Fall Prevention: Tips to Reduce Slips, Trips, & Falls in Your Home

The surfaces in your home can become very dangerous if not treated properly. According to the National Safety Council, slipping and falling accounts for 8.9 million visits to the emergency room each year-- 50% of which occur inside the home. With the proper safety precautions, you can significantly reduce the chances of having a falling accident in your home.

There are a few major areas of your home that are known for having slippery surfaces, which we'll focus on in this post: bathroom, kitchen, backyard deck, and garage.

The Bathroom: The bathroom can be a safety hazard due to its typical water-resistant floors and the likelihood to be wet. Almost every bathroom floor, when wet, can be very slippery. The best thing you can do to prevent slips and falls is to keep a bath mat outside the shower or bath area. Keeping water off the floor is the #1 thing you can do to prevent slippage. You can also choose a "non-slip" floor tile that should significantly reduce the risk of slips. Keep in mind, however, that even if you have "non-slip" tiles, they may lose resistance over time, and can become a safety hazard.

The Kitchen: Much like the bathroom, the kitchen is a likely area to have spilled on slick wooden or tile floors. The key here, like the bathroom, is to keep the floor clean of water and other spills. Contain water in areas around the sink by placing a mat or area rug in front of the sink.

The Deck: Wooden decks can be a safety issue especially when weathering and precipitation are the perfect combination to create a slick, dangerous environment. The best way to prevent slippage on your deck is to keep it clean. Sweeping your deck often ensures that leaves and dirt are not trapping moisture on your deck and growing slippery mildew and mold. Giving your wood deck a good power washing and scrub down is a great way to clean your deck. There are also a wide variety of "anti-slip" products and finishes you can use on any outdoor surface. Check them out here.

The Garage: The garage could be the most common area for slips and falls. Between oil drips, melted slush from your car, or rain that has been tracked in, the cement floor in most garages can become extremely dangerous when wet. We recommend using 3M's Safety Walk Tape to protect the high-traffic areas of your garage. You can also use indoor/outdoor tape on wooden stairs or pool steps to ensure safety in all areas. Order Safety Walk Tape Here.

Safety and fall prevention practices are crucial in order to protect your family from preventable injuries. After following our simple DIY ways to maintain a slip-free home, you should be confident in the safety of your family.