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GENERAL HOME SAFETY
Age-Group Related Accidents
______________________________________________________________________
Infant up to 1 year are physically active and
willing to touch or taste most anything
Toddlers and pre-school are curious and
Extremely active. They explore most everything
by looking, tasting and touching. They have few
fears and no judgment.
Schoolers like to experiment and are influenced Injuries from bicycle and vehicular
by their peers. They like to show off and are
careless.
Adults have fewer accidents since learning is
based on experience. Self-control and judg-
ment are better developed, but overconfidence,
negligence, and carelessness may cause accidents Automobile accidents due to
Old Age causes many changes within the body;
Bones are brittle, eyesight and hearing may fail. Burns
Minor accidents may cause great bodily harm.
PREVENTION OF COMMON HOUSEHOLD
HAZARDS:
SAFETY IN THE LIVING AND DINING
ROOMS:
 Arrange furniture so that sharp
edges are out of the way and the
passageway is unobstructed.
 Floors should be free of clutter and
small objects, such as footstools,
magazine racks, plants, etc.
 Wipe dry any spilled water, grease
or food.
 Keep all rugs and carpets in good
repair. Scatter rugs should be either
taped down or removed.
 Rough edges of carpeting should be
taped in the same manner or tacked
down. Frayed edges and loose
Falls from bed or table
Burns from stoves or heaters
Choking on candies or food
Small objects stuffed in ears & nose
Cuts from sharp pointed toys______
Scalding from pulling pot handles
Electrocution from playing with
electrical cords and outlets.
Burns from stoves
Poisoning from pesticides or
cleaning supplies
Falls from chairs, tables, counter-
tops, open windows
Drowning in unattended pools
Cuts from kitchen knives_________
accidents
Wounds and burns______________
Burns from careless cooking
Electrical shock from attempting to
repair home appliances
carelessness or drunkenness______
Falls
Cuts and bruises
Poisoning because labels can’t be
seen due to poor eyesight________
strings could catch on toes or heels
and cause a fall.
 Tack down telephone and electrical
wires. Keep electrical equipment
away from walking areas. Don’t run
electric cords under rugs or doors.
 Carry dishes on a tray or utility cart
to and from the table. Always keep
vision clear when carrying things.
 Keep the trash basket and garbage
pail away from the areas where
people walk.
 Keep mops, brooms, vacuum
cleaner and hoses, etc. stored in a
closet.

SAFETY IN THE KITCHEN:
 The kitchen should be kept well
organized and uncluttered,
especially if it is small. Frequently
used items must be kept where they
can be easily reached so that you
need not bend.
 Do not wax the floors. Waxed floors
are slippery, and the shine of the
wax may cause glare.
 Always wipe up water, grease and
food spills. A fall in a kitchen can be
very bad. There is an added danger
of burns and cuts happening during
the fall.
 Keep floor tiles and linoleum
repaired.
 Keep drawers and closet doors
closed to avoid bumping into them.
 Keep electric appliance cords up
away from the edge of the counter.
SAFETY IN THE BEDROOM:
 The client’s bed must be low
enough to allow the client to get in
and out with ease but should be no
lower than knee height.
 Night lights should be installed in
wall sockets near the bedroom door,
in the hallway leading to the
bathroom and in the bathroom. It will
help avoid accidents.
 A urinal or bed pan may be kept
within reach on the bed table, or
commode placed by the bed for
nighttime use to eliminate walks to
the bathroom.
 Keep a flashlight handy.
 Do not let your clients wear loose-
fitting slippers, night clothes and
clothing. Always tie the bath robe
and clothing with belts attached.
Loose garments can cause a fall by
catching on drawers, door knobs
and other objects. Keep cuffs of
trousers at proper length to avoid
catching heel and tripping.
 and the bottom of the stairs.
SAFETY IN THE BATHROOM:
 Do not use small bathroom scatter
rugs on the floor. A large rug that
covers all of the floor is best.
 Place non-skid decals, strips or
rubber mats on the floor of the
shower or tub to help eliminate falls.
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 Do not use glass tumblers for
drinking water in the bathroom.
Paper or plastic cups are safe,
inexpensive and disposable.
 Place grab bars in strategic
locations around the bathtub,
shower and toilet. Never support
yourself on towel racks or wall soap
holders, as they are not designed to
bear weight and may break away
from the wall under pressure. If
standing tires the client, a tub bench
or bath chair may be useful.
 A raised toilet seat can be
purchased from a surgical supply
house and attached to the toilet.
The raised seat increases the height
of the toilet from the floor and it
helps to make it easier to sit down
and to rise from the toilet.
 Do not keep clothes lines in the
bathroom. Clothes may drop on the
floor, and the client might trip over
them. Have a clothes hamper or
basket for dirty clothes.
 Never use an electric appliance
while in the bathtub or shower.
SAFETY IN THE BASEMENT:
 Keep the passageway unobstructed.
 Do not use basement steps for
storing things. Keep steps clean.
 Never accumulate junk in the
basement. Get rid of trash, boxes,
old newspapers, and anything else
you don’t need. In addition to
causing falls, junk is responsible for
spreading fires.
 Keep all tools, put away when not in
use.
SAFETY AT STAIRWAYS:
 Stairways and hallways should be
equipped with handrails on both
sides.
 Keep stairways well lighted. There
should be a light switch at the top
 Keep all objects off the stairs.
 Don’t put scatter rugs at the bottom
or top of the stairs.
 Wipe dry immediately all spilled
water, food, etc.

POOL SAFETY
Remember: Drowning happens quickly
and without warning. There is no cry
for help.
There can be no compromise on pool
safety. You are dealing with a life
and death situation.
Do not leave objects in the pool that
could attract your child. Children
who would not normally go near a
pool because of fear may not even
think about the water if they are in
pursuit of a favorite toy in the pool.
In a drowning accident seconds can
make the difference between death,
recovery, or just survival.
Beware of deadly distractions:
Doing chores such as cooking, laundry
you have to remove, etc.
Socializing
Telephone calls, either incoming or
outgoing
Doorbells
Another child making a mess, crying,
falling, etc.
Other children fighting, running, etc.
Layers of Protection:
Supervision is always the primary layer
of protection.
Access doors to the pool area with high
locks.
Alarms on access doors.
A pool safety barrier (fence) separating
the pool from your home and all
access doors and entrances.
Water survival training for a child when
he is capable of crawling or walking
to the pool.
CPR and your knowledge of rescue
techniques are the final layer of
protection should there be an
accident.
FIRE SAFETY
 As a caregiver, you should advise
the client and /or the client’s family
whenever a fire safety problem is
noticed.
 Remaining calm is the first and most
important rule.
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 As caregiver, upon entering a
client’s home should make note of
the nearest exit from each room.
 The telephone # of the fire
department should be placed close
to the telephone.
 You must consider the client’s
condition and decide the best way to
move the client in case of fire.
 Decide if the client is in immediate
danger. If so, evacuate them at
once.
 If the client cannot be safely moved,
place a damp towel over the client’s
mouth and nose to lessen the
danger of smoke inhalation. If there
is heavy smoke, try to move the
client’s bed to a less smoky area, or
move the client to the floor where
the smoke is less concentrated.
Remember, smoke rises, and if it is
inhaled for a long period, it can
cause death.
 Determine if the fire is major. If it is
minor, put it out at once.
 Under no circumstances should you
return to the burning building or
house. No personal possession is
valuable enough to risk a human
life.
BASIC RULES FOR CAREGIVER TO
FOLLOW IN CASE OF FIRE IN THE
CLIENT’S HOME:
1. Know how to phone for the fire
department.
2. Remember the location of the nearest
exits.
3. Close any door, which will tend to
confine the fire.
4. See that everyone including yourself
is out of danger.
5. Know where a fire extinguisher is
located and how to operate it. Check
batteries of smoke alarms regularly.
6. Never try to fight a fire in a room filled
with smoke; the fumes and lack of air
are dangerous.
7. Never try to enter a room where much
fire is in evidence.
8. Remember that a woolen blanket or
other heavy covering will help to
smother a small fire.
9. Keep pound boxes of inexpensive
baking soda handy to extinguish kitchen

fires. The boxes can be kept in the
refrigerator so you will always be able to
find them..
10. Do not try to be a hero. If the small
fire does not respond to your efforts to
extinguish it immediately, remove the
client and yourself from the house as
quickly as possible. Call the fire
department from neighbor’s house or
flag down passing motorists and ask
them to call.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS- small fires may be
extinguished by using a fire extinguisher.
There are four main types of fire
extinguishers, each of which is used for a
specific type of fire.
Class A extinguishers- contain water
that is under pressure. They are
used to douse fires involving paper,
wood, or cloth.
Class B extinguishers- contain carbon
dioxide. They are used to put out
fires caused by igniting gasoline, oil,
paints or other liquids, and cooking
fats. These type of fires would
spread if water were used to
extinguish them. The carbon dioxide
smothers the fire, leaving a snowy
residue. These extinguishers should
be used with caution, since the
residue they leave may irritate the
skin and eyes. Fumes may also be
dangerous to inhale.
Class C extinguishers- contain dry
chemicals and are used on electrical
fires.
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Class ABC or combination
extinguishers- contain a graphite
like chemical. They can be used on
any type of fire. The residue that
results from their use can cause
irritation of the skin and eyes.
GUIDELINES IN USING FIRE
EXTINGUISHER:
1. The manufacturer’s operating
instructions must be carefully
followed.
2. Most fire extinguishers have a lock
on the handle which must be
unlocked before use.
3. The extinguisher should be held
firmly and the nozzle aimed at the
near edge of the fire.
4. Caution: Do not aim toward the
center of the fire.
5. Discharge the extinguisher, using a
slow, side-to-side motion, until the
fire has been extinguished.
6. Avoid contact with the chemical
residues from the extinguisher.
7. To prevent personal injury, you
should always stay a safe distance
from the fire.
8. Once an extinguisher has been
used in a fire, it must be replaced or
recharged.
9. If the fire extinguisher has a gauge,
check the gauge periodically to be
sure the extinguisher is fully
charged.