Celebrate Home Safety Month in June

During the month of June, the Home Safety Council celebrates Home Safety Month! The theme for this year’s Home Safety Month campaign is "Hands on Home Safety."

Home safety is of particular concern to people who are trying to sell a home. If a potential buyer is hurt on your property, instead of unloading a house you might gain a lawsuit!

The Home Safety Council (HSC) is an organization which encourages people to take easy steps toward making their homes safer for people and pets. For this year's Home Safety Month, HSC suggests simple hands-on steps to create a safer home environment from the five leading causes of home injury: falls, poisonings, fires and burns, choking or suffocation, and drowning.  Many household accidents like these can be avoided with precautionary measures!

Falls are the leading cause of injury at home, according to the HSC. Steps that can be take to prevent falls include:

• Make sure that stairwells and hallways are well-lit
• Stairs should have handrails on both sides, secured along the full length of the stairway
• Fix uneven or broken stairs
• Ensure the halls and stairs are unobstructed
• Make certain that smooth walking surfaces are dry
• Place rugs at doorways and in the kitchen in front of the sink to provide traction in potentially slick walking areas

Falls can easily happen outdoors, too. Cracks in the asphalt that result in uneven pavement or a gap can cause people to trip. The concrete doesn't need to be entirely replaced, however. Mud jacking and sand jacking services can help to raise part of the concrete to reduce the gap. Landscaped paths with brickwork or stepping stones that have become uneven over time should be re-leveled.

Check out the safety articles HSC has provided for a variety of potential issues, including fire, water, cooking and child safety. It also might be worth checking out their summer safety guide.