Tag Archives: safe home

General Safety Issues, Respiratory Safety

BREATHE EASY (GUEST POST)

Breathe Easy – Unknown Health Problems Identified

By Samuel Ott 

When you’re at home, do you find yourself having constant headaches, swollen and itchy eyes, or low grade fevers? Common diagnoses such as Asthma, Emphysema, or sinus infections may actually be misdiagnosed. Mold exposure can be the cause of this misdiagnosis due to it being an environmental problem. This why you’ll only feel sick while being at home. If you think this is the case for your symptoms, maybe it’s time for some mold removal or at least a home safety inspection to ensure if it is mold-free or not. 

This why you’ll only feel sick while being at home. If you think this is the case for your symptoms, maybe it’s time for some mold removal, or at least a home safety inspection to ensure if it is mold-free or not.  (For more information on the professional mold removal process, visit this website.) 

Mold removal is a process that needs to be taken seriously. If not treated properly or completely, the mold damage can continue to spread leading to worsened or continued health problems. It is important to note that killing the mold is only half of the process. Since dead mold is still allergenic and potentially even toxic, complete mold removal is the only way to get your health and your home back to normal. 

Mold occurs where there is moisture. Bathrooms, for example, are windowless, allowing no circulation, and most of the time small, which means they are at a higher risk for mold in the walls. Leaky pipes or anything else that can cause water damage, but may remain hidden, are what you’ll want to check up on. 

Whether you’re uncertain about mold being in your home, it’s best to be safe. Home is your place for safety and relaxation. Make sure it gives you both, so you can breathe easy.

Thank you for this information about mold, Samuel.  If persons try to tackle removing mold themselves, they should take the necessary precautions to protect their health by using the right safety products.  

General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

HOME SAFETY FOR TODDLERS – WINDOW BLINDS

One of the many things we do when we buy a new home or move into an apartment is choose window treatments.  Whether we have children, grandchildren, or an occasional toddler visit our home, we must be aware of certain hazards that are present.  If you select blinds to cover your windows, be sure they are the new type of cordless ones.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that on the average, once every two weeks, a toddler or infant dies from strangulation from window blind cords.  Blinds made prior to 2001 do not meet child safety regulations.

Toddlers love to climb up to look out of the window, and if they slip and fall, they could become entangled in the cords.  Infants in cribs that are placed too near a window may grab a cord, place it in their mouth, and get it wrapped around their neck.

Here are some actions you may take to ensure safety regarding this hazard:

  • Never have furniture near dangling cords in windows.
  • Buy new cordless window blinds.
  • Consider other window treatments, such as shutters or curtains.
  • If you have older blinds, get retrofit kits to make them safe.
  • Never place cribs near windows.
  • Keep the child away from blind cords.

If you want to adjust the existing blind cords that you now own, the USCPSC recommends eliminating loops on 2-corded horizontal blinds by cutting the cord above the end tassel (looks like a small wood or plastic thimble).

Remove equalizer buckle and add new tassels for each cord, or replace it with a safety break-away tassel.  Do not retie the cords in a knot, as that only recreates a new loop.  Or, you can lower blind all the way, cut cords as close to top of blind as possible and then re-install tassels.  Parents can reach, but the tots cannot!  Otherwise, use old-fashioned cord cleats, which are available at most window covering stores.

The Window Covering Safety Council provides free retrofit kits: cord stops, tassels, and tie-down devices.  Their toll-free number is 800-506-4636.  You can contact them at their website or give them a call for more information.

We just learned of a tragic accident involving some type of cord hanging from a treadmill. It’s unknown at this time just exactly how it happened, but a 4 year-old girl is in critical condition from getting strangled by this cord.  So, parents, look out for anything in your home that could be harmful!