Keep Your Employees Safe at Home, Too

Employees can fall-proof their homes on the inside by taking these precautions:

• Clear up the clutter inside your home that could cause someone to trip and fall.
• Keep electrical cords out of the path of foot traffic.
• If possible, install railings on both sides of the stairs.
• Never store any items on stairs.
• Secure area rugs with double-sided tape or rubber padding.
• Increase lighting throughout the house.
• Plug in nightlights in bedrooms, bathrooms, and hallways.
• Use rubber mats in the bathtub and rubber-backed rugs on the bathroom floor.
• Avoid floor wax or waxy cleaners.
• Clean up spills immediately, whether they are greasy or just wet.
• Use only sturdy step stools with handrails.

Whatever safety meeting you need, chances are you’ll find it prewritten and ready to use in BLR’s Safety Meetings Library on CD. Try it at no cost or risk. Here’s how.

Employees can also fall-proof their homes on the outside by following these safety steps:

• Install railings on outdoor stairs.
• Add outdoor lighting at entryways and along walkways.
• In winter, be sure to clear steps and sidewalks of snow and ice, and use sand to improve foot traction.
• Fill holes and depressions in the yard.
• When using a ladder for home fix-it jobs, be especially careful. A fall from a ladder can be deadly. Position it on level ground, hold onto both rails while climbing (carrying tools on a belt), and work with your body centered and one hand on the rail at all times.

Employees can protect their children from falls by childproofing their homes with these actions:

• Never leave babies unattended on beds, changing tables, or even sofas.
• Strap babies and toddlers in highchairs and strollers.
• Install safety gates at the top of staircases and be sure to secure them to the wall.
• Don’t let children play in raised outdoor areas, such as fire escapes, balconies, high porches, or decks.
• Move furniture, such as chairs, sofas, and beds, away from windows. Small children love to climb.
• Keep windows closed and locked. For ventilation, open only those windows that children cannot reach. If you must open a low window, use window guards to prevent it from being opened wide.
• Insist that children pick up their toys.

Employees can protect parents and other seniors living in their homes by knowing the fall factors for seniors. These factors include decreased mobility, balance problems, drug interactions, and impaired vision, all of which make seniors less steady on their feet. Take these precautions:

• Install grab bars, raised toilet seats, and shower benches in the bathroom.
• Remove throw rugs and other tripping hazards from the home.
• Install brighter lighting throughout the house.
• Schedule regular checkups for vision and hearing.
• Suggest they consult their physician if they experience dizziness, balance problems, or take four or more medications.
• Replace rubber tips on canes and walkers frequently to prevent slipping.

We challenge you to NOT find a safety meeting you need, already prewritten, in BLR’s Safety Meetings Library. Take up our challenge at no cost or risk. Get the details.

Help your employees protect themselves at home as well as on the job by showing them what steps they can take to eliminate fall hazards and install protective features throughout their homes.

Why It Matters

• Falls in the home are the second leading cause of accidental death in the community, surpassed only by car crashes.
• Falls are also the second leading cause of accidental death within the home. Poisonings are the leading cause.
• Seniors suffer the greatest number of fall-related injuries, and falls are the number one cause of injury-related deaths for people aged 65 and older.
• Children under 12 also experience many fall-related injuries—almost as many as seniors.

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