Accidents in the home

Our homes are our sanctuaries, the one place where you and your family can feel safe and protected, a sentiment that is more important than ever given the current national lockdown. We are all being asked to spend more time at home than usual at the moment, however this doesn't mean that you should be any less careful when it comes to avoiding accidents and injuries.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Injuries, the home is the most common location for an accident to happen, with 2.7 million Brits requiring a hospital visit following an accident in the home. With an estimated annual cost to the NHS of £45.63 Billion from injuries that happen in the home, it is more important than ever to make sure that you are staying safe. 

Here at National Accident Helpline, we wanted to look into these figures further, to highlight which areas of the home were causing the most accidents and which everyday household items had the greatest chance of causing an injury. In order to do this, we surveyed 2,000 UK residents to ask where in the home they had previously been injured - and what caused the particular injury. 

We also wanted to test the British public's awareness of which areas of the home and household objects have the highest potential for causing an accidental injury. With almost three quarters of respondents (73%) stating that they had injured themselves in their home multiple times in the past year alone, making sure you are paying attention can be key in avoiding any unnecessary accidents.  

To put this to the test, we have hidden 14 everyday items that can cause injury in the below image. Can you beat the average time of 23 seconds to spot all of the dangerous items? 

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see if you correctly identified the items most likely to cause injury around the home.

Safety Awareness - Room for Improvement

The kitchen will most likely hold the greatest number of items that can cause injury in any home, with knives, boiling pans of water and scolding hot ovens a daily occurrence as we go about our everyday lives.

However, even with the knowledge of this heightened danger, the research shows that the kitchen still holds the greatest threat of injury in the home, with over half of respondents (60%) stating that they have previously injured themselves during a culinary task.

When looking for the safest area of the home, it seems that escaping to the attic or garage holds the lowest chance of suffering an accidental injury. Just over one in 10 (11%) of respondents stated that they had been injured in their attics, followed closely by garages (15%).

With the kitchen being named as the most likely location for accidents in the home, it seems that it is the process of food preparation that causes the highest chance of injury.

Somewhat surprisingly, the results also show that it is the older generation that is in fact least likely to injure themselves multiple times around the home.

57% of those aged over 65 found themselves suffering multiple accidents in the home, whilst a whopping 83% of 35-44-year-olds stated they had been injured multiple times.

With an overwhelming 92% of those in Sheffield stating that they have suffered multiple injuries within the home, it appears that those in the Steel City need to take the most care around the home followed closely by those in Cardiff (91%).

The research indicates that Belfast residents are the most careful around the home when it comes to avoiding injury, however with an injury rate of 40% it is clear that there is still more than can be done to stay safe within the home.

So, how are you at spotting the hidden dangers around the home? Let us know how you fared on our Facebook or Twitter pages.