Most common places for at-home accidents and how to reduce the risks

Kitchen

The most common place for at home accidents by quite a significant margin, a survey conducted by National Accident Helpline¹ revealed that 60% of those polled had some sort of accident in their kitchens in the past 12 months.

The risks

The most common causes of kitchen related accidents are:

·         Injuries caused by knives and other sharp utensils

·         Fires

·         Spilling liquids and in turn, slipping on the floor

Reducing the risks

While we’re not experts on knife technique in the kitchen, we can recommend products in our range that can reduce your risk of accidents.

Drawer Organisers/Cutlery Trays

Although most kitchen incidents involving knives occur when they are being used, accidents can occur if they are not stored properly, leaving blades exposed on communal surfaces and the risk of knives being knocked off of a counter and potentially causing injury to the lower extremities.

A great way to ensure that knives and other sharp utensils are stored safely, while maintaining an organised environment within your kitchen, is with a Drawer Organiser or Cutlery Tray. These handy trays slot right in to kitchen drawers to ensure that not only do your utensils have a place to go, but are stored in such a way that they are contained in their designated section, further boosting safety.

You can find Drawer Organisers, Cutlery Trays and more in our range of Kitchen Storage Solutions.

Fire Extinguishers/Fire Blankets

According to stats provided by AgeCo² in 2019-2020, 15,702 fires in domestic properties started in the kitchen. To combat this common issue, standard firefighting methods can be applied.

For kitchen fires in particular, your best choice for a Fire Extinguisher is a Wet Chemical Extinguisher. This type of Extinguisher can not only tackle fires caused by solid combustible materials and flammable liquids, but is also specifically formulated to put out fires caused by combustible cooking matter, such as cooking oil or burning fat.

Alternatively, Fire Blankets are a convenient and compact way to deprive a kitchen fire of the oxygen it needs and extinguish it quickly.

Garden

The next most common area for accidents was the garden, with 33% of participants stating that they’d had some form of accident in the garden in the past 12 months. In fact, there are approximately 6,500 incidents a year just caused by lawnmowers.

The risks

The most common causes of garden related accidents are:

·         Misuse/accidents involving lawnmowers

·         Misuse/accidents of other power tools

·         Misuse/accidents involving sharp gardening tools

Reducing the risks

Whether you’re using power tools or more traditional methods of gardening, there are simple and effective methods you can use to keep yourself safe.

Personal Protective Equipment

The core mechanics and functionality of a standard lawnmower involves spinning blades, and this motion comes with the issue of unseen objects being caught in the blades and being thrown towards the user. This can lead to a whole host of injuries, but with the right precautions in place, they can be easily avoided.

When working with lawnmowers, investing in the correct PPE such as Goggles and Gloves can protect your eyes and hands from many small objects that may be thrown from the blades of a lawnmower, and can be reused for multiple jobs that involve similar risks.

Maintenance Sprays & Lubricants

It is pretty common knowledge that if most things are not properly maintained, they will not function at their best, and this is very much the case for power tools.

If power tools are not properly lubricated, there is a risk of blockages and within the tools internal mechanisms, which increases the risk of overheating, and therefore malfunctioning and possibly causing injury.

We stock a range of Maintenance Sprays and Lubricants that will keep your power tools working as they should, from top brands including Soudal and WD-40.

Bathroom

Another common area for household accidents is the bathroom, with 26% of respondents reporting that they had experienced some sort of accident or injury in the bathroom in the last 12 months.

The risks

The most common causes of bathroom related accidents are:

·         Slips and falls associated with wet surfaces

·         Accidental ingestion of substances

Reducing the risks

Bathroom accidents and injuries can be seriously harmful at all ages, with the head and neck injuries being among the most common, but we have the products you need to keep everyone safe at all times.

Grab Rails

Stepping out of a bathtub is one of the riskier things a lot of us do day to day, and for the older population this can be particularly difficult.

However, this problem can be easily solved with our range of easy to install Grab Rails. Providing extra support to those who need it, these Grab Rails can be added beside bathtubs to ensure a smooth transition in and out of a bathtub or even a shower.

We stock a range of Bathroom Hardware and Assisted Living products that are perfectly suited to anyone that may need a helping hand.

Bathroom Cabinets

Bathrooms along with kitchens are often places where potentially dangerous items are stored, from razors and electric shavers to cleaning products and medications.

These items can pose a potential risk to young children in particular, with curiosity possibly leading to a dangerous situation. This is why it is best practice to keep these kinds of items stored away safely, and the best way to do this is by investing in a Bathroom Cabinet.

We offer Single and Double Bathroom Cabinets that are perfect for varying sizes of households, and for extra protection, you can find Childproof Locks to make sure access is as limited as possible.

Unfortunately, accidents are very common place around the home, but installing and using products such as these can significantly reduce the chance of incidents such as these occurring.

References:

https://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/news/post/accidents-home

https://www.ageco.co.uk/viewpoint/insurance/how-many-kitchen-fires-happen-each-year/