When you think of home you imagine a place of safety, warmth, and love. But do you know that on average, 50,000 Americans die from fatal injuries sustained at home? That’s thrice more than the number of deaths caused by car crashes. Shocking, right?
According to the National Security Council, the most common accidents responsible for fatal or crippling injuries at home are poisoning, choking, slips or falls, and fires. And the places where these accidents are likely to happen are your bathroom, your kitchen, and your staircase.

Here’s how you can avoid accidents in the most dangerous parts of your home.

The Hazards of Your Kitchen

Burns

Burns sustained by scalding or by fire are equally dangerous. Boiling water or water above the temperature of 150F can cause third-degree burns. Always be careful while boiling water or making dishes like stew especially if young kids are around. Another hazard is burns sustained from the fire. Now, this can occur in any part of the house but usually, the fire starts in the kitchen. Usually, the culprit is a gas leak or a short circuit. You must regularly check your fire alarms and smoke detectors to ensure such accidents. Your landlord must ensure that you have a fire alarm as well as a smoke detector when he/she is renting you the house. In case such an injury occurs and your house doesn’t have a smoke detector, you can claim compensation against your accident from your landlord. You can easily get pre-settlement lawsuit funding for your litigation and seek legal advice from your attorney.

Cuts

One of the most common injuries sustained in the kitchen is getting cut by any sharp object. Usually, these cuts are not serious and a simple bandaid suffices. However, a knife slip can cause serious injuries, loss of a finger, and even fatal injuries in the case of children.
Make sure that your children are never around any sharp objects in the kitchen. Keep all the knives at a safe height and put child safety latches on cabinet doors.

Poisoning

Poisoning includes toxicity both at the micro- and macro-levels. You can easily get seriously ill by poisoning from raw chicken, unwashed vegetables, and an unclean kitchen. Bacteria are lurking everywhere, it’s on your sponge, on your kitchen counter, and in the sink. Take great care while cooking and make sure you clean your kitchen timely and replace your sponges frequently.

Fatalities in the Washroom

Electrocution

Your electronic equipment has the potential to electrocute you when it comes in contact with water. Most people overlook this fact and land in deep, electrical water and sustain fatal or crippling injuries. Make sure you keep all your electrical products in a dry place and use them with care – not anywhere near water that is.

Poisoning

Poisoning from cleaning products in the bathroom is another common accident at home. Most cleaning products have bleach or ammonia in them. Some even have high concentrations of hydrochloric acid. If ingested, these chemicals can have serious repercussions. The mixing of these chemicals can also create deadly gases that can damage your windpipe as well as your lungs upon inhalation, and in some cases can result in death. Keep all the cleaning products away from the reach of your children.
Similarly, install safety latches on your medicine cabinet to keep your children safe from them.

Drowning

You will not believe how dangerous it is to keep your children unattended around filled bathtubs. According to some statistics, children ages 1-4 are most prone to drowning in bathtubs and pools with 6 children dying due to drowning every day. If you have a pool in your house, make sure you install gate sensors and water sensors to avoid such accidents.

Accidental Falls

Common in the bathroom as well as in staircases, falls are responsible for seriously injuring or even killing over 2.7 million older adults annually.
It is always wise to install safety gates on the stairs to keep younger children from potential falls down the staircase. You also need to keep rug pads in bathrooms where it might get slippery. Install grab bars in showers to prevent slipping.
Final thoughts
Accident proofing your home can greatly minimize the chance of these accidents, so make sure you make your home a safe place to be.