Slip and falls are one of the leading causes of injuries at home. They can happen to any member of the family. Even guests can also become a victim of slip and fall. Slippery floors, cluttered hallways, electrical cords, and rickety stairs are just a few of the many reasons why a person can slip and fall inside your home.

Making your home slip and fall free doesn’t necessarily mean a complete house remodel. All you need to do is to make a couple of preventive actions and basic changes within your home so everyone can be safe from slip and fall accidents.

1. Clean up the clutter around your home

One of the easiest and simplest ways to make your home slip and fall free is to keep it neat and organized, which means you have to clean up all the clutter around your house. This includes toys, stacks of magazines or old newspapers, shoes, and other objects that might get in your hallways or staircases.

  • Get a family member to help you clean up the clutter around your house.
  • Watch out for phone cords, electrical cables, pet bowls or other items around your house that might get in your way as they can make you slip and fall.

 
2. Always have lights

It’s easy to slip and fall if you are walking around your house when it’s dark. Poor lighting can cause family members to slip and fall, especially elderly people.

  • Inadequate lighting is also another potential hazard especially if you have elders in your home. Make your home more suitable for your elders by installing bright lights in hallways and staircases.
  • You also have to make sure that the light switches are easy to find and reach so it’ll be convenient for you to turn up the lights when you move around at night. Also, be sure to have flashlights lying around in case there’s a power interruption.

 
3. Install handrails or grab bars

Handrails and grab bars are safety devices that you can use to protect yourself from slip and fall accidents everytime you go up and down the stairs, get on and off the toilet, or stepping in and out of your bathtub.

  • Install handrails on both sides of your stairs as much as possible and make sure they are tightly secured. Advise your children and the elderly always to hold the handrails as much as possible everytime they go up and down the stairs.
  • Install grab bars on both sides of your toilets and bathtubs to avoid slipping and injuring yourself. Grab bars should be able to help step in and out of your toilets and bathtubs easily and safely.

 
4. Keep your windows safe for your kids

Thousands of children are injured each year in the US alone because of falling from windows. You must install window screens and window guards to help prevent your kids from falling from windows.

  • Be sure to close off all the windows on the upper floors of your home. As an added security, you may try to install window guards to prevent your kids from opening windows.
  • Keep any furniture away from windows so your kids won’t be tempted to climb near them.

 
5. Use step stools more carefully

If you have step stools at home, you might want to use them more carefully if you don’t want to fall from them.

  • Most fall accidents involving step stools occurs because the stool has a design flaw. If the stool has a design flaw, it will collapse and cause you to fall at a height.
  • Avoid falling off from a step stool by making sure it is well designed and by placing it on firm ground.

If you slip and fall because of a faulty step stool, know that you have the right to file a product liability claim against its supplier or manufacturer. Click here to get more legal information about this matter.

6. Wear slippers inside your home

There’s a reason why you need to wear slippers inside your home, and that is to prevent you from slipping and falling.

  • If your house has highly-polished floors, you better wear slippers to provide you traction with your footing.
  • Going barefoot could give you good traction with your footing, but there always the risk of cutting your foot or stubbing your toe, which can trigger a fall.

Find yourself a pair of comfy slippers or shoes that have rubber soles that should prevent you from slipping and falling on a slippery floor.

7. Add friction to slippery floors or surfaces

Bathtubs, showers, kitchen, and porches, usually have slippery floors or slick surfaces that could be extremely dangerous when wet.

  • Be sure to prevent this by putting nonslip mats on any wet surfaces around your house to prevent falls. You may also want to mop any wet surfaces immediately to prevent anyone from slipping.
  • Prevent outdoor falls by cleaning up your decks, ramps, and steps. You may also want to to use temporary solutions that include grit additives and adhesive grip strips.

Once your home is slip and fall free, you are likely to live your life more comfortably. You can move around your home with more confidence knowing that you’re free from slip and falls. It can also help give you an added sense of security for your, especially for your kids and the elderly in your home.
 
 
About the author: Adeline Robinson loves reading about the law and she aspires to be a practitioner someday. She writes pieces on law topics for common readers. Adeline is an avid sports fan and loves watching games if she has free time.