Home is where you should feel the safest; unfortunately, many accidents and serious injuries can happen there. Often children's safety is compromised, followed by older adults. Sometimes, it is due to the lack of observance of ample safety precautions. In other instances, they are simply accidents and cannot be predicted. According to The National Accident Helpline, there is always a 60% chance of getting injured in places like your kitchen, so much care must be taken. Below are three common home injuries and how to avoid them.
Burns
This type of injury occurs mostly in the kitchen and bathroom due to open flames and hot water. Every year, about 70% of children rushed to the hospital are treated for various degrees of burns. The most worrying part is that most of these kids are under age two, closely followed by three to five-year-olds. According to the Child Accident Prevention Trust, the lack of safety measures is primarily responsible for these unfortunate injuries. Therefore, you can avoid adding to the statistics by taking stringent preventive measures at home. For example, be conscientious about where you keep hot liquids and foods. Secondly, remember to wear loose-fitting clothing when cooking as they are easier to remove should they catch fire. Additionally, remember to keep flammable items from heat sources in the home to avoid accidental home fires. It would also be useful to install smoke detectors.
Falls
Falls in and around the home are common, and according to data, 1 in 3 older adults aged sixty-four and above have an increased risk. It is largely due to impaired mobility, failing vision and delayed reflexes. Sometimes, combining all three puts an elderly person at an increased risk at home. Without an observant primary caregiver in the home, ageing adults will likely be treated at the emergency unit more than once a year for fractures and other fall-related injuries. That is why taking stringent measures to mitigate the high risk is crucial. For example, it would be best to check the state of the home's flooring, ensure risky areas like the bathroom have anti-slip features and ensure adequate lighting in and around the house. If the house has rooms on the upper floor, stairlifts might be ideal for movement among older people. While considering older adults, it's equally important to consider young children, who also have increased risks of falling and sustaining serious injuries. If you are injured as a result of the negligence of someone else, you could be entitled to compensation. For car or truck injuries look for a truck accident law firm or for home based injuries look for a personal injury lawyer like the experts at CIR Legal.
Cuts
Did you know that kitchen knives account for 49% of injuries at home? That is quite a high percentage, raising concerns about how and where they are kept. Fortunately, you can limit the risk of injury by cutting items on a stable surface. Also, remember to sharpen your knives to keep them in excellent condition. That might sound quite confusing because sharp knives are a high risk. However, you must know that you are bound to exert more pressure or force when using a blunt knife, which inadvertently increases the risk of sustaining deeper cuts. More importantly, keep your kitchen knives out of children's reach, particularly not in the sink or dishwasher. When you observe these precautions, you can avoid knife injuries and limit your risks of home accidents.
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