To commemorate National Safety Month in June, Handi-Ramp recently launched their
Residential Safety Hub, a new and simple way to find solutions to protect unsafe areas in and outside of your home. Ensuring that our homes are safe is a top priority for nearly everyone, from installing smoke detectors or guard railings, to security systems.
Let’s explore five areas in and outside of the home that can be potentially hazardous and how you can make them safer:
Make My Bathroom Safer
The bathroom can be one of the most dangerous rooms in our home, especially for the elderly.
- Always keep the bathroom floor as clean and clear as possible to avoid a tripping hazard.
- Floor mats with a gripped backing secured in and outside of the bath tub can help reduce the risk of a fall.
- Keep the bathroom floor as dry as possible (easier said than done, I know) as it doesn’t take much water on the floor for someone to slip and fall.
- Installing grab bars, super poles, toilet support rails and clear people treads on the floor can greatly reduce the risk of falling in the bathroom. (Side note: do NOT use towel bars as a grab bar, unless designed to be both a towel and grab bar these will not hold the weight of a person which could lead to injury). Visit https://handiramp.com/residential-safety/make-my-bathroom-safer/ to learn more about products that can make your bathroom safer.
Make My Kitchen Safer
Kitchens can be hazardous for a number of reasons from sharp utensils to slippery floors, the kitchen requires careful attention for safety and contamination issues.
- Wash your hands before and after handling food, especially raw items such as eggs and meat.
- Clean the fridge at least once a week to prevent aged foods from growing moldy and contaminating other foods in your fridge.
- Avoid floor cleaners and waxes that leave a slippery coating. They may make the floors shine and look beautiful but could lead to a slip and fall if too slick.
Make My Indoor Stairs Safer
In 2012 CBS reported that a child under the age of 5 falls down the stairs every 6 minutes and nearly 100,000 children were treated in the ER from 1999-2008 for falling down stairs.
- Keep the stairs clear of clutter at all times. That means no sports equipment, jackets, shoes, backpacks… nothing should be on the stairs besides your feet.
- Be sure the railing is securely bolted into the wall or staircase. If loose, reinforce the railing as soon as possible as this could cause a fall for someone who loses their balance.
- Install a safety gate if you have animals or small children that shouldn’t be using the stairs by themselves. Make sure the railing is properly installed and never leave children or animals unattended while the safety gate is in use.
- If you have wooden stairs install non-skid, clear People Treads to help gain traction while walking up and down the stairs. This also helps pets who have trouble walking on slick stairs and floors. To learn more about products to help keep your indoor stairs safer visit https://handiramp.com/residential-safety/make-my-kitchen-safer/
Make My Front Steps Safer
The front stairs are usually the main entrance of the home so pay close attention to slip and fall hazards.
- Make sure your front steps are well lit, especially in the evening hours. If the bulb burns out on your porch light replace it as soon as possible.
- Guard railings are vital to have installed securely alongside your front steps. Even if the steps are not that steep it can make a world of difference for someone who loses their balance while using the stairs.
- Be sure that the relation of the rise and run are average to avoid missteps. Average front steps will have an 8″ rise and a 9″ run to avoid stumbling.
- Install non slip HandiTreads to provide more traction on the steps. If your stairs are corroded you can install Composigrip Stair Covers to help preserve what is still left of the stairs. This is not only a safe alternative but it is also more cost effective than installing a new front steps. For more information on products to help keep your front steps safe visit https://handiramp.com/residential-safety/make-my-front-steps-safer/
Make My Deck Safer
Decks can pose a slip and fall hazard, especially if recently varnished or the wood is deteriorating.
- Splitting or decaying wood can pose a huge structural problem and could hurt someone. Replace aged wood when necessary.
- Check that your railings and banisters are secure when pushed and that they are high enough so no one can fall over. Banisters are typically 4 inches apart so children and animals can not push their way through this space.
For a full list of products to make your home safer visit Handi-Ramp’s
Residential Safety Hub
