Home is where the heart is. Home is where you hang your hat. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. Clichés about home often suggest that it’s a loving, carefree sanctuary, a place where we can shed all our worries. And after a hard day’s work, it’s where you rush to be. But before you hang up your hat this evening, take a look around your home and consider this statistic: You were actually 10 times safer back at work.

According to the National Safety Council, in 2006 there were 179,065 deaths from unintentional injuries in the United States. Four percent of those deaths resulted from workplace injuries; 41% of those deaths resulted from injuries that occurred at home. It seems there really is no place like home!

June is Home Safety Month, a perfect time to remind your workers to look at their homes with a critical safety eye. Share with them these ten quick ways to improve safety where they live:

1. Ensure all traffic areas and stairways are well-lighted.
2. Clear all traffic areas and stairways of clutter.
3. Fix any loose railings.
4. Fix torn carpets and loose tiles.
5. Ensure all wiring is in good condition and adequate for your appliances.
6. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, regularly check their batteries and press the alarms’ "test” button to ensure they are working properly.
7. Have your chimneys and fireplaces cleaned every year.
8. Store flammable liquids, such as gasoline and paint thinner in approved covered containers in well-ventilated areas. Keep them far away from sources of ignition, such as cigarettes and pilot lights.
9. Always turn handles of pots and pans toward the center of the stove or that they can’t be accidentally bumped by someone passing by.
10. Post emergency numbers at each telephone, along with the house address and phone number.

Conclusion

When you check out of work today, take all the safety lessons you’ve learned home with you. Apply them to your weekend renovation tasks. Follow proper ergonomic practices in your home office. And think of housekeeping as more than just a boring Saturday morning chore. All of these safety habits can help make your home not just sweet, but safe.

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