HOME SAFETY COUNCIL INTRODUCES NEW EDITION OF THE STATE OF HOME SAFETY IN AMERICA™ REPORT

Study Reveals Unintentional Home Injuries Responsible for nearly 20,000 Deaths and 21 million Medical Visits Each Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The State of Home Safety in America™ (2004), a new study commissioned by the Home Safety Council, reveals that unintentional home injuries are a much more serious issue than many Americans may realize. Released today, the report is the Home Safety Council’s second national home injury study and the nation’s first in-depth report to examine home injury trends in America. The study findings show how unintentional home injuries impact the entire country, and clearly demonstrate the need for greater home safety education.

According to the report, unintentional injuries at home result in an average of nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits each year. Along with comprehensive national injury findings, the State of Home Safety in America details home injury statistics for each state, the cost of home injuries to both businesses and society and a breakdown of age groups at greatest risk of home injuries. A survey outlining the prevalence of safe practices in American homes is included in the new report, as is a first-ever home injury trend analysis.

“The second edition of the State of Home Safety in America provides valuable information on the hazards that are causing the alarming number of injuries in and around American homes each year,” said Home Safety Council president Meri-K Appy. “These findings underscore the critical need for homes across the nation to adopt safer home practices, and the Home Safety Council will use this new data as a platform to continue to educate and empower families to take actions that will create a safer home environment.”

Key Research Findings

The State of Home Safety in America report shows that the home is the second most common location of unintentional fatal injuries in the United States, motor vehicles being the first. The study also concludes that home injuries can cost society up to $387 billion each year, with leading causes of home injury related deaths being falls, poisonings, fires and burns, choking/suffocation and drowning. Although no one is immune from home injuries, the research identifies those at greatest risk to be children under the age of 15 and older adults (more than 70 years of age).

“Many of these injuries could have been prevented through common household improvements or simple changes in unsafe behaviors,” said Appy. “This report is both a valuable new tool for public educators working in community injury prevention and a wake-up call for homes and families across the country. Awareness is power in the fight against home hazards and this research provides the data to increase that awareness among individuals, caregivers and families.”

Home Safety Advice for Families

During Home Safety Month, the Home Safety Council is introducing new resources that will help families reduce their injury risk and apply safe practices in and around their homes. Visitors to www.homesafetycouncil.org can download posters and brochures, create a personalized home safety checklist and access free home safety information on topics ranging from fire prevention to child safety. Additionally, the Home Safety Council offers the following 10 steps to a safer home that every household should put into action:

• Make sure all stairs have a secure hand rail and keep all stairways, paths and walkways clear of clutter and well lighted.
• Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls, and use a non-slip mat or adhesive safety strips inside bathtubs and showers.
• Post emergency numbers including 911 and the National Poison Control Hotline number (1-800-222-1222) next to every phone in your home.
• Install child locks on all cabinets used to store dangerous items such as pesticides, cleaners, matches, lighters and household chemicals.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Be sure to test them monthly.
• Develop a fire escape plan for your family that has two exits for every room and a place to meet outside. Practice makes perfect – hold a family fire drill at least twice each year.
• Always stay in the kitchen while food is cooking on the stove.
• Keep your water heater setting at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or less.
• If you have a pool, install four-sided pool fencing with self-closing and self-locking gates. Fencing should completely isolate the pool from the home and be least five feet high.
• Practice touch supervision – stay within arm’s length and constantly supervise children in or near water such as pools, ponds, bathtubs and buckets.

For more information and resources to help people learn more and stay safe in and around the home, please visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.

The State of Home Safety in America™ Report

The State of Home Safety in America™ (2004) is the Home Safety Council’s second comprehensive statistical report of unintentional home injuries in the United States, addressing causes, costs and victims. The Home Safety Council worked in conjunction with the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center to create a comprehensive benchmark of home injuries in 2002 and to update the status of home safety in the minds and homes of Americans in the 2004 Edition. The report found falls to be the most common fatal home injury, followed by poisonings, fires/burns, choking and suffocation and drowning. Resulting in nearly 20,000 fatalities annually on average, these injuries can cost society up to $387 billion each year.

The data sources for the study include the National Vital Statistics System, National Health Interview Survey, and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey – Emergency Department. These data are compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About Home Safety Council

The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping prevent the nearly 21 million medical visits that occur on average each year from unintentional injuries in the home. Through national programs and partners across America, the Home Safety Council works to educate and empower families to take actions that help keep them safe in and around their homes. To learn more about the Council’s programs, partnerships and resources, visit the Home Safety Council at www.homesafetycouncil.org.