Safety starts in the home
Did you know that the leading causes of accidental deaths in the home are poisoning and falls? While your California home insurance does not provide cover for injuries you suffer in your own home, you may be reassured to know that it can provide protection for the cost of lawsuits filed by a guest who is accidentally injured in your home.
After living in the same home for a while it’s easy to get complacent about safety and fail to notice potential hazards. If you’ve become a little nonchalant about home safety, take a few minutes to look around and see whether you can identify any risks. If you’re not sure where to start, why not look at some areas like these, where you and your guests may be at risk.
• Clutter. Keep clutter off the floor and away from doorways and passageways.
• Floors. Use rugs with non-slip backing. Clear up any spilt liquids or food peelings immediately to avoid slips.
• Lighting. To avoid falls in dim lighting conditions, have night lights or battery lights in bedrooms, halls and bathrooms. Have light switches fitted at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Steps and stairs. Make sure that steps and stairs are kept in good repair and that strong handrails are firmly attached.
• Medicine cabinet. When you have finished a course of medication, dispose of any unused pills or potions safely.
• Kitchen. Never store inedible substances such as cleaning products in the same place as food.
• Garden shed. Keep your garden shed securely locked to avoid children getting access to poisonous weed killers and pest control remedies.
• Because you can never prevent all accidents, be prepared for the worst: have emergency contact details somewhere handy so that you can call for medical help quickly. Keep contact numbers for ambulance and other medical services, and it’s a good idea to have details of your home insurance policy handy, too.
Start your home safety audit by eliminating some of the household hazards that have the most potential to cause accidental poisoning and falls, and you will be well on the way to making your home a safer place for you and your guests.
