How safe is your Home?

Middlemore Trauma Services see all too often the results of people who have accidents in and around their homes. “We like to think home is where the heart is and home is where it is safe - but looking at the figures, homes are also the site for many accidents and injuries,” says Middlemore Trauma Coordinator Helen Naylor.

Accidents that happen in the home can range from minor injuries like fingers that have been accidentally slammed in a door, to fatal deaths caused by falls from rooftops or down stairs.

The most common injuries that occur in the home are falls, hand injuries and burns.
Women tend to be more likely to have a fall in the home, unless the accident involves DIY, then the patients are nearly always men. Of 56 falls seen by Trauma services in the past month, more than a third happened in the home.

Of the 91 hand injuries seen at Middlemore in the same period, 40 happened at home, with 21 of these injuries involving glass. Glass sliding doors can be a danger. Adults or children often walk into or fall through these see-through doors and although it may not sound like a major accident, it has been known to cost people their lives. 63% of hand injuries to children involved a door, mainly with fingers of hands getting caught.

Middlemore also saw 16 patients with burns in the past month. 8 of these involved hot water. Burns occur frequently in kitchens when children are left unsupervised around cooking food, when a child pulls a pot of boiling water from the stove, or adults allow children to sit near the stove or hot elements. Too-hot bath water can also be dangerous to both adults and children.

“Last month Middlemore had 100 fewer patients admitted to hospital with an injury so hopefully the Think Safe message is getting through,” says Helen Naylor. “Why not take advantage of the winter weather and take the opportunity to safe-proof your home?” she says.

There are a number of easy and simple measures you can take to make your home safer for yourself and your family.

• Replace glass doors with safety glass and put markings on the door so people realise it is there.
• Secure items like rugs that people can trip on
• Use safety mats in bathroom to stop falls
• Install hand railing anywhere where slips and falls may occur (stairs, bathroom etc.)
• Take care around fires, especially splitting wood and loading fireplaces
• Run cold water into the bath first to prevent scalding and test the water before getting in.
• Keep an eye out for kids!

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