SAFETY AT HOME
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Written by tony benjamin
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Sunday, 02 March 2008 |
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Major causes of injury. Contrary to common opinion, home is one of the most dangerous places in which to be. Accidents there result in more deaths and serious injuries than do accidents in streets, highways, or schools. Yet, nearly all of them could be prevented if people would just use common sense.
Each year from 27,000 to 30,000 people die in home accidents. But this is only part of the story. Over 4,000,000 people are disabled, and the cost including wage loss, medical expense, and insurance may be as high as $800,000,000. Falls cause the greatest number of injuries in the home. Over half of the people killed in home accidents are sixty-five years old or older. Older people, especially, are likely to trip and fall from ladders, on highlypolished floors, and on poorly lighted or cluttered stairways. Many women fall from stools, boxes, or chairs when trying to reach cupboards, pictures, or drapes or when doing various tasks in the home. Next to falls, fires cause the most accidents in the home. Carelessness with matches, defective wiring, carelessness in using cleaning fluids. and failure to
fires properly are the majorcauses of injuries and deaths from burns.falls and burns, poisons. including sonous gases, are third in the list of
of home accidents.
Large industrial concerns safety experts to eliminate safety hazards and to provide safety education for their employees. In our homes, however, it is only our own knowledge and attitude toward safety that can protect us. To prevebt accidents in the home, we must
see that every room is safe. Let us, then,consider the various rooms of a house and discuss some of the things that cause accidents
Bedrooms. If you were asked to name the room in which the most fatal accidents occur, which roomwould you name? The kitchen? The bathroom? Actually, it is the bedroom. Falls are themost frequent cause of injury in the room. People trip over rugs,
magazines shoes, and even bureau drawers.They slip on highly polished floors.
Here, as in all rooms, things should have a place and be kept in undersides of rugs should be coated with a special paint or equipped with rubber holders to prevent them from slipping. A small. shaded night light is a good investment for safety.
A good many fires originate in the bedroom, many of them from smoking in bed. Wiring and appliances should be checked to see that they are safe, as faulty wiring is also a major cause of fire.
The bathroom. Falls are the most common causes of injury in the bathroom. Rubber mats should be placed on shower and tub floors. On the wall there should be a strong handrail to grasp while getting in and out of the tub.
Many people are electrocuted by handling electric fixtures or appliances while standing or sitting in the bathtub-or by touching the light switch with one hand while the other hand is in water or touching water faucets. If possible, the switches should be placed outside of the bathroom. The medicine cabinet should be high enough so that sma.ll children cannot reach it.
The living room. Falls and fires take their toll in the living room too. If there is a fireplace in the room, it should have a screen in front of it to prevent sparks from flying out on the rug. If there are small rugs in the room, they should be painted on the undersides with a special non-skid paint. Another way to keep small rugs from slipping is to fasten special rubber holders to the undersides. The floor should be kept free of children's toys and-other things that people might trip over. Electric cords to lamps should not run under the carpet, and they should, of course, be kept in good repair.
The kitchen. The kitchen is one of the most dangerous places in the home. Burns from hot water and spattering grease and cuts from sharp knives are both high on the list of injuries that occur in the kitchen. The handles of cooking pots should be turned in to keep them from being pulled off or knocked off the stove. Otherwise, a child may reach the handle of a pot and pull the contents on top of himself. Hot, spattering grease can cause severe burns. When frying food never drop it in hot grease. Rather,put it in the grease with a fork or a spoo. Food that is cooked in hot grease shoud be dry. Water causes grease to spatter.
Most injuries from cuts are due to carelessness with knives. Never point a knife at anyone or run with a knife in your hand. Sharp knives should hay a regular holder. Most things can and should be cut on a cutting board.
In the kitchen, as in other rooms, falls result in injuries. Most of these falls result when people try to reach things from makeshift ladder. A well-built, smallstepladder or stepladder stool should be kept in the kitchen for use in getting hings high in the cupboard.
The basement. Families are likely to neglect the basement stairs. Brooms, mops, buckets, and other things may be stored there "out of the way." This is extremely dangerous, for often brooms and mops slip out away from the wall. These supplies should be stored either at the top or bottom of the stairs and not on landings or on the stairs. What is true of the basement stairs is, of course, also true of the basement. Many people even store paint, cleaning fluid, and other materials that burn easily in the basement. Rubbish should not be allowed to collect in the basement. It may not only lead to fires, but falls as well. Paint and other materials should be stored in tightly closed, metal containers
The flues and chimney of the furnace should be cleaned every fall before the furnace is lighted. If coal is burned, the ashes should be kept in a metal container. These precautions will help to eliminate many fires.
Stairways. Not only the basement stairway, but all stairways should have strong handrails. If the stairways are carpeted, the carpet should be fastened securely. If there are small children in the home, a gate should be placed at the top of the stairs. The stairway should have a two-way light switch, and it should be well-lighted.
Poisonous gases. Gas burners that are not properly adjusted give off the poisonous gas carbon monoxide. Most deaths from this type of gas poisoning occur as a result of sleeping in a room in which there is a gas stove with no vent or flue.
Where there are gas stoves. there is always danger that the gas pressure will fall and the flame go out. After the flame is out, the pressure may rise again and flood the room with gas. All gas heaters should be properly adjusted. They should have vents and a safety valve which will shut the gas off if the pressure drops.
The fumes from the exhaust of an automobile engine also contain carbon monoxide gas. Since this poisonous gas is odorless, no one can tell when he is inhaling it. Therefore, always open the garage doors when warming up the motor of an automobile.
Power tools. In the past few years, the "do it yourself' movement has created new hazards in the home. Many power tools, such as drills, saws, power lawn mowers, and similar machines have been designed for use in and about the home. These power tools help the home owner to make many of the needed repairs. However, a certain amount of skill in handling the tools is necessary to do a good job and to work safely. If you can, take a shop course while you are in high school so that you will learn the proper use of power tools.
Fire. Fire kills more than 10,000 people in the United States every year. A fire occurs every minute of the day and night. Although a fire resulting in loss of life may break out almost anywhere, most fires occur in our homes. They can be prevented if the proper precautions are taken. Wherever a fire occurs-at home, at work, at play-the causes are always pretty much the same. Careless use of matches and careless smoking are the greatest causes. Using gasoline as cleaning fluid also causes many fires and deaths. If the gasoline vapor from the fluid comes in contact with an open flame, it explodes with the violence of dynamite. It is best to use cleaning fluids that are nonflammable. If a flammable fluid must be used, it should be used in the open air. where the clothes also should be dried. Many fires are caused by faulty electrical appliances or defective wiring. Wiring should be inspected regularly and kept in good repair. Most cities have building codes, including wiring regulations. These requirements must be met before the city inspector will approve the wiring in a house or building.
Sometimes fires actually start themselves as a result of spontaneous combustion. Such fires can start in piles of rubbish too often found in attics and in basemerits, Oily rags. mops, half-empty paint cans, and paint thinner are particularly dangerous and should be kept in special metal containers.
Many fatal fires and accidents are the result of gas explosions. All the gas fixtures you use should have the stamp of
approval of the American Gas Association. This stamp of approval means that they have been tested and found to be safe.
If you smell gas in a room or basement don't look around for a gas leak with a bmatch. Many explosions and fires have been started this 'way. If you smell gas,open the windows and doors, and air outthe house. Then, check all the gas valvesto see that they are closed. If you smell gas 'when the valves are all closed, call the gas company. It maintains a special sef~~ ice department and will send servicemen to investigate and eliminate the trouble.
A fire heats the air and the gases generated by it. If the fire is in a bUildlrii:~ these hot gases rise and spread throughout the building. The gases become hotter and hotter as the fire continue us burn. Soon any flammable thing which these hot gases touch will burst into flame. It is not the flames, but the heatfrom the flames that causes a fire to spread rapidly
Firemen know that to prevent a small fire from becoming a big fire, they must get there quickly. Every minute counts. Sometimes they do things that appear foolish. They cut boles in the roof or break out windows in the upper floors when the fire is in the basement. They do this to let out the heal of the fire. because they know that heat is the greatest danger in a fire. If a fire starts in your
home, call tbe fire department at once. Be sure to give them your address.
One of the most important safety devices you can have in your home is a fire extinguisher. As you may know, water is not effective in putting out fires caused by burning gasoline, oil, or grease. Small hand extingishers that use chemicals are the best type for a home. They can be used on almost any type of fire.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 02 March 2008 )
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