Nurse’s Notes: June is Home Safety Month

Ask Americans where they feel safest and most will say their own home. However, unintentional injuries in the home result in nearly 21 million medical visits on average each year.*

The Home Safety Council dedicates the month of June – Home Safety Month – to educate and empower both families and businesses to take actions that will make homes safe.

“We hope to bring attention to the serious problem of preventable home injuries and its leading causes: and falls, poisonings and fires and burns,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. “Just a few simple steps can dramatically reduce the dangers in most homes and may even make a lifesaving difference.”

Throughout Home Safety Month, the Home Safety Council encourages the public to consider their home’s danger areas and take some simple steps to minimize their risk from potential injuries, or even death.

Fires/Burns

·            Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and in or near all bedrooms, and test the batteries at least once a month so you’ll know they are working.

·           Plan a home fire drill and practice it at least twice a year. Memorize the fire department’s emergency telephone number.

·           Use safety covers in electrical outlets and anti-scald devices in faucets in homes with young children.

Falls

·           Make sure all porches, hallways and stairwells are well lit. Use the maximum safe wattage in light fixtures. (Maximum wattage is typically posted inside light fixtures.)

·           Use a non-slip mat, or install strips or decals in bathtubs and showers.

·           Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls.

Poisonings

·           Keep medicines and household chemicals and cleaners up high, out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet.

·           Install a carbon monoxide detector near sleeping areas in the home.

·           Put your poison control center number (1.800.222.1222) near every phone.

Visit the Home Safety Resource Center at www.homesafetycouncil.org to review and download free information, including posters, brochures, safety checklists and additional tips to help safeguard your family.

*Through years 1996-2000, based on The State of Home Safety in America™ report, Second Edition.

The parish nurse program at Salem Lutheran Church is sponsored by Southwest Minnesota Initiative.