Safely Home for the Holidays

By theadmin

Your grandparents or elderly neighbors down the street. Your sister and her toddler from the Panhandle. Young and old and in between, they come to make merry. Take a few extra precautions before the hoards of in-laws, relatives, cousins, and friends gather to safely celebrate the season. 

Here’s a household guide to upping your safety game when visitors come. 

Bathrooms

  • Put mats down. If guests are injured, they may not be able to call for help. The CDC recommends that you place nonslip mats in and near showers and tubs.
  • Store medicines out of reach. Don’t forget to remove pill bottles and other drugs from medicine cabinets so they are out of children’s reach.
  • Latch lower cabinets. Curious toddlers may get into cleaning supplies. (This goes for the kitchen, too!)

Stairs

Shaky banisters and cluttered stairs can lead to falls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends:

  • Installing or repairing railings.
  • Installing fresh light bulbs in stairwells.
  • Clearing clutter that could trip you or your guests.
  • Installing safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs if young children come to visit.

Entertainment

You may love your flat-screen mounted on the wall, but curious kids may climb on furniture and tug on TVs, causing them to topple.

Kandis Wilborn, a health education specialist at the Center for Childhood Injury Prevention at Texas Children’s Hospital, says a 26-inch CRT TV falling 3 feet creates the same momentum as a 1-year-old child falling 10 stories.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends anchoring furniture to the wall or the floor. Place TVs on sturdy, low bases, and push the TV as far back on the furniture as possible.

Around the House

  • Use nonslip rugs. Tripping and slipping can lead to broken hips and head injuries. Use rugs with nonslip backing, or add rug pads and adhesives.
  • Store electrical cords. Keep electrical cords neatly out of the way to prevent tripping.

Decorating for the holidays? Learn how to deck the halls safely here.

© 2014 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance