Stairway Safety

According to the Home Safety Council's national report on home injuries, the State of Home Safety in America™ (2004), falls accounted for nearly one-third of all unintentional home injury deaths each year. Falls from stairs and steps were the second leading cause of death due to falls. Follow the Home Safety Council's steps to stairway safety to make your home safer from falls:

	Have handrails on both sides of stairs and steps.
	Have lots of lights at the top and bottom of the stairs.
	Keep the stairs clear.
	Paint the bottom basement step white to make it more visible. Mistaking the lowest step for floor level can cause you to lose your balance and fall.
	In homes with young children, use safety gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs.
	Carry small loads up and down stairs. Always hold onto a handrail.
	It is easy to trip on small rugs. Tape them to the floor or do not use them at all.
	If you have steps outside your home, keep them free of ice and snow. To prevent a tripping hazard, periodically check steps and walkways for broken or lose bricks, cement or stone.

* Photo Courtesy of Jake Pauls