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Do you have hazards in your home?
By Phill Sherring
Housing New Zealand, along with the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), is encouraging you to make your home safer and hazard free.
That's why in this issue of Close to Home we have inserted a spot the difference activity, highlighting some of the many possible hazards that may be lurking in your home.
This is a fun activity for kids! So take the time to sit down with them and compare the differences in the two homes - but no peeking at the answers on the back. There are 20 visible differences for you to find. Then together look around your own home to try and find some of the listed hazards and maybe some additional ones (and make sure you do something to make them safe!).
ACC also has a range of other fun home safety activities for kids on the website www.homesafety.co.nz.
Home injury facts
- A New Zealander injures themselves in the home every 44 seconds
- A child dies every two weeks from an injury in the home
- Slips, trips and falls are the cause of over half of all moderate to serious home injuries
- 40% of New Zealand homes have dangerously hot water
- If you have three standard alcoholic drinks in six hours, you're 12 times more likely to fall
- In 2007, 22,000 people injured themselves at home using some kind of tool
Safety Tips
Latest statistics from ACC show that the home is the most common place for New Zealanders to be injured. In 2008, ACC estimated that more than 650,000 New Zealanders would sustain a home injury, with 36,000 requiring hospitalisation and a possible 500 cases leading to death.
We all need to take steps to keep ourselves and our families safe. The steps are often very simple but could save lives. Here are ACC's five top tips for helping make your home safe.
- Use non-slip mats in the shower and bath.
Many people are injured when they slip over in the shower or bath, or on wet floors. Use a non-slip mat and mop up any water that you see.
- Make sure your stairs are well lit, and always use the handrail.
Inside, install a light switch at both ends of the stairs. Always keep a hand on the handrail and get one fitted if necessary.
- Wear non-slip shoes or slippers on wooden floors.
You can easily slip or trip if you're wearing socks on a wooden floor. Non-slip shoes or slippers are much safer.
- Make sure that you can see sliding glass doors.
The easiest way to see the glass is to put stickers on it.
- Always play it safe with ladders.
Always keep three points of contact on a ladder at all times and never over-reach sideways. If you are concerned at all about the safety of your home, please contact your tenancy manager.
