Home Safety Resources (02)

Electrical Safety Foundation International
The Electrical Safety Foundation International mission is to reduce electrically related deaths and injuries through vigilant public education. The organizations sites provides home safety materials addressing such items as conducting an electrical safety audit of your home. The site includes articles and links concerning audio safety tips, home electrical safety tips, home electrical safety quiz, and a home safety question and answer page. Here are the facts: According to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, between 1994 and 1998 there was an average of 406,700 residential fires per year, approximately 69,000, or 17%, of which were related to electrical distribution or appliances and equipment. Another 42,700, or 10.5 % were related to heating and air conditioning systems. These combined to cause an average of 860 deaths, 4,785 injuries and nearly $1.3 billion in property damage annually. Additionally, 170 of the 440 total accidental electrocutions in 1999 in the U.S. were related to consumer products in and around the home, and approximately 8,700 people were treated for electric shock injuries related to consumer products in the U.S. in 2000.

Home Safety by RoSPA
This is the site of the UK's Royal Society for the prevention of Accidents 9RoSPA), whose mission is to save lives and reduce injuries through accident prevention. The site offers many tips to prevent injury, prevent falls, stroke prevention, home accessibility, home safety, and more are included. Tips for being safe at home, room by room, are also included. Shower equipment can be adapted to improve both safety and independence. Use hand-held showerheads, long handled sponges, simple tub benches and skid-proof rubber mats. Shower curtains are safer than shower doors. Toilets can be installed with a wide variety of enhancements to improve safety such as simple grab bars or specially designed commode chairs. Pipes that are exposed should be insulated to prevent burns and scrapes. This is important if you have toddlers who can squeeze into small places. Faucets can be converted to single lever handles and sensor eyes can be used so you don't have to use your hands. Skip-proof rugs and rubber mats are encouraged to prevent falls in the bathroom. In the kitchen, cabinets often have shelves that are too high to reach safely. Store frequently used items on the lowest shelf, at waist level, or on the counter. Avoid using step stools and never stand on a chair to reach high items. More tips are included for rooms of the house.

Standards for Security Gate Construction Discussed in this Online Forum
Read the comments posted here or join in the discussion about how safety gates are built. Whether you are interested in having a security gate installed or are merely curious, you will find it interesting reading.

Medicine Cabinet Safety Tips
Your medicine cabinet should be safe place especially if you have young children and elderly people who are living with you. To protect them from harm, presented in this article are six simple medicine cabinet safety tips. This includes regular checking if there are already expired medicines inside and making sure that it is properly locked. You should also avoid mixing different pills in one container and using the original container so that the recommended dosage on the label can easily be seen. And because some medications should not be in a humid environment, you might need a separate location for them.

Get the Facts About Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk
This page by the National Cancer Institute is about asbestos exposure and disease risk. Find out what this material is, how it was traditionally used in home and building construction. The page explains what the health hazards to asbestos exposure are, and who is most at risk for becoming ill due to exposure. You'll learn what factors affect the risk of developing an asbestors-related disease. It explains why smoking contributes to asbestos-related disease and how this condition is diagnosed. A list of programs and organizations to help those who may be considering making an asbestos claim is provided.