Preventing Unintentional Injury in and Around the Home

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States unitentional injury is the first leading cause of death among children under the age of 19. Many of these injuries occur in and around the home but they can be prevented. Dangers to children in the home may not even be recognized until it is too late. The three leading causes for unexpected injury or death of children in the home are suffocation, motor vehicle injury, and drowning. These tragedies can be avoiding by learning what dangers to look out for and how to stop accidents from happening. Typical items found in and around the home can easily injure and kill children when no one is looking. Here are some tips on making your home a safer place.

Exercise Equipment
Home use of exercise equipment is fairly common in the United States but can pose dangers to small children, pets, and the elderly. Many homes have some sort of exercise machinery like treadmills, ellipticals, and weight benches. After use of exercise equipment you should disconnect the power by taking the plug out of the wall and also by removing the safety key/card/magnet so the machine becomes unoperable. Children are very smart and can learn how to operate a treadmill or elliptical by watching you do it only once. Store the safety card/key/magnet in a separate room or locked cabinet/drawer. Follow all safety precautions set forth by the manufacturer and do not allow children to play on or around exercise equipment. Use locks to secure weight benches to avoid children pinching or even cutting off their fingers in moving parts. Treadmills can be especially dangerous because the friction of the belt can cause burns and severe damage to the skin should an accident occur. Be sure to check all the locks and safety features when you are done operating your exercise equipment to avoid accidental injury.