With so much to do in the house, you only want to finish the chores as quickly as possible. We sometimes overlook the hazards we’re facing. This is possible when we can effortlessly carry out these house tasks. It’s dangerous, especially if we’re around children. The last thing we want to happen is to inflict injuries on ourselves and family members.
After all, accidents are inevitable even when we’re inside our homes. The best thing to do is to prevent them from occurring. This is doable if we are mindful of safety. Some tasks look harmless, but they pose underlying dangers if not done properly. Here are some tips to help you avoid the perils of simple house chores.
Trim lawn while the kids are not around
Your children could be the most prone to endangerment when they’re around lawnmowers. Weed whackers are equally dangerous. A Nationwide Children’s Hospital study shows that lawnmower-related injuries send an average of 13 children to the hospital per day.
The most common injuries children get are cuts and burns. A way to prevent this emergency is to do lawn mowing while your children are not around. Keep them inside the house while the task is being done. It’s important to keep the lawn care tools away from children too. Store them in safe storage. Another effective way of preventing injuries is to teach your children about safety. Let them know why they can’t be around these tools. It’s an effective way to give your kids a little sense of responsibility for their own safety.
Observe safety while cooking
Kitchen tasks are fun, especially for those who love cooking and baking. But this can also pose a threat to your overall safety. Let’s start with the most common. People who cook know how burns from frying oil can hurt them. It is recommended to wash the infected area with water and soap. You can wrap it in gauze to prevent infection. Your first aid kit should always be ready. Ovens and toasters can cause injuries too. Their hot surfaces are enough to cause you serious burns. You should always be careful while operating them.
Another hazard in cooking can occur while preparing the food. Improper handling of ingredients can cause food poisoning. Raw foods and contaminated utensils harbor bacteria and viruses. You want to make sure that foods are cooked well to eradicate them. Cooking utensils should also be washed well before using. Do these to prevent food-to-food cross-contamination.
Be careful while using step tools and ladders
There are places in the house that are hard to reach. Step tools and ladders could come in handy for these tasks. However, an alarming number of incidents in the US have caused ladder-related injuries. CDC records about 300 deaths every year due to ladder accidents. Many of these deaths might have happened in the workplace. But this doesn’t mean that using ladders for home chores is less dangerous. Falling from a fairly high place is very plausible if you’re using ladders for a task. It can be fatal for some.
Use sturdy step tools and ladders. It’s also important to mention that you can avoid risking your lives for these tasks. This advice goes out to people whose body coordination isn’t that precise anymore. Leave the ceiling light installations to the electricians. Have leaf gutter protection systems installed so that you won’t pick leaves from your gutters anymore. Place stuff that accumulates dust in places where you can easily reach them. In this way, you won’t have to use step tools to do clean them anymore.
Handle chemicals properly
Mistaking household or gardening chemicals for beverages isn’t exclusive to children only. Hence, it’s crucial to put them in the right storage and label them correctly. Some could accidentally chug a colorless chemical and mistake it for water. It could happen if the victim is exhausted from a morning jog. This is why leaving these chemicals in their original containers is strongly recommended. Label them clearly if you have children. It’s essential to lock these chemicals away when not in use. Poisoning is highly possible if you’re not careful in keeping your household and gardening essentials.
Don’t leave some appliances plugged
Appliances like induction cookers or flat irons should not be left turned on. Unplug them if necessary. These appliances can heat up and injure your family members. More importantly, let your children know that these appliances can harm them. Teach them to check if these appliances are plugged in before touching them. But of course, prevention is better. Make it a point not to leave these appliances plugged after using them.
Practice the implementation of safety measures while performing house chores. Impart these safety guidelines to everyone in the house too. Being extra cautious is a good way to prevent injuries that can happen even at home.
