IS YOUR HOME SAFE?
“The day is near at hand when the doctor will no longer be engaged to patch up the sick man, but to prevent him from getting sick. He will VISIT FAMILIES, EXAMINE THE PREMISES, inspect factories and shops and give instruction to his patients how to keep from getting sick…….”- 1908 article.
Safety in our homes is an extremely important issue since preventable injuries and deaths continue to rise in homes and communities. To make a significant impact, we need to be aware of the hazards around us and change our behaviour. One little change at a time could lead to great results.
It is frightening to learn that in some countries, up to 70% of all unintentional-injury deaths occur in the home or community. In plain language you are more likely to be injured at home than anywhere else. Each year thousands of people are off work for more than a week as a result of a fall at home, and this has a big effect on businesses and organizations.
As we work to protect our homes from floods and other man-made hazards we should seize the opportunity to take other measures to make our houses homes; do you have a means of safely disposing off unused or unwanted medication? Find out about DUMP. A hospital or clinic near your home may be willing to take care of such medicines. Once again I ask that you ICE (in case of emergency) at least one contact on your phone. The more people know about ICE the better for all of us. Save a contact with “ice” such as “icekojoessel” or “ice kojo essel”. This person should be aware and must have significant information about you especially your health. Whenever you are in trouble and hopefully your phone is not password protected, this person can be contacted and that may be life-saving.
The leading causes of unintentional-injury in the home and community include:
1. Poisoning2. Falls
3. Choking
4. Drowning
5. Fires/flames
WATCH THESE AREAS
Kitchen and cooking areasOTHER GENERAL STEPS TO AVOIDING HAZARDS
COMMON CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME
ECONOMIC COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT HOME
The cost of home accidents is high in terms of the number of lives lost and resulting permanent disabilities. Several working days are lost, which translates into lost productivity. Huge sums of money may be lost seeking medical care and the quality of life is also poor.
The benefits of prevention of injuries at home are clear and quantifiable in terms of health and economic costs:
With all these benefits that we can chalk from keeping our home safe, one wonders why very little is heard about bringing safety home. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a nationwide drive.
August 15th to 21st is Safety Week and hopefully we will all make changes before then.
Let us all pledge to “reduce the number of accidental deaths and injuries in our homes.” A home should be a place where we are absolutely SAFE. Safety Begins at Home!!!
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS
(blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI) Dr. Kojo Cobba EsselMoms’ Health Club/Health Essentials
([email protected])
*Dr Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.
Thought for the week – “Have your eyes examined, it could save you and others from a preventable accident.”
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