Awareness into Action

Committing to Keep Your Family Safe

By Mark Stackpole

Everyone knows that home is where the heart is. What fewer people may be aware of is that home can also be where many dangers lie. The Home Safety Council (HSC) is a national organization dedicated to preventing home injuries. Its overall mission is to "educate and empower families to take actions that help keep them safer in and around their homes." Given the statistics surrounding household injuries, it's clear that this mission is an important one.

In its State of Home Safety in America Report 2004, the HSC found that, on average, there are nearly 20,000 deaths due to unintentional home injury per year. On top of that, an average of 21 million medical visits also result from injuries suffered in the home.

"Keeping loved ones safe at home requires a daily commitment," says Meri-K Appy, president of HSC. "We want families across America to realize that a safe home is in their hands and to put that awareness into action each and every day."

Families might be surprised to learn that falls account for an average of 6,000 deaths and 5.1 million injuries per year. Not as surprising is the fact that older adults are most vulnerable to this type of accident. "Common slipping and tripping hazards that are easy to fix are too frequently overlooked in American households," says Appy. The HSC recommends families perform a home safety walk through to minimize the risk of tripping and falling. Make sure to address such common problems as floor clutter, poorly lit hallways and stairwells and slippery surfaces such as bathtubs or throw rugs without liners.

Christopher Campbell is a single father living in Campbell, Calif. As his 12-year-old son Dominic has grown up, Campbell has found that his home safety concerns also have grown. "When Dominic was an infant, I made it a point to restructure my living style in accordance with his immune system," he says. This included everything from frequent dusting and vacuuming to the use of air purifiers. "Once he became mobile, I moved onto the next step of childproofing the house – outlet plug covers, tables with rounded corners and safety latches on kitchen and bathroom cabinets," says Campbell.

Of course, homes with children must pay even closer attention to safety. While all parents are theoretically familiar with childproofing, there is always room for improvement. Are poisonous materials out of the reach of children? Children younger than age 5 experience the highest rate of nonfatal poisonings. Are the stairs protected by safety gates? Are window guards (with a quick-release emergency mechanism) installed on upstairs windows? Has furniture been moved away from the windows to prevent children from reaching them? Remember that falls are the leading cause of injuries in the home. Are you keeping an eye on kids while they are in the bathtub or swimming in the pool? Even buckets with a little water can put a child at risk for drowning, which causes an average of more than 800 deaths per year, with children younger than 5 again being the most vulnerable.

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