Life Hacks: 3 Ways to Boost Summer Safety at Home

Safety is always on your mind when you're at work. There are safety protocols to memorize, hazards to look out for, and safe work practices that need to be followed to the letter.

When you get home, you want to cut loose, shake off the worries, and switch off your work brain. It's tempting, then, to forget about safety and just enjoy your days off.

But taking it easy and keeping your home safe go hand in hand. After all, it only takes an ounce of prevention to save you from needless worry and to protect you and your family from preventable injuries.

Making your home safe can make it more enjoyable for your visitors, neighbors, and your daily activities. It will also make it more organized, which means you'll be able to get the most out of it. So, here are a few simple things you can do to make your living space as safe as it should be.

Home Is Where the Accidents Are

Believe it or not, most of the injuries and accidents that children suffer don't happen at school, but inside the home. Even adults are more likely to experience an accident on their property than on the job. And despite all the work that has to be done at heights, you might be surprised to learn that approximately 60% of falls actually take place in the home.

Given those facts, it's worth taking safety at home as seriously as you take it at work - complete with hazard control and accident prevention measures that can ensure a safe and healthy summer for you and your family members.

These three simple safety hacks will give your home a quick safety boost and help you get started.

1. Keep Entryways and Exits Clear of Debris

Clutter has a nasty habit of piling up, but even a small amount of it can be risky.

It's easy to simply put something down right when you get home and decide you'll deal with it later, but waiting until later is all it takes to create a hazard. It only takes a moment for one of your kids or the neighbor's kid will come flying around the corner during a game of tag that one time you put a box of bottles near the door and forgot to take them outside.

This is especially important with entryways, since they're a natural drop-off zone for items we carry into the house or intend to carry out of it. They're also one of the highest traffic areas. And to make matters worse, they have limited visibility so people stepping through an entryway don't usually have the opportunity to scan the area for hazards first.

And yet, that's precisely where backpacks, boots, bottles, tools, and toys often end up.

The best way to prevent clutter from building up is to flex your DIY muscles and build some wall shelving units. A few elbow brackets and some boards cut to fit the right dimensions is all it takes to make an inexpensive and sturdy space for items that would otherwise end up on the floor.

That shelving will ensure that your entryways remain clear. It will make your home look neater and more organized. And best of all, you'll still have a spot for the things you've been meaning to take out to the garage - only now it won't be in anyone's way.

(Learn more in Jobsite Housekeeping 101)

2. Use a Bath Mat or Adhesive Strip

Slipping in the tub is one of those things you don't think will ever happen to you - until it does.

Although we tend to think of slips and falls in the bath as a risk for the elderly, it can happen at any age. In fact, young children are especially at risk. So, it's worth taking some precautions even if everyone in no one in your home has any issues with mobility.

Start by putting a bath mat in the tub. This will give you a safer point of entry when stepping into the bath and give you additional grip to prevent a slip or a fall while showering or stepping out.

Believe it or not, the grip tape used on skateboards is an excellent product for the bathtub - that is, if you don’t mind having a large piece of sandpaper on the bottom of your tub. It's not as comfortable as a cushioned and rubbery bath mat, but it can double as a foot pumice to exfoliate the skin while you shower.

It is also important that the small mats and rugs around your house are secured, including the one that sits just outside the bathtub. If they're not designed with slip-resistant material on the underside, using some strong and sturdy tape can keep them from slipping about when you step on them.

Slipping and falling is one of the major risks in any household. Anything you can do to ensure that there's more grip between your feet and any slippery surface, the safer your space will be.

(Learn more about Safety Mats: The Easiest Safety Decision You Will Ever Make)

3. Move Clotheslines and Other Objects Well Above Head Level

Have you ever absentmindedly walked into a clothesline and been knocked over or cut by it? If so, you know what it's like to be clotheslined - literally.

That's a term that can refer to any object or that is below your head height and located in a walkway or traffic area. It creates a potential for hitting, snagging, or ensnaring - all of which could be easily avoided by moving the object to a more appropriate height.

Many homeowners treat this safety hazard as a low priority. After all, they know where the clothesline (and everything else around the yard and house) hang low, so they figure it's easy to avoid it. But it's easy to forget about them when you're carrying a load around, distracted by something, or rushing from one task to the next.

So, assess the height of your clotheslines, shelves, floor lamps, and any other protruding object at a bumpable height.

Have a Safe Summer

Clear these objects, make your home safer, and enjoy your summer without having to worry about getting your head rocked, smashing bottles, or slipping in the tub. You spend enough time worrying about being safe on the job, so make your home ship-shape for a safe and carefree summer.