Be Safety Smart

Periodically checking our surroundings and making changes to assure safety can avoid many accidents. Use the following as a checklist to see how safe you are and to determine what you need to do for your own protection. Plan ahead and make your house injury-proof to compensate for changing needs.

Inside Tips

Keep rooms free from clutter by discarding newspapers and magazines after you have read them. Rearrange furniture so that you can walk easily throughout your home without obstacles.

Keep floor surfaces smooth but not slippery. Be sure area rugs have skid-proof backing, are taped to the floor, or remove them from high traffic areas.

Shorten robes or pants that are too long. Wear low-heeled shoes that grip the floor rather than socks, stockings, or slippers.

Replace low-watt bulbs with brighter lights. Use nightlights in bathrooms, hallways, stairwells, and other strategic places throughout the house. Have a touch lamp by your bed as well as a flashlight with fresh batteries. Be able to turn on room lights with a switch by the door so you do not have to walk into a dark room to find a lamp.

Be sure electrical or extension cords are securely out of the traffic patterns. Use a cordless telephone or a phone with a retractable cord. Use a remote control for your TV.

Install handrails by steps inside and outside the house as well as on walls beside showers, tubs, and toilets.

Use rubber mats in the shower, tub, and laundry room. Use a plastic chair with a back and nonskid tips in the shower. Install a flexible shower nozzle.

Avoid using space heaters. If they are necessary, keep them away from flammable materials and out of traffic areas.

Install and keep fresh batteries in smoke and heat detectors throughout the house. Install fire extinguishers near the kitchen and workrooms. Have an escape route planned from all areas of the house in case of fire.

(This article will be continued in the fall issue of PrimeLine)