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Bathroom safety
As bathrooms become larger and elaborate to include more ways of pampering the mind and body, safety becomes more of a concern. Since the main bathroom is used by all family members including small children, safeguarding against potential accidents is an important consideration when designing your bathroom without sacrificing from the beauty of your bath’s décor.
When thinking of bathroom safety we immediately draw a straight line from little children to seniors and rightfully so, but regardless of age anyone can slip in a shower or fall stepping out of a bathtub onto a wet floor, safe guarding the bathroom should be for all family members. The Kitchen and Bathroom Association state that over 70 percent of injuries in the home are in fact bathroom related; this equates to approximately 200,000 accidents per year.
Small additions to the bathroom can prevent heart rendering incidents such as the installation of grab bars. These sturdy bars are built to accommodate and support people of all sizes. When attached to a solid area of the wall and at a reachable level offers the perfect solution for everyone in the home and is recommended the bars be installed near the exit point of the shower or bath. To further prevent slips or falls, place a well made non-skid mat inside the bath or shower since these surface are slick when wet.
Bathroom furniture and smooth edges
Choosing bathroom furniture with smooth round edges also aids in preventing injury especially children that are eyelevel to the bathroom vanity. With today’s selection in bathroom furniture, purchasing floor mounted bathroom furniture with curved corners incorporates safety and style. If you must have bathroom furniture with squared edges, bumper furniture table and counter top pads are available at most hardware or children’s stores where furniture is sold.
Preventing drowning in the bathtub or shower almost always eludes us when designing a safer bathroom. A clear tempered glass bath screen with rounded corners should replace any plastic shower curtains. Plastic shower curtains when tugged on can tear and fall on top of a child causing suffocation. Also shower doors should always swing outside of the unit. In the instance someone should slip against the shower door you don’t want it block the drain allowing the space to fill with water.
Prevent burns with an anti-scald device
Water temperature is another important factor in preventing injury and potential scalding. Thermostatic controls are recommended for homes where small children are present. According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, more than 75 percent of all scald burn-related injuries that occur in children under the age of two could have been prevented using a few basic safety measures. Understanding the threat hot water poses and the burn risks involved, adjust the water heater to a maximum of 120°F, 48.9°C. As a test, you should be able to place your hand under running hot water without feeling any burning sensation.
Purchasing and installing an anti-scald device on the bath mixer tap or shower head, can prevent water burns. The safety devices sense when the water temperature is too hot and can also limit the water flow out of the tap, available at bathroom, plumbing marts or hardware stores, a worthwhile investment for bathroom safety. When creating your bathroom design remember to foster the safety of all family members by taking into account that the physical environment can prevent unnecessary accidents. |
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