emphasis on avoidable injury
Home accidents
It will come as a surprise to many people that the most dangerous place that they can be is in their own home. Home accidents account for 31% of all fatal accidents.
Every year in the United Kingdom more than 4,000 people die in accidents in the home 3.000 of these are over the age of 65. Nearly three million seek attention at accident and emergency departments. These involve over 1 million children under the age of 65 and more than 360,000 people aged of 65 and over. Home accidents happen behind closed doors in isolated incidents so they rarely attract public and media attention. It is therefore important that we educate and help to prevent accidents in the home and garden.
Human error is a key factor in a high percentage of accidents that means that the majority of home accidents are preventable. They occur at times of stress, when a routine is changed, or may be the result of unsafe practices in the home. Many of the accidents are permanently disfiguring and disabling, causing pain, suffering and stress to the victims and their families.
The largest cause of fatal accidents is falls, accounting for 43% of all home accident deaths, followed by drug poisoning at 16% and other poisoning at 14%. More females died as a result of a fall whereas more males died due to accidental poisoning.
Slips, trips and falls are the most common accident in the home. Those that are not fatal often result in broken or fractured bones, and for older people, this can cause other problems and loss of independence. Approximately 1.2 million people attended A & E as a result of a fall.
The under - 5's and older people are at risk from poisonings. Children find the temptation of household chemicals and medicines irresistible. A small but significant number of adults are victims of accidental overdose. Carbon monoxide fumes from faulty heating equipment result in a number of deaths
Burns and Scaldsoccur to people in all age groups, the most severe cases leading to years of painful surgery and distressing disfigurement, especially in growing children.
Attendances for home accidents at A & E are due mainly to falls, knocks, cuts/tears, foreign bodies or burns.
Source
Department of Trade and Industry. 23rd Annual Report of the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System - 1999 data. London: DTI, 2001.
Many government departments' agencies and organisations are working towards reducing the high toll of serious home accidents in the United Kingdom.
Follow the links page for information, advice, research and statistics on all home safety related topics.