Safety Begins at Home | AFC Urgent Care of East Tennessee

While you may be thinking that most accidents happen outside of the home, our team at AFC Urgent Care TN wants you to realize that safety needs to begin at home. The numbers are staggering: Approximately 2,200 American children die each year—and 9 million children are seen in the ER—due to an injury suffered in the home. Therefore, it is time for all homes to take action to help bring this number to zero.

Make Your Home Safe

There are many things you can do to improve the safety of your home.

First, if you have younger children in your home, be sure to use safety-approved baby gates around stairs—both the top and bottom of your staircase.

When was the last time you walked around your home and looked at the flooring? Are there places where the carpet is pulled up? What about the hardwood floors—are they in good shape? You want to look for any tripping hazards that might be in the way. Even loose rugs or a stray light cord can be a hazard.

No one wants a fire to happen. However, almost 488 children younger than age 14 pass away in home fires every year. Therefore, it is vital for every family to have a fire escape plan and to practice it yearly to ensure everyone is on the same page. When the time changes twice a year, check the smoke alarms in your home by testing the batteries.

Also, now that the warmer weather is starting to emerge, make sure you are around your children at all times when they are in the water, as well as around the water—especially if they’re still building upon their swimming skills. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day, approximately 10 people living in the United States pass away from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children age 14 or younger. Practice pool and water safety at all times.

When an injury occurs, our knowledgeable and friendly medical team at one of our AFC Urgent Care TN centers is ready to be of assistance. We are here when you need us!