Even in the safety of your home, one wrong step can lead to disaster, particularly for small children and senior adults. Adults over the age of 60 are the most susceptible to fall-related injuries and deaths, but every age group is affected. According to the Home Safety Council, 5.1 million injuries result from falls every year, and falls account for more than one-third of all unintentional home injury deaths.
No home can be perfectly safe, but there are a number of steps homeowners can take to prevent injury-related falls. The home safety consultants at HomeSafe Inspection recommend families to take a home safety “walk-through” to identify and remedy potential slip, trip and fall hazards throughout the house:
Safeguard stairways with a secure banister or hand-rail on each side of the stairs. The hand-rail should extend along the full length of the stairs.
Remove clutter, toys and other items from stairs, steps, landings and floors. Tuck away electrical and phone cords.
If there are small children in the house, install safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.
All stairways and hallways should be well-lit. Stairways should be lit at both the top and bottom. Use the maximum safe wattage bulbs. Install night-lights for the night-time hours.
Place a non-slip mat or adhesive safety strips/decals in bathtubs and showers.
Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls.
Always be prompt about cleaning up water, grease or other liquid spills on the floors anywhere in the house.
Place non-skid throw rugs on the floors throughout the house to prevent slips/falls.
Keep a sturdy step stool with hand rails in the house for climbing purposes. However, it is probably best not to allow elderly, fall-prone adults to use the step stools.
Arrange for a home safety inspection by professionals such as HomeSafe Inspection. These inspections can cover everything from electrical/fire hazards to recommendations for child-proofing and senior adult-proofing your home.
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