Home Safety

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Home Safety

• Healthy Homes Resource
• Purdue Extension
• 2005

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Introduction

• Should you be concerned?
• Slips, Trips, and Falls
• Is your home Poison Proof?
• Prevent Fires and Burns
• Prevent Choking and Suffocation
• Watch out Around water
• Other Safety Concerns

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Should you be concerned?

• More likely to get hurt at home
• Leading causes of death in the home Falls,
• Drowning
• Fires
• Poisoning
• Suffocation
• Choking
• Guns

• Each year 6 ½ million people hurt at home
• More than 1 million under 5 poisoned each year
• Falls kill more people than car crashes
• Drowning kills more than 1,000 children age 14
  and under

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Slips, Trips, and Falls

• Most falls at floor level not stairs
• Worse for Adults
• Fall faster
• Fall harder
• Bones are weaker

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Slips, Trips, and Falls

• Keep Floors clean
• Clean up spills
• Repair cracked or worn stairs
• Use non-skid mats and throw rugs
• Watch where youre going

• Keep home well lit
• Dont use chairs or tables as ladders
• Wear shoes with non-skid soles
• No running or Jumping indoors
• Teach family to stay safe

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Is your Home Poison Proof?

• More than 1 million age 5 and under poisoned each
  year
• Look through room through a childs eyes
• Is there anything that can hurt them
• Children like to play with medicine, makeup and
  plants
• Kitchen is on of the most dangerous places

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Poison Proof your House

• Kitchen
• Drain openers, detergents, oven cleaners, other
  cleaners
• Latches on cabinets
• Store where they cant reach
• Keep Children away when cleaning
• Bathroom
• Medicines, makeup, mouthwash, first aid

• Bedroom
• Medicines, perfumes, cigarettes
• Living Room
• Liquor, furniture polish, lamp oil, plants
• Garage./Basement
• Antifreeze, gas, kerosene, paint, bug spray car
  polishes, car batteries

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If Someone Is Poisoned

• About how much the person ate or drank
• How the person came in contact (mouth, skin)
• How long the person was in contact with the
  posiion
• The persona age and weight
• How you tried to help the person, if you did

• Call Local Poison Control Center
• 1-800-222-1222
• Keep number close to ALL Telephones
• Be sure you are able to tell them
• Brand Name of Product
• Type of Product
• Contents as listed on Label

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Prevent Fire and Burns

• Smoke detector on every floor
• Playing with fire is leading cause of fire
  related death for children
• Teach children how to prevent fires
• Plan and practice a fire escape route
• Be careful with space heaters

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Choking and Suffocation

• Choking
• Something gets caught in throat
• Stops breathing
• Food, or buttons, coins
• Suffocation
• Nose, mouth or throat is blocked
• Cant breathe
• Sheets, blankets and plastic bags
• Children under age 4 and older adults most
  susceptible

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Prevent Choking and Suffocation

• Hotdogs, buts, popcorn, hard candy can get stuck
  in childs throat
• Make children drink sitting up
• Dont let children play with balloons
• Pick up coins, marbles, buttons
• Dont let children play near old cars and
  appliances

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Prevent Choking and Suffocation

• Tangled in window blind cords, curtains,
  extension cords
• Plastic bags and covers are dangerous
• Dont tie toys or pacifiers to clothing
• Very small children should not wear jewelry
• Toys with small parts or long cords may strangle
  or cause choking

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Watch Out Around Water

• Drowning kills more than 1000 children each year
• For every one killed, 20 more go to hospital
• Children love to play in water
• Dont know that shallow water can be dangerous
• Children who run can fall

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Watch Out Around Water

• Watch Children under 12 at all times
• Make sure they walk, not run.
• All pools, hot tubs, and spas should have 5 foot
  high fence
• Take all toys out of the pool after swimming
• Children should wear life vests
• Never leave a child alone in the bathtub

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Other Safety Concerns

• Learn CPR
• Never let children ride on Lawn equipment
• USE helmets and kneepads
• Set a good example!
• Store guns safely
• Have children under 12 ride in the backseat

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Home Safety Summary

• Falls kill more people than any other accident
  besides car crashes
• More than 1 million children under 5 are poisoned
  each year
• Fires are one of the main causes of death in the
  home
• Choking and suffocation also cause death
• Drowning kills more than 1000 children each year
• Store guns safely and wear safety gear

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The End

• Questions?????
• Prepared by Catherine E. Burwell, PhD, and
• Kendra Freeman
• Purdue Cooperative Extension Service
• 2005.