How safe is your home?
Do you think your home meets standards to decrease the chances that an unintentional injury may occur in your home? Some of you may think so, but the truth of the matter is that most homes are not safe for those living within their walls.
Home safety has become an issue in public health as the number of unintentional injuries in America continues to grow.
Unintentional injuries can possibly lead to injuries that could have long-term effects, a decrease in quality of life or death. Some causes of unintentional injuries are falls, poisoning and fires.
The state of Mississippi has the second highest rate of unintentional home injury deaths. Mississippi also leads the nation in the number of deaths caused by fires or burns.
According to a survey conducted by the Home Safety Council, parents don't consider safety a priority for several reasons:
-Approximately 32 percent do not know what actions to take.
-An estimated 24 percent do not have enough time.
-About 13 percent think that home improvements are too expensive.
-Approximately 9 percent have more important safety concerns.
Of these same parents, an estimated 75 percent identified poison exposures, falls or choking as the primary safety concern for their young children, with fires and drowning a distant concern.
According to the Home Safety Council's State of Home Safety in America, fires, burns and drowning are the leading causes of injury-related deaths in the home for children ages 1-4.
Here are some of the biggest home-safety concerns and prevention strategies recommended by the Home Safety Council:
Falls
According to the Home Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the home for most age groups, as well as the leading cause of non-fatal home injury for children under the age of 15. Falls from stairs or steps are among the most serious, causing nearly 20 percent of all fall-related deaths at home.
To prevent falls:
-Conduct a home safety walk through and identify fall-related hazards in and around the home.
-Install proper lighting at the top and bottom of stairways.
-For homes with young children, install baby gates at the top and bottom of stairways.
-Always keep stairways and hallways clear of clutter.
Poison
Often times, adults tend to take for granted small things that could possibly cause potential bodily harm. Such items as medications, cleaners, automotive fluids and pesticides are constantly overlooked in America's households as potential dangers to young children.
According to research conducted by the Home Safety Council, children 5 years old and younger experience the highest rate of non-fatal poison exposures at home and surprisingly more than 80 percent of families put children at risk by failing to keep dangerous items in locked locations.
Of the American families polled, an estimated 72.3 percent of American families do not have the Poison Control Hotline phone number posted next to every phone.
To prevent accidental poisonings:
-Post the Poison Control Hotline phone number, which is 800-222-1222, along with other emergency phone numbers next to every phone.
-Keep potentially poisonous items in a locked cabinet.
Fires, Burns and Scalds
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, emergency rooms treated more than 60,000 scald injuries in the latest year studied. One of every three cases were among children under the age of 15.
Of all the burn-related injuries, tap water scalds were the most serious type of scald injury and the primary source of scalds at home. Of parents polled, approximately 71.5 percent of American parents do not know the correct water temperature setting is 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
To prevent scalds:
-Make sure water heater is set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
-Test hot water tap.
-Turn on cold water first, then add hot water to desired temperature.
-Stay within arm's reach and pay close attention whenever young children are around water.
To prevent home fires:
-Install smoke alarms on all levels.
-Test smoke alarms each month to make sure they are working.
-Plan and practice home fire drills.
Although these are not big changes, they are likely to decrease the chances of an unintentional injury from occurring.
For additional information, contact your local health department regarding home safety.
Information may also be found on the Home Safety Council's Web site at http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/homesafetymonth.
-Courtney Young, who grew up in Greenwood, is a research assistant and interviewer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is currently working on the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. She may be contacted by e-mail at youngcj@uab.edu.
