Most accident happens because people are forgetful or careless. They put bottles containing strong medicines in the kitchen near bottles with look-alike vitamin pills or low calorie sweeteners. Without reading the labels, other people might take the wrong pills. Even plants which serve to decorate and beautify a home can be a hazard. Many of the leaves and stems of house plants can be irritating and even mildly poisonous. If a child or pet breaks off a piece of a plant and eats it, it could cause stomach ache, vomiting, or irritation to the skin.
Various kinds of home cleaners such as bleaches, soaps, and liquid and powdered cleansers are potentially dangerous. It is important to read the labels on such products carefully. Most of them contain chemicals which could cause death if swallowed, or serious irritation to the eyes and skin if touched. Cleaning solutions should never be mixed or left open because the fumes also can be dangerous to the eyes and lungs.
Another danger in the home is the improper use of frozen foods. These foods should be thawed in the refrigerator and not on a counter during the thawing period, especially in the summertime. If frozen foods are allowed to stand too long out of a refrigerator, bacteria which can cause food poisoning start to grow.
One unbreakable rule to follow with so many potentially dangerous substances around is NEVER LEAVE SMALL CHILDREN ALONE IN THE HOUSE. If some reason, a person has taken a poison, call a doctor immediately and then read the label on the container carefully. The doctor or the label might tell you to induce vomiting or to dilute the poison in the stomach. Following are some suggestions on how to do each.
To induce vomiting:
1 tablespoon of ipecac or 1 teaspoon dry mustard mixed with c cup water or places a blunt object, or your finger, at the back of the victim's throat.
To dilute:
1 tablespoon activated charcoal mixed with water or milk or water: 1 or 2 cups for children under 5; up to 1 quart for an adult.
Some dangers in your home:
1. Handles of pots sticking out over stove edge.
2. Cans of poisonous cleansers.
3. Standing on folding chair to reach cabinet shelf.
4. Ragged can top left on can standing on counter.
5. Open garbage pail.
6. Appliances left plugged in when not in use.
7. Person in tub turning on radio.
8. Bottle with poison label benefit sink.
9. Wet floor.
10. Bottles without labels in medicine chest.
11. Straight razors open on chest.
12. Fireplace without screen.
13. Scissors left out of sewing basket on couch.
14. Child sticking something into open socket.
15. Too many wires in one receptacle.
16. Power tool running while man leans on it.
17. Overcrowded electrical plug.
18. Storage of rags, paint cans and gasoline.
19. Lighted cigarette near flammable objects.
20. Child playing with dangerous tools.
Another fire hazard in the home, as you have seen, is the misuse of electrical extension cords. Too many coming out of one plug or running them under rugs where they can be frayed or worn to the wire are only some of the mistakes people make. Extensions should be used very sparingly and never where small children or pets can play with them.
Abandoned furniture, such as old cabinets or refrigerators, creates another hazard. There have been many cases of children playing with such furniture, accidently locking themselves in and suffocating before they could be found. The doors should always be removed from old refrigerators or cabinets when no longer in use.
One last word should be said about the bathroom, where the majority of home accidents occurs. Soap should never be left lying in a tub. A bath mat or towel should always be left lying in a tub. A bath mat or towel should always be left lying in the tub. A bath mat or towel should always be available to stand on. Soapy surfaces in a shower or tub should always be rinsed off to prevent slipping. Where possible, grab bars should be installed to help balance one's self. Never reach for a shower curtain rod or a handle on a soap dish.