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Is your home safe for your kids?

Christina Hoghton
Written By:
Christina Hoghton
Posted:
Updated:
01/04/2016

Last year 750,000 under-5s attended Accident and Emergency as a result of accidents in the home

Home is very often where the hurt is, with 750,000 under-5s attending A&E as a result of accidents that happened in the home last year, according to Confused.com.

Despite these worrying statistics, research by the website highlights that nearly two fifths (39%) of parents with children aged 18 and under say they worry more about injuries that could happen outside of the home than they do accidents inside the home.

However, this worry could be misplaced, as in fact, more under 5s are being admitted to hospital after accidents within their own four walls than for accidents they suffered outside the home.

Keeping them safe

Supervision is one of the best ways to prevent injuries, but even the most watchful parents can’t keep children out of harm’s way every second of the day. A quarter (27%) of parents have said that their child has injured themselves at home when they were in the same room as them. And more than one in five (21%) say their child injured themselves when they turned their back on them for just a short period.

And while some of these accidents might be minor, some can be much more serious. In fact, accidents are the main cause of death amongst children and young people in the UK.

Yet despite the severity that accidents in the home can pose, only just over a third (36%) of Brits say they have a life insurance policy in place – meaning their loved ones could be left struggling if the worst was to happen.

Jessica Willock, Confused.com spokesperson, says: “It’s worrying to see that so many children have been admitted to A&E due to an accident in the home. And also that so many adults have suffered some form of accident in the home, with many of these accidents requiring medical attention.

“Our home is a place where we should all feel safe, however this doesn’t seem to be the case for many. In fact shockingly, more than one in 20 (6%) people say they actually know of someone who has died as a result of an accident within their house.”

“This really goes to show how unpredictable life can be – and with only just over a third (36%) of people saying they have a life insurance policy in place, many loved could be left struggling should the worst happen.”

Confused.com has put together tips on how to make your home a safer place:

  • Avoid trips, slips and falls by ensuring halls and stairways are always well lit and free from clutter.
  • Use rails and banisters when going up and down the stairs. Never place rugs at the bottom or top of stairs.
  • Tape all rugs to the floor so they do not move when you walk on them.
  • Never use electrical appliances with cracked plugs or worn cables.
  • Avoid overloading electric sockets with too many appliances.
  • Avoid accidents and injury when doing DIY tasks by always operating within the range of your skills, ability and experience.
  • Leave a light on at night to avoid any trips and falls.
  • Make the bathroom a no slip zone by using non-slip matts and removing any obstacle.