Home is a safe haven for anyone. After a tiring day at work, it is our home that provides essential comfort and shelter. As such, we try to keep our home as safe as possible and away from harmful things. We install insulation, windows, shades, and more things to keep our homes protected.
Even after all these precautions, there are still some very dangerous and serious safety hazards that can plague our homes. Some of these hazards are so harmful that mass tort lawsuits have been filed against corporations or authorities responsible for creating them.
Before you begin to take steps to protect yourself from these hazards, you should know what these are. Keep reading to know about some of the common home safety hazards and how you can avoid them.
Fire
Fire is one of the top safety hazards that plague the urban environment. The extent of fire accidents varies in different houses based on a number of factors. Some may be saved with only a small smoke incident while in other cases, complete houses can be burned down.
Fire can be caused by any of the potentially explosive materials we keep in our houses – cleaning chemicals, for example. The starting point can be a candle, a heating instrument, or some other source. Here are some steps you can take to shield against fire incidents.
Precautions
The first step should be to install a fire alarm and smoke detectors in your house. Make sure to check the batteries regularly. Install smoke detectors in several rooms throughout your home. You should also consider investing in a modern alarm where the device connects to your smartphone and gives you real-time updates. Some alarms also come with the property to automatically call the emergency number in the case of a fire.
Don’t leave any appliances plugged in and unattended. Always unplug after use. Make sure to keep candles away from the curtains and other such flammable materials. Always extinguish a candle’s flame before leaving your house or going to sleep. Keep all such appliances, candles, and lighters away from the reach of children. Declutter your home to remove flammable materials like boxes and unused pieces of fabric.
Keep a fire extinguisher at home and check it regularly to ensure it is in proper working condition.
Electrical Systems
The electrical system can pose another threat if not checked regularly. There may be loose cords, uncovered wires, or plugged-in appliances that can cause electrocution. Hanging cords are especially dangerous as people tend to leave them unattended. A child or even an adult may touch it unknowingly leading to an electrical shock.
Precautions
You can easily find several hardware devices that keep hanging cords safely tucked away from children. Make sure to switch off the plug after you have used the cord. Do a regular examination of the electrical system to ensure there are no loose or burnt wires. Change the wiring before it gets too weak to carry the burden of the household.
Attach a safety switch so it can turn off the electrical system when something goes wrong. Try to avoid having switches and wires near water points.
Asbestos Materials
Asbestos was used in several home materials in previous years. It is still used sparingly. You should be careful of this material if you buy an old home. There is probably some asbestos in the walls, floors, ceiling, pipes, tiles, and more.
While asbestos is not harmful in solid conditions, when any of the materials are damaged, it can release asbestos fibers and fumes which are detrimental to health. When you inhale the fibers, they accumulate in your respiratory system and with time can cause chest problems and even lung cancer.
Health issues usually appear late in life after continuous exposure to asbestos fibers. The risk increases if the asbestos material crumbles and breaks when handled or if it has been made into a powder form.
Precautions
If you find out that there is asbestos in any of your home materials, don’t touch it and leave it alone if it is in good condition. If intact, asbestos will not cause any harm to you. However, if you see any abrasions, water damage, scratches, wear, and tear, or other signs of damage, you may have to take some steps to remove it, as it may release fibers at this point.
If you suspect that an area with asbestos is damaged, restrict the access of people to that area of the house. Call the specific authorities that deal with this issue and get information on how to deal with this. If you are getting the home renovated and there is asbestos in the house structure, make sure to confirm with the experts on how to dispose of it. Don’t try to remove the material yourself.
Try to avoid hitting on the walls or doing much work on them if they contain asbestos. Keep the vibrations to a minimum.
Poisoning
There are several items in households that are needed for various tasks, but they can be poisonous if mishandled. For example, chemicals that we use on a regular basis like weed killers, pesticides, paints, and even detergents have ingredients that can be harmful if ingested. Most people have medications in their house that can cause severe health issues if ingested without checking.
Poisoning is one of the leading causes of death and it can be especially detrimental for children as they are more likely to ingest things they shouldn’t. Some of the chemicals we keep at home are a necessary evil, so it is essential that you take proper precautions for safety.
Precautions
There are some basic chemicals,, such as house cleaning liquids and others, that should be kept out of the reach of children. Keep them in a higher cupboard. If you keep them in a lower cupboard, make sure to lock them with child safety locks.
Never keep any such liquids or medicines in unmarked containers. It is better if they are kept in their original packaging as you can easily tell one from the other and there are fewer chances of a mix-up. Even if you are using other cases and bottles, make sure to label them properly.
Don’t leave chemicals and medicines lying around openly and unattended. Keep the emergency contact number for poison control experts close by or saved on speed dial.
Conclusion
There are several more home safety hazards you can face, and many of these occur due to minor ignorance of certain things. You can easily prevent a lot of these by being vigilant, keeping a regular check on household systems, and doing maintenance work regularly. Update the internal structure and don’t ignore or put it off. Keep the things you need in an emergency close by and save emergency numbers in your phone for quick access.
