Most of the accidents that lead to death at home can be avoided, said Dr. Miriam Fischer, an emergency department physician at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
“Unintentional injuries are the third leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for almost 200,000 deaths a year,” Fischer said.
The top three culprits are poisoning, falls and fire incidents, and roughly 80% are avoidable, she said.
Fischer also told WTOP that June, which is National Safety Month, is a good time to put precautions in place.
“Simple steps at home can make a real difference,” she said. “Take a walk around your house and identify simple risks. You can make it safe with just a little thought and a little bit of work.”
First, focus on removing opportunities for trips and tumbles, she said. Falls make up more than 50,000 emergency room visits each year.
“Remove tripping hazards like loose rugs and clutter,” Fischer said. “Make sure you don’t have spills on the floor.”
Then, make sure poisoning is not possible. Unmarked containers and medicines pose the biggest threats.
“Make sure everything is labeled. Make sure they’re out of reach. Don’t be mixing things, don’t be putting things in unlabeled containers,” Fischer said.
Finally, turn your attention to fire hazards and prevention.
“These can be prevented by testing your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms regularly, having a fire extinguisher accessible, and having a safety plan,” Fischer said. “Know how to get out of your house and practice it once or twice with those kids, and you will be safe in a fire.”
Emergency room doctors track more than 26 million visits each year for unintentional injuries. The people most at risk of home deaths are young children and elderly residents.
Another tip that can help with home safety: Slow down.
“All of us get busy, and we get tired and that’s when we’re at highest risk,” she told WTOP. “We can all make mistakes. But if we use this month to look around our house and think about how we do some things, we can all make a difference.”