Injuries can occur in any location. Severe injuries include permanent disabilities from spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Some cause short-term disabilities, preventing the injured person from functioning independently or affecting their quality of life.
Minor injuries can send people to the hospital for costly medical treatment. Homeowners can also be sued for injuries occurring on their properties. Keeping everyone who visits your property safe and avoiding legal and medical bills are good reasons to take steps to prevent injuries. Let’s look at some strategies for improving safety on your property.
Repair exterior damage.
Your home’s siding and roof are crucial components of your house because they shield your family and belongings from the elements. High winds can pry shingles loose and strip the siding from houses, affecting your home’s occupants and visitors in two critical ways. Precipitation can get inside your attic and walls, causing mold growth and rotting through floors and walls. Rotten floors and walls can collapse, harming individuals.
Pieces of siding and shingles can also strike people or animals when they fly through the air. Visual inspections can reveal loose siding and shingles, and prompt repairs can prevent these materials from breaking loose in the next storm. When you note extensive damage, you should consult an exterior home remodeling company to determine if it’s time to replace your siding or roof. Repairing and updating the exterior of your home is an effective way of preventing property damage and injuries inside and outside your home.
Prevent falls.
In addition to permanent and short-term injuries, falls cause over 600,000 deaths around the globe each year. Prevent falls by ensuring all your floors are level. It’s easy for people to trip over uneven floors. Ensure area rugs have nonslip backing or use double-sided tape to prevent them from bunching up, causing people to trip.
Install handrails along staircases to provide extra support when people use the stairs. Installing grab bars in your bathrooms can also improve safety. People can use grab rails near toilets and in showers for extra support, preventing injuries.
You can also improve safety by adding lights to indoor spaces and ensuring you use bright bulbs. Enabling people to see clearly can help them spot displaced items that could cause them to trip and fall.
Pay attention to your sidewalks and outdoor areas. Hire masons to repair uneven sidewalks or install a new walkway to prevent people from tripping over uneven pavers or stones.
Focus on fire prevention.
You likely have an outdated or overloaded electrical system if your lights flicker and you regularly trip breakers. Pay attention to any indications of electrical issues. There are tens of thousands of electrical fires each year, and it only takes minutes for an entire home to be destroyed, and house fires claim lives every day in the United States.
Updating your electrical panel can prevent your electrical system from overloading, starting a fire. Suppose you have electrical issues and notice signs of pests, such as droppings or scratching noises in your walls or ceilings. In that case, you should have an electrician investigate any signs of electrical issues. Pests can chew through wires, and damaged electrical wires can also cause house fires.
Hire experts to clean your chimney at least once per year. Creosote builds up inside your chimney, and this flammable chemical compound can catch fire. Chimney fires spread rapidly and can destroy your home. You can also prevent fires by creating a safety perimeter around your fireplace to prevent furniture or other items from catching fire.
You can prevent injuries on your property by investing in exterior home renovations by repairing or replacing damaged siding and roofs. Take steps to prevent falls inside your home and in your yard. You can also prevent injuries by promoting fire safety.
