The news about the suffocating death of a 39-year-old woman who was trapped in a folding bed a few days ago in Britain looks like a scenario from a horror movie and science fiction at the same time.

Unexpected and rather “alien” fatal injuries especially within the home are apparently more common than we might actually imagine.

The home may be the most dangerous place for humans after all, as the website rospa points out, and it is widely said, most accidents take place there.

And according to Injury Facts, in 2022, an estimated 178,400 injury-related deaths occurred in homes and communities and could have been prevented.

The number of these deaths increased by 1.6% from 2021 which was 175,500.

But what are the main and at the same time most “unlikely” causes of accidental deaths at home and how could they be avoided?

According to State Farm, “home death traps” are exercise equipment, which should not remain plugged in when not in use.

  • At the same time, there is an immediate danger for families with small children from refrigerator magnets and batteries or clothes buttons that we forget on counters or tables since there are not a few cases of infants who have died by swallowing them.
  • Even electric garage doors, which must be ensured to open and close properly, are extremely dangerous (fans of splatter films may be able to make similar creepy associations.
  • Proper maintenance and control of electronic devices is considered vital, reasonably.
  • The advanced features of today’s high-tech devices make them easy to use, but prone to short circuits and malfunctions that could cause fires.
  • Swimming pools are also extremely dangerous where it would not be surprising for someone to slip in the water that accumulates on the floor.
  • It seems that we are still exposed to a great risk during our daily activities to… open well-secured plastic packages with knives and scissors.

Particular attention should be paid to:

Burners
Refrigerator lights

Danger in our house still seems to be:

Our garbage, (how many times have you thrown broken glasses in there?) which should always be placed in bins that close well and are not close to places where children or pets move.

Heavy furniture that may fall or be tripped over.

Plants.

It is important to know what toxic plants are.

Small objects on the floor

It is important that the floors and stairs are always clean and the spaces as tidy and empty as possible (the “curse” “I wish you step on lego” is not accidental after all).

Of course, equally important is the good lighting of the spaces, especially where there are steps.

Make sure the stairs are well lit.
Store or better hide household cleaners and medicines.

Ensure smoke detectors work in case of fire and carbon monoxide.
Make sure the wiring and light switches in your home are trouble-free.

Hide hand tools