuries annually.
The thing is that your window screens aren’t as secure as you might think. In some cases, you should have measures in place. The most useful preventative measures for your windows are window guards.
However, in some instances, you’ll find that there are cracks in your window panes that need a little more attention. In other cases, you might have mold on your windows. While this might not be as dangerous as you think, if left unattended, it can cause more damage than you think.
Getting a mold removal service should help you in more ways than one. If you don’t get rid of mold on your windows, it can cause structural damage to your home. As a result, a window falling on anyone nearby is imminent.
First things first, you should know what causes the buildup of mold on your windows. It’s always better to have a list of safety hazards at home and ways to prevent them from causing any damage. These are some common causes of mold growing on your windows.
- A water heater that’s faulty.
- A leaky roof.
- Damaged window frames that catch rainwater on your windows.
- Airflow that’s inadequate.
- Any leaking pipes.
If your mold is still manageable, there are some useful home remedies that you should consider. But, just ensure that you follow safety precautions whenever you have to remove mold on your own. These home remedies are efficient nonetheless.
- Vinegar has an acidic content that can kill the majority of mold on your windows.
- Baking soda is an effective cleaning agent. You should mix it with the vinegar to get optimum results.
- Tea tree oil is a very mild mold cleaning agent for you, but it’s still harsh on mold.
3. Tipping Furniture
Out of all the things that you don’t think of when you consider your list of safety hazards at home, your furniture is likely one of them. Yet, appliances such as study desks cause more accidents than you might think. According to stats by the Consumer Reports as well as the Consumer Products Safety Commission, there have been hundreds of deaths that have been caused by furniture tipping over.
Moreover, children are mostly the victims of this. The fact of the matter is that your kids are always trying their best to explore what’s in your home. As a result, they’re likely to have serious accidents when you have a long list of safety hazards at home that you haven’t prevented yet.
It’s important to ensure that you place your furniture appropriately to avoid any potential safety hazards at home. And, if you have any appliances that need to be removed from your home, now is as good a time as any to make that a priority. The last thing that you want to deal with is any of your loved ones being seriously injured, or even dying due to how your furniture is placed in your home.
4. Water Heater Fires
The main thing about having a long list of safety hazards at home is that you can never be too certain about which of these will cause the biggest issues for you. Let’s say that you prefer to keep your clothes on the floor. After some time, your clothes can pile up in the places that you least expect them to.
The problem starts when items like your clothes pile up next to your water heater. The thing is, these can catch a fire whenever you switch on your water. You should avoid any combustibles next to your water heater.
These are the kind of appliances that you should be careful of because they cause a lot of hazards in your home. Ensuring that your home is free of any hazards is very crucial. It should protect your family and home in more ways than you can imagine.
Fortunately, there are other ways to help prevent any fires in your home due to the water heating system that you have. Opting for energy-efficient options such as tankless water heaters should be a great solution. If you ever leave your clothes to pile up on the floor, this kind of heater shouldn’t catch a fire when it comes on.
5. Hanging Cords
There are various ways that hanging cords can become very dangerous in any household. Take blind or curtain cords for instance. These are known to cause very detrimental injuries in younger children.
In fact, the rise in strangulation cases that result from hanging cords in homes have seen a surge in safety cord devices. You should speak to your retailer about ways to keep your blind and curtain cords secure. This type of safety hazard has seen a spike in countries such as Australia promulgating laws that force homeowners to fit their curtains with a safety device.
If you have children in your home, you should make sure that any hanging cords are removed. Taking preventative measures such as moving your child’s bed from curtain cords should also help to lower the risk of any strangulation hazards. At the end of the day, a list of safety hazards at home will help you to reduce the risk of your loved ones from being grievously injured within your home.
6. Ladders
It’s very common for your roofer to come over regularly to assess the status of your roof. In some cases, you may want to do the job yourself. However, a ladder is one of the common things that should form part of your list of safety hazards at home.
The thing is, a tall ladder will pose a risk in your home. It doesn’t matter who’s using it. Experienced tree trimmers have had more injuries than you can think of from falling from a tall ladder. The worst thing about this type of safety hazard is that you can find yourself falling backward and risk a head and back injury.
If you do need to use a ladder from time to time, you should ensure the following.
- Make sure that it’s effectively stable.
- Wear the appropriate footwear to avoid slipping.
- Have someone to keep an eye on you.
7. Poisons and Chemicals
If you love to keep your garden in tip-top condition, you’re not alone. Ideally, there are various things that go into producing a garden that you love to look at when you step into your backyard. A lot of tree arborists will recommend the most effective ways to maintain your garden.
Some of these are organic products, and in other cases, you can use pesticides. However, these can be dangerous to your health and for those that live with you. Most of these chemicals that go into maintaining your garden and trees contain a lot of poisonous properties. It’s essential for you to take adequate care when you’re using them, particularly, when you have children in your home.
If you need to work with toxic substances in your home, you should understand that there are ways to help prevent any safety hazards. The following measures are very important.
- Avoid exposure by wearing the right personal protective equipment.
- Understand first aid procedures.
- Know the typical symptoms of exposure.
- See a doctor immediately if unintended exposure happens.
- Tightly close and safely store containers when they’re not in use.
8. Electrical Hazards
Your list of safety hazards at home isn’t complete without you worrying about any electrical problems that you might have. The most important rule when it comes to electricity is that you have to have a safety switch. This is essential should you have a power failure on your hands.
The thing is, without a functioning safety switch, you can be prone to a dangerous fire if anything happens to your electrical equipment. In addition, you should always inspect your home for any faulty electrical equipment. Another thing that you should ensure is to be extra careful if you have any electrical equipment that’s close to a water source.
The best option is for you to contact an electrician to sort out any issues that you feel can be a safety hazard if left unattended. This should save your life and money in the future.
9. Trips and Falls
Have you noticed that your floors are uneven now? The thing is that over time, your floors can start to give up on you. In certain instances, a bit of repair work is needed to smoothen out the surface.
Doing this should help you avoid any tripping and falling that can be extremely dangerous. You can get a floor contractor to add some asphalt crack filler if there are minor cracks. Else, if there’s more damage, you should consider replacing your floors to ensure that you avoid any slips and falls that can cause a terrible injury.
In summary, you should never underestimate the importance of plumbing service or any other home maintenance service for your home. With proper care, you can prevent a lot of dangers for you and your loved ones. Knowing the list of safety hazards at home is the first step
This can also help you to save money by ensuring that you get a handle on a lot of things before it gets too late. But, using a professional service provider should help you keep a well-organized home.
