The Home Safety Council, among many other sources, asserts that falls are the number one cause of unintentional injuries in the home. In fact, injuries resulting from falls in the home usually dwarfs those related to fires and burns. Of course, not all those falls are related to issues of stairway safety in the home, but the potential for reducing that number simply through preventative measures is simply too great to ignore. When it comes to improving stairway safety in the home, the real question is why wouldn’t you implement at least some of the tips found here.
Many home injuries take place on stairways that are seemingly perfectly safe. The steps are not slippery, there are no tripping hazards caused by loose carpeting and the presence of obstacles to tumble over is not at play. Even the handrail is solidly in place. And yet someone still manages to fall down the stairs. Why? Because the handrail is in place, as in just one railing. You can increase stairway safety in the home even when those steps appear to be without fault by installing a floating handrail along the wall. This preventative measure reduces further the risk of injury from falling by providing the same security that exists on the other side of the staircase.
In most cases of injuries resulting from falling down stairs, of course, the risk potential is much clearer, as are the steps you can take to increase safety. Steps made of exposed wood can still manage to look good while not becoming a slippery threat. Simply use non-skid wax to retain that polished sheen on your hardwood stairs.
Make the effort to remove and replace any thick carpeting covering stairs as well as any carpeting that has become ragged and loose. Shorter fibers in carpeting are less hazardous than than thick fibers when it comes to snagging the heel of a shoe. One of the most obvious measures for increasing stairway safety in the home should be the danger created by carpeting that is not firmly adhering to the step. Shoes and toes can get caught in holes and cause you to tumble down the entire flight. Likewise, even the most minute amount of give and take in carpeting can result in a loss of balance that also winds up with you lying at the bottom of the staircase. If you can’t afford to replace loose carpeting on your steps, at least secure them with carpet tape.
Don’t automatically assume that your stairs are safe because you have handrails installed on both sides. The longer that staircase balustrades and handrails are in use, the closer they get to collapse. A handrail that is wobbly today has the potential to actually become the agent that causes you to fall and injure yourself tomorrow if steps are not taken to fix the problem. In most cases, that fix is as simple as drilling a pilot hole at an angle through the balustrade and up into the handrail. A screw driven into this pilot hole should stop any wobbling and make the structure much safer to use.
Some falls result from a very temporary–even once-in-a-lifetime–lack of stairway safety in the home. Immediately clean up any spills onto the stairs, especially when the steps are not carpeted. Greasy spills can be just as dangerous on carpeted stairs as they are on exposed steps. Any spillage that reduces traction should be addressed as soon as possible.
Another safety measure that does not always apply and so is therefore more likely to result in an accidental fall is to commit to the reality the staircase is inherently dangerous. The risk of falling increases each time you go up or down the stairs without being able to see clearly or with an unnatural imbalance. Take any measures possible to prevent using the stairs when you are carrying something that obstructs either your view or your center of gravity. If you cannot see clearly on the stairs at night, install lighting. Further increase safety on the stairways during the day by marking both the top and bottom step in bright colors so they can easily be identified. This can be done with paint, or carpeting or even just a strip of Day-Glo tape or velcro.
Stairway safety in the home also extends to stairway safety outside the home. Exterior staircases are subject to weather conditions that you don’t have to think about when it comes to your indoor stairs. If your exposed steps are subject to icing, you can increase safety by laying down a stair mat over the entire length of the steps. The introduction of abrasive strips across each step will reduce the risk of falling on exterior stairways by slippery by rain. If you don’t have any outdoor lights casting adequate illumination over outdoor stairs, now is the to install them. If the fixtures you do have in place is not adequate enough to flood the entire run of steps in light, now is the time to upgrade.
And, though it should go without saying, it must be reiterated. Stairway safety in the home–as well as outside–must always become a prime consideration whenever small children are put at risk. Do not put financial concerns ahead of the life of a child. Buy the most secure childproofing mechanism for preventing falls down stairs that you can possibly afford.
All Island Security is all about making you safer in your castle. If you have any questions about any subject related to security, please call us.
