Home Safety Devices You Need to Have

Your home may seem like the last place you would suffer a personal injury, but in reality you are in just as much danger right at home as you are out in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 11,000 people die from preventable, unintentional injuries within the home every year. This doesn’t include thousands of others who survive their injuries. Your home can be a hotbed of unnecessary risks to health and safety. Invest in these five home safety devices to increase your family’s protection.

Rails and Grab Bars

The most common causes of fatal injuries at home are slip and falls, fires, accidental drowning, and poisoning. Senior citizens are at the highest risk of falls in the home, with common danger areas being staircases, bathtubs, and showers. A bad fall can easily be fatal to an elderly person. Install grab bars in showers and tubs, and railings on all staircases. Keep stairs in good repair, and clear them of dangerous clutter that could cause a trip and fall. In homes with young children, block staircases with safety gates.

Smoke Detectors

In 2014 (the most recent year data is available), 15,775 people in the U.S. sustained injuries in fires. Another 3,275 people died. About 50.8% of all residential fires stem from cooking, and 10.8% come from heating. Fires that start in the middle of the night are the most dangerous, as sleeping occupants can pass out and die from smoke inhalation without waking. Help protect your family from fires by installing smoke detectors in every room. Check your detectors’ batteries regularly and have an emergency fire evacuation plan in place.

Fire Extinguishers

If a fire starts while you’re cooking, a fire extinguisher nearby can help you put it out before the flames spread to the rest of the house. Keep at least one extinguisher on every floor of your home, and keep them visible so you can find them in an emergency. Check expiration dates to know when to replace them. Learn how to correctly use this tool before a fire occurs in your home.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The CDC reports that more than 400 people die, and 20,000 visit emergency rooms every year, from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide can leak from home appliances such as furnaces, gas range ovens, grills, lanterns, and fireplaces. This substance is toxic, and can kill people if inhaled. It is a colorless, odorless gas that can be impossible to detect without a device, before it causes symptoms. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause nausea, vomiting, chest pain, headache, dizziness, and confusion. Breathing in too much can cause fainting and death. Install carbon monoxide detectors and check them regularly.

Child Safety Devices

Children and the elderly are most at risk of fatal at-home accidents. Children are especially susceptible to hazards such as falls, accidental drowning, and poisoning in the home. Do your part to prevent these accidents by installing approved child safety devices. These may include cabinet and door locks, stairway barriers, anti-scald devices, outlet plugs, and edge protectors. Install the proper devices for your child’s age and hazards in your home. Always keep a home pool covered, or protected with barriers, to prevent wandering children from falling in the water.

Speak with the Houston personal injury law firm of Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP today for a free initial consultation.