Home safety checklist
More accidents happen in the home than anywhere else and nearly three million home
accident injuries need medical attention in hospital. You can help prevent accidents in the
home by following the checklist:
Home safety checklist
| Kitchens | Ensure all sharp kitchen implements and equipment are kept out of reach and sight at all times |
| Ensure all potentially dangerous liquids, such as bleach, are kept out of reach | |
| When cooking, keep pan handles positioned so that they cannot be pulled over | |
| Keep hot drinks out of reach at all times | |
| Use place mats instead of table cloths to prevent hot drinks/food being pulled onto young children | |
| Consider having a fire blanket in the kitchen | |
| Do not overload electrical sockets with appliances | |
| Do not allow electrical appliance leads to trail over worktops | |
| Mop up spills quickly | |
| Bathrooms | Keep all medicines out of reach of children – preferably in a locked bathroom cabinet |
| Keep pills in containers that have childproof tops | |
| Avoid burns and scalds by running cold water before hot and carefully testing the water temperature | |
| Do not use electrical appliances in the bathroom | |
| Use a bath mat in the bath if the bath is not slip resistant | |
| Halls, corridors and staircases | Avoid trips, slips and falls by ensuring halls, corridors and staircases are always well lit and free from clutter |
| Fit stair gates at the top and bottom of the stairs if you have toddlers in the house | |
| Change light bulbs safely by using stable stepladders or step stools | |
| Living rooms | Keep open fires, electric and gas fires, portable heaters etc well guarded with suitable fireguards |
| Keep windows locked or guarded. When windows are open the restrictors should not be removed | |
| Protect electrical sockets with childproof covers | |
| Do not put rugs on highly polished or shiny surfaces | |
| Bedrooms | Windows should be fitted with safety locks and restrictors |
| Bunk beds should only be used by children over six years of age | |
| Do not smoke in bed |
Garden safety checklist
| Garden | Protect yourself from electrocution by using a Residual Current Device (RCD) when operating electrically powered garden tools and equipment |
| Do not leave sharp tools lying around | |
| Always use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, helmets, masks, goggles and boots as appropriate and recommended for the task | |
| Keep paths and steps clean and well maintained | |
| Lock away garden chemicals | |
| Children’s swings and climbing frames should be securely fixed and well maintained | |
| Never leave BBQs unattended | |
| Cover ponds and paddling pools after use | |
| Young children should be supervised in the garden |
The above are common sense home safety measures. If you would like to know more about home
safety and what you can do to keep you and your family safe in the home click on the
Royal Society for the Prevention of
Accidents website.