Safety and the prevention of accidents in the home are some of the areas that are considered to be very important. Often, we incur injuries that can easily be prevented. It is even more important to take the two factors into considerations when there are children and the elderly at home. Following are a few tips on promoting safety and preventing accidents.

The first step is to identify the age groups that are present and modifying the environment accordingly to help decrease or eliminate accidents that may result in injuries. Education is an important factor. This includes showing children simple procedures such as washing hands after using the bathroom (toilet) and before touching any food. During this teaching process it is very important to take into account the age groups in the home because some educational materials may not be suitable for certain age groups.

Improving safety at home may also include enforcing the regulations or laws that can modify the behavior of the age group or people at risk the most. Looking at the risks involved individually can help a great deal.

Another factor is that it is very vital to have all the most important phone numbers in readily accessible locations. This includes the emergency number, poison control number, your family physician number and other important numbers.

Parents and children can recognize dangerous items in the home by using childproofing products. Many factors should be considered such as falls, infection, injuries, burns, suffocation, drowning, and inhalation, ingestion of poison/foreign bodies, guns and substance abuse. Statistics show that each of these factors is predominant in one individual age group and not others.

For example, infections are high in neonates and can easily be prevented by washing hands frequently. Falls are also a highest risk in infants and can be prevented by closely supervising children. Burns are the highest risks among the school-aged children and teaching them about prevention of accidents can promote safety in this age group. Drowning is another safety risk highest among adolescents. Teaching adolescents about responsibilities, about the new world of freedoms that accompany being a teenager, can help equip them with the knowledge they need to face the dangers and risks when they are on their own.