5 Common (But Often Overlooked) Safety Threats in the Home

Most of us feel that our homes are havens. We feel safe and secure from the chaos and dangers of the world around us when we are at home.

Unfortunately, we may not be as safe as we think we are because we face a number of safety threats while in our homes. We overlook a lot of these because they aren’t obvious.

What are these safety threats? Here are five of the most common.

Overlooked safety threats in the home

Unanchored furniture

Unanchored pieces of furniture (dressers, entertainment centers, bookshelves, etc. that aren’t secured to walls) are responsible for approximately 43,000 injuries each year in the U.S. Moreover, between 2000 and 2011, 349 individuals (84% of whom were children under age 9) died from toppling furniture (source). Thankfully, the solution to this safety threat is simple: Use low-cost, easy-to-install anchoring devices to secure furniture items so they don’t topple.

Carbon monoxide

Often referred to as the “silent killer,” carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that has no taste, no color, and no odor. Exposure to CO can lead to memory loss, personality changes, brain damage, and even death (source).

CO results from the incomplete burning of various fuels (e.g., coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, natural gas). Therefore, if you have gas appliances, equipment powered by internal combustion engines (e.g., cars, generators), barbecues, fireplaces, or wood burning stoves, then you need to install a CO detector on each floor of your home in order to protect your family. It’s also a good idea to abide by the following safety recommendations:

• Have gas, oil, and coal burning appliances installed by professionals. Have these appliances serviced by qualified technicians each year.
• Never use generators, barbecues, or camp stoves inside of your home (including in the garage) or near the windows to your home.
• Do not run cars or trucks inside attached garages.
• Only light fires in stoves and fireplaces that are vented to the exterior of your house. Have chimneys and flues checked annually for blockages, corrosion, and loose connections.
• Do not attempt to heat your house with a gas oven or stove.

Improperly stored chemicals and medications

Our homes are full of chemicals (e.g., medications, cleaning products, pesticides, automobile products). We often store these in various locations out of habit, so we don’t give a lot of thought to the safety of these locations. Though this may seem trivial, it’s not. Poisoning is actually the number one cause of unintentional injury-related death for all ages combined in the U.S. (source). In other words, poisoning from gasses, prescription drugs, and other chemicals kills more people annually than car accidents, drownings, or falls.

The first step in keeping our families safe is to evaluate what poisons may be in our homes (household cleaners and pesticides, gasses like CO and radon, medications, lead, etc.). We can then take steps to address each poison. Remember to always store harmful chemicals in their original, labeled containers in locked storage cabinets. Never leave these unattended when you are using them. Also, just in case you ever need it, keep the number for Poison Control handy: (800) 222-1222.

Recreational trampoline use

I realize that most families who own trampolines don’t have these inside their homes; however, this is still an important safety threat to consider. Each year, there are approximately 98,000 trampoline-related injuries in the U.S., resulting in over 3,000 hospitalizations (source). Injury rates are higher in children than in adults. Some trampoline-related injuries are minor (sprains, strains, and contusions), but many are serious (fractures, dislocations, and paralysis). In children aged 5 years and under, injuries tend to be more severe.

I know many families love their trampolines and/or enjoy visiting indoor jump parks. Despite this, it is important that we objectively consider the potential dangers of trampolines before allowing our families to play on them. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, no known safety measures (including pads and netting) decrease the injury risk. Therefore, it is safest to avoid recreational trampoline use in favor of other active outdoor activities (e.g., playgrounds, swing sets, organized sports, jump ropes).

Online scams, bullies, predators, and harmful content

Our kids may sit in the relative safety of our homes when they are online, but they can encounter a number of very serious safety threats that come from outside of the home. These threats include the following:

• Online scams
• Cyber bullies
• Identity thieves
• Sexual predators
• Pornography

The single most important thing we can do to protect our kids when they are using the internet is to be involved—to know what they are doing and with whom they are doing it. This involvement can take numerous forms (source):

• Keep your computer and tablets in common areas of the home (not in a child’s bedroom) so you can keep an eye on kids’ online activities.
• Social networking sites have age limits for users. Prohibit your children from joining the sites if they have not reached these.
• Advise your kids to never share their full names, address, phone number, school names, or other personal information on online profiles or in online forums.
• Require your kids to share their internet passwords with you.
• If your kids do have social media accounts, assist them in selecting appropriate privacy settings.
• Install internet filtering software that blocks porn sites and monitors/records instant messaging and chat room activity.
• If kids receive harassing or rude emails or instant messages, assist them in deleting their accounts and setting up new ones. Remind them to only share their email addresses and usernames with trusted friends and family.
• If online harassment persists, contact law enforcement. Always keep harassing emails and messages as proof.
• Ask your kids to tell you right away if someone they meet online asks them to meet in person or if they suspect they are receiving sexual solicitation. Report this to law enforcement and save any relevant emails or instant messages.
• Explain to your kids that once they have posted something online, it is there forever. Even if they delete photos and posts, these may have already been copied to public forums and websites.

Final thoughts

There is much to think about here. It takes a lot of thought and diligent work to keep our families safe, but it’s definitely worth it!

Had you given any thought to these safety threats? What things do you do to protect your family from them?

Shared at the following:

Tuesdays with a Twist,  Busy Monday, and Encouraging Hearts and Home.