Accident-Proof Your Home: A Checklist

Welcome to the most dangerous place on earth: your home. More than 15,000 people suffer fatal accidents at home each year in America. Staying less accident-prone may predict whether you make it to old age or not, so Dr. G is here to give you some guidelines for preventing accidents in the home.

Living Room

Are lamp, extension, and phone cords out of the way of foot traffic?
Are passageways free of clutter?
Do small rugs and runners stay put?
Are curtains and furniture at least twelve inches from baseboard heaters?
Does your fireplace have a good screen to catch sparks?
Has your chimney been inspected and cleaned during the past year?
Has your furnace been serviced professionally in the past year?

Kitchen

Do you keep paper towels, hand towels, curtains, and other things that can burn away from the burners and oven?
Are stove tops and counters clean and free of grease?
Do you turn pot handles inward so that they can't be bumped?
Are kitchen appliances, such as your coffeemaker, toaster, and microwave, plugged into separate receptacle outlets?

Bedrooms

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector near each occupied bedroom?
Is your phone within easy reach of your bed?
Do you have a light or lamp within easy reach of your bed?

Bathrooms

Does your tub or shower have a nonskid surface, such as a mat, decals, or abrasive strips?
Does the tub or shower have a sturdy grab bar?
Do you keep your hot water temperature 120 degrees or lower?

Entrances

Do all entrances have outdoor lights?
Are walkways free from cracks and holes?
Is your address marked outside in large, clear numbers so emergency personnel can find your house quickly?

Throughout Your Home

Have you taken steps to reduce tripping and slipping hazards in your home?
Is there at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your house?
Do you have a fire extinguisher?
Have you developed a fire escape plan?
Do you replace worn or frayed cords promptly, and never run them under furniture or carpeting?
Do you keep emergency phone numbers by the telephone or put them on your speed dial?
Do you keep medicine and household cleaning solutions out of the reach of children?

Excerpted from How Not to Die by Jan Garavaglia, M.D.

Permission granted by Crown Publishers, New York, NY