Avoiding Accidents
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Basics on the topic Avoiding Accidents
Accidents at Home
Has your mum or dad ever said to you ‘Be careful!’ when you are attempting something? They often say that as certain activities carry risk of accidents. Accidents happen, but there are ways of preventing home accidents so we don’t get hurt. Read on to find out more about how to prevent accidents.
Common Accidents at Home
A lot of accidents actually happen at home. They could happen in the kitchen, in the bathroom or in other rooms too. Some of the most common types of accidents at home may involve sharp objects such as knives in the kitchen or burns if accidentally touching something hot. Preventing incidents and accidents starts with identifying potential hazards. Let’s have a think about what we may come across in different rooms in our homes and how we can work towards preventing accidents.
Preventing accidents in the kitchen
In the picture of a kitchen above, we can identify hazards. Let’s look at what could be a hazard and think about how to prevent kitchen accidents. We can see a pot on the stove that is bubbling over. This is a hazard as it will be hot and could burn someone. First of all, only an adult should touch this and shouldn’t leave it alone with a child. What could an adult use to touch the pot so that they don’t burn themselves? An oven glove provides good protection.
Another potential hazard is the sharp knives on the wall. One way of preventing accidents and injuries with knives is to make sure they are always used safely. Only touch the handle and carry them facing downwards. Now that we have learnt about some ways of preventing kitchen accidents, let’s look at how to prevent accidents in the bathroom.
How To Prevent Accidents at Home in the Bathroom
Here we can see a bathroom but unfortunately there are a few hazards that could potentially cause accidents. When looking at preventing accidents in children and adults, we need to identify potential hazards and remove them before they cause an accident.
We can first look at how to prevent slip and fall accidents in the bathroom. What can you see that could cause someone to slip and fall? There is a big puddle of water on the floor. If this isn’t mopped up, someone could slip and injure themselves.
What Can Cause Accidents at Home?
We have had a look at some of the most common accidents at home in a couple of specific rooms above but what else can cause accidents at home?
| What can cause an accident? | What the accident could be | How we could prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| An uneven rug | A trip or fall | Ensure rugs are even and flat |
| Reaching for something on a high shelf | The shelf could fall on the person | Screw tall bookshelves into the wall |
| Hazardous chemicals | Upset stomach | Make sure all chemicals and hazardous liquids are kept in places where children can’t reach them |
5 Ways To Prevent Accidents at Home
There are many ways we can prevent accidents occurring and by always looking out for hazards, we can help to keep everyone safe. Five things we can do are:
- Mop up spillages
- Don’t leave cooking pans unattended
- Tidy up wires and cables
- Keep sharp knives away from young children
- Keep hazardous chemicals locked away.
Ways to Prevent Accidents - Further Practice
To test your knowledge on preventing accidents, have a look at our practise problems and worksheets.
Avoiding Accidents exercise
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Where do most accidents happen?
HintsIt's somewhere you spend a lot of time!
It's not at work.
SolutionMost accidents happen at home.
This is because we spend a lot of time at home. There's so many different items that could cause harm, if they aren't properly used and stored.
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Can you find all the possible accidents?
HintsYou should never try to reach something that's too high.
Ask an adult for help instead of climbing up onto something.
It can be dangerous to touch hot surfaces.
What's that on the floor? Don't slip!
There are 5 things that can cause an accident. Can you find them all?
SolutionNever try to use knives. They are very sharp!
Don't touch the pot on the stove or the pie in the oven -- they could be hot and burn you!
Watch out for the water on the floor, you could slip and fall.
Never climb shelves or cabinets. Ask an adult to get items that are too high up.
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Which of these images can you safely eat?
HintsThe image on the left means our friend can safely eat the item. The image on the right means the item is not safe to eat.
Medicine can make you sick if it's not yours. It can look a lot like sweets!
Which picture shows sweets and which is medicine?
Laundry and cleaning detergent can look like juice. But never drink it, it is dangerous!
Can you find the detergent? Can you find the juice?
SolutionMedicine that doesn't belong to you, detergent, and paint are NOT safe to eat! They can make you very sick. Medicine should always be handled by an adult.
Sweets and juice are safe to eat - and delicious!
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Do you recognise these symbols?
HintsFlammable means it can easily catch on fire.
Can you find the symbol that shows a flame?
Lightning is made up of electricity. That's why the symbol for electric shock looks like a lightning bolt.
Can you find it?
Toxic is another word for deadly.
Which symbol best describes this?
SolutionThe symbol for flammable is a flame. It tells you that it's easy to start a fire.
The symbol for toxic is the skull and cross bones. This means that something is poisonous!
The symbol for irritant is the exclamation mark. It's a general warning that something could be harmful to you.
The symbol for electric shock is the arrow in the shape of a lightning bolt.
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Which situations are safe and which are dangerous?
HintsRemember, electric cords and water should never touch.
Which image shows a hairdryer that is safely stored?
Never hold a sharp object out in front of you, you could hurt someone!
SolutionA cord from a hairdryer should never touch water. It could cause electric shock. It's best to unplug it and store it away from water.
Sharp objects like knives and scissors should always be handled by adults. Carry them with the sharp point down towards the floor.
It's much easier to trip and fall when you are running! It's never safe to run down stairs.
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Spot all the potential accidents in the house.
HintsSometimes, unsafe actions can cause accidents.
Find all the people in the house and figure out whether their actions are safe or dangerous.
There are 15 potential accidents in the photo.
Can you find them all?
The red numbers tell us the amount of hazards in each room.
SolutionAll of the items in the photo above are potential accidents.
Room 1: The bottle of detergent is open and dangerous if consumed. The iron is hot and steamy! Don't touch it or you could get burned.
Room 2: The kid is running down the stairs which could end in a fall! The rug could easily cause someone to trip and fall.
Room 3: The hairdryer is plugged in and near the bathtub. It should be stored away from water to avoid electric shock. The puddle of water could case someone to slip and fall.
Room 4: The boy is jumping on the bed which could lead to a bad bump or fall. The scissors are sharp and could cut someone - they should be stored safely.
Room 5: The pot on the stove is hot! Be careful not to touch it. The bottles of cleaner under the sink are toxic - don't drink them! The girl is climbing the cabinet to reach the jar. This is dangerous, she could fall! There's a knife near the sink that is not stored properly. The candle is lit and could cause a fire if it's knocked over. There's an open bottle of pills on the table. They could make you sick if you eat them!
Room 6: There's an open flame in the fireplace that could cause a fire or burn you if you get to close!
I like this! :D
dino person what do you mean burn down the house are you crazzy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it was a good vid but I saw somthing else that had a sharp end and it could cut someones hand in half and i just rememberd that it was in the basement and it's called a saw and saws are dangerous!!! So never use them only groups can use them .
it was a good vidieo