June is Home Safety Month, and the Home Safety Council (HSC) and Safe Kids USA are working to educate families about how to increase the safety of their homes. They are offering the Hands On Home Safety Campaign.
Top Safety Tips
For whole-house safety:
To prevent falls:
- Install grab bars in the tub and shower.
- Use non-slip mats.
- Keep bright lights over stairs and steps, and on landings…and keep the lights turned on at night.
- Keep stairs clear of clutter.
To prevent poisonings:
- Keep cleaners, medications, and beauty products in a place where children can’t reach them.
- Use child safety locks on on cabinets where potentially hazardous materials are stored.
- Ask your pharmacist for child-safety caps on all prescription medications.
- If you suspect that someone may have ingested a toxic or poisonous substance, call 9-1-1. For information about potential toxins in your home, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
To prevent fires and burns:
- Make sure to install smoke alarms in your home, and test them monthly to make sure they are working.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in the home, and easily accessible (not stuck in a closet behind old sports equipment).
- Have a plan of escape in the event of a fire, with alternate routes that take into account that fire won’t always let you walk out the front door. If necessary, purchase rope ladders for upper story window exits. Hold fire drills for the whole family once a year.
- Don’t leave the stove un attended when frying foods.
- When using pots on the stove, keep handles turned toward the back of the stove to avoid accidentally hitting them and knocking the pot over.
- Adjust the water heater in your home so that the temperature can’t exceed 120 degrees F.
To prevent choking and suffocation:
- Young children can choke on anything small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube. Keep coins, latex balloons, and hard round foods out of the reach of children.
- Place babies to sleep on their backs, alone in their crib. Don’t put pillows, blankets, comforters or toys in cribs. These things can sometimes keep a baby from breathing.
- When your children are in or near water, watch them very carefully. Stay close enough to reach out and touch them. This includes bathtubs, toilets, pools and spas – even buckets of water.
To read more about Home Safety Month, visit the Safe Kids USA website here: Safe Kids USA
You can also find videos about health and safety topics on our YouTube Channel: HensonFuerst YouTube Channel
