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Households

Prevention of domestic accidents

CONTEXT

Domestic accidents are unplanned occurrences that lead to serious consequences that suddenly affect our lives. These consequences may range from a minor burn to serious bone trauma. In children there is a frequent risk of dyspnea, asphyxia due to swallowing an object, falls and injuries caused by fire. The majority of accidents can be avoided by acting on the various risk factors.

The causes of domestic accidents are normally falls, intoxications, burns, electrocution, fires and explosions, respiratory asphyxia and bangs.

Domestic accidents can occur anywhere in the home. The groups most vulnerable to domestic accidents are new-borns, children and the elderly.

OBJECTIVE

• Prevent possible domestic accidents.

PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Proposals and recommendations for users

To prevent domestic accidents or minimise their effects it is advisable to adopt the following recommendations:

• Pay attention to the domestic environment and detect any elements that could cause an accident in the home.
• Ask for help for minor repairs to the home, if you do not know how to carry them out yourself.

With regard to interventions in specific spaces in the home, to prevent the most frequent effects, the following recommendations are advisable:

• Everywhere in the home
  • To prevent the danger of fire: do not overload plug sockets with multiple adapter sockets. place heaters at a suitable distance from yourself and furniture;
  • To prevent falls: avoid running cables along the floor; attach rugs to the floor; have good lighting in the home and avoid dazzling.
  • Apply suitable ventilation.
  • Carefully store cleaning products and do not transfer them to other containers.
• In the kitchen
  • Ventilate the room to prevent the most hazardous effects of fire and gas.
  • Take precautions when cooking: do no cook with the pan handle facing out; do not cook while wearing loose inflammable clothing; remove cloths and inflammable products from the area around the hob; be careful with recipients containing hot liquids; use oven gloves; place a non-slip mat on the floor if there are water and oil spills.
  • Have storage spaces in accessible areas to prevent too much stacking and the risk of falls.
• In the bathroom
  • Avoid the interaction of electric devices and water: do not have electric devices close to water areas: do not hold or handle them when you are wet; if you have a heater in the bathroom, heat the room in advance and then disconnect it when you are in the shower.
  • Pay attention to the temperature of the water, especially with young children.
  • Avoid slipping and unsafe installations: use non-slip elements and bath mats, install bars in the shower and bath to provide added safety for the elderly.
• In the bedroom
  • Prevent the risk of fire: do not smoke in bed (in general use water ashtrays); place heaters far from the bed and disconnect them when sleeping.
  • Avoid bangs and possible falls: leave enough space to get in and out of bed; have a light within easy reach.
  • Disconnect the air-conditioning at night and programme it.
• On the stairs
  • Prevent the risk of falling: install handrails on both sides of the stairs and a safety banister; use lights and even fluorescent stickers; keep the steps in good condition (sturdy adhesive strips); walk down the stairs carefully and hold on to the rails.
  • Do not allow children to take the lift on their own.
  • Make stops to rest on the landings, if you have to climb a lot of flights.
• Specific measures for young children: prevent access to plug sockets, securely close cabinets that hold cleaning products, use anti-fall railings on the stairs, prevent accesses that can be climbed to gain access to windows and balconies, etc.

Proposals and recommendations for the administration

• Carry out public awareness and education campaigns on hazards in the home and the measures to be taken to avoid them.
• Issuance of municipal aid for renovations to reduce risks arising from poor domestic conditions. 
• Establishment of home visit programmes for families at social risk to improve the conditions of the home to prevent domestic accidents.

REFERENCE EXPERIENCES

STUDIES AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

• DDAA. 2018. Managing In-home Environments througt Sensing, Annotating, and Visualizing Air Quality Data. New York USA: Journal Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies. Vol. 2 Issue 3, September 2018. Article nº 128.
• Guia per a la prevenció d´accidents i incendis a la llar i el lleure. Generalitat de Catalunya
• Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona. Prevenció dels accidents a la llar.  Consorci Sanitari de Barcelona.
• Protecció Civil de l´Ajuntament de l´Hospitalet. Guia per la prevenció i l´autoprotecció en els accidents de la llar. Ajuntament de l´hospitalet
• Departament d´Interior. Seguretat a la llar. Generalitat de Catalunya
• Govern de les Illes Balears. 2005. Accidents a la llar. Per què ocorren?, Com evitar-los?. Govern de les Illes Balears.
• PrevInfad. Grupo de Trabajo AEPap / PAPPS semFYC. 2011. Prevención de lesiones infantiles por accidente domestico.
• Estrada, C., Esteban, Clara., Lorente, B., Guía para la prevención de accidentes en las persones mayores. Madrid: Comunidad de Madrid

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