Americans
Overlooking Potential Safety Improvements in the Home;
Preventable Home Injuries Result in 20 Million Medical Visits a
Year
WILKESBORO,
N.C., June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Your home may be hazardous to your
family's health. Although a new survey commissioned by the Home
Safety Council shows 61.2 percent of Americans polled report
they are making safety improvements in their home, some of the
most important improvements are being overlooked, which could be
a fatal mistake:
-
64
percent report they have never planned or practiced a home
fire escape plan with their family
-
Of
the 1,000 Americans polled, poison prevention was not
mentioned as a safety practice employed in the home
"It
is disturbing that some of the most basic yet effective safety
practices are being ignored in homes across America," said
Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. "If more
people realized their actual risk of injury in their homes, I
believe they would be willing to invest the small amount of time
it takes to make their homes safer."
More
than 37 percent of the respondents reported they don't make
safety improvements in their home at all. Of these, the majority
said they do not know what to do make their homes safer,
underscoring the need for greater and more consistent home
safety education in communities across America.
Home
Safety Month Education - Check it Out, Check it Off
The
Home Safety Council is dedicating the month of June -- Home
Safety Month -- to helping the public become better informed and
better equipped to prevent injuries in the home.
According
to the Home Safety Council's exclusive research study The State
of Home Safety in America(TM) some 20 million medical visits
were required for treatment of home injuries last year. Leading
causes of unintentional home injuries are: fires/burns,
slips/falls and poisonings. Throughout Home Safety Month, the
Home Safety Council will be encouraging the public to consider
their home's danger areas and take some simple steps to minimize
their risk from potential injuries, or even death. The
public is invited to access free information and resources
available on www.homesafetycouncil.org, including an online quiz
to assess your home safety aptitude and a Home Safety Month
checklist to help safeguard your loved ones from home injuries.
"Just
a few simple steps can dramatically reduce the dangers in most
homes and may even make a lifesaving difference," Appy
says.
The
Home Safety Month checklist features some steps every household
should consider, including:
Fires/Burns
-
Install
smoke alarms on every level of your home and in or near
all bedrooms, and test the batteries at least once a month
so you'll know they are working.
-
Plan
a home fire drill and practice it at least twice a year.
Memorize the fire department's emergency telephone number.
-
Use
safety covers in electrical outlets and anti-scald devices
in faucets in homes with young children.
Slips/Falls
-
Make
sure all porches, hallways and stairwells are well lit.
Use the maximum safe wattage in light fixtures.
(Maximum wattage is typically posted inside light
fixtures.)
-
Use
a non-slip mat, or install strips or decals in bathtubs
and showers.
-
Install
grab bars in bath and shower stalls.
Poisonings
-
Keep
medicines and household chemicals and cleaners up high,
out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked
cabinet.
-
Install
a carbon monoxide detector near sleeping areas in the
home.
-
Put
your poison control center number (1.800.222.1222) near
every phone.
"Throughout
our lifetimes, Americans are more likely to be injured at home
than anywhere else," said Appy. "Preventable home
injuries cost our society nearly $380 billion a year. The simple
truth is that Americans need to do more to be safer at home.
The Home Safety Council is committed to helping
them."
The
Home Safety Council survey was conducted by ICR in May 2003 and
included approximately 1,000 telephone interviews among men and
women ages 18 years and older. The margin of error for this
study is plus or minus 2.8 percent. The State of Home
Safety in America 2002 report was conducted by the University of
North Carolina's Injury Prevention Research Center.
About
Home Safety Council
The
Home Safety Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated
solely to the prevention of and education about home injuries.
Originally founded by Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse in
1993, the Council is an independent, 501c3, charitable
organization with the mission to inspire, educate and motivate
society to prevent injuries and save lives through better home
safety practices.
SOURCE
Home Safety Council
CO: Home Safety Council
ST: North Carolina
SU: SVY
Web
site: http://www.homesafetycouncil.org
