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Checklist: the most common household hazards and how to avoid them

By Olivia Shead โ€ข Leave a Comment

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Most common household accidents can be prevented by using the right fittings, lighting and finishes to avoid slips, cuts and scalds. If you own a property, you can minimise potential harm to your tenants by identifying potential hazards before any damage is caused. A thorough building inspection can help you pick up on potential problem areas.

Broken window in the winter time with frost on the glass

Donโ€™t run the risk of incurring expensive insurance payouts down the track. Before you buy or renovate your building, review this checklist outlining the most common household hazards.

INSIDE

We all like to feel safe and secure in our own homes, tucked away from the perils of the big bad world outside. But despite our perceptions of homes as a nurturing place, the average home is filled with countless safety flaws and potential hazards. Luckily, with some minor adjustments and renovations, the interior of your home can be 100% safe. Potential hazards are not always immediately obvious to the untrained eye — you need to know where to look.

Glass:

  • Fit safety glass to entry and balcony doors, shower screens, and windows above stairs.

Doors:

  • Make sure toilet doors can be opened from outside.
  • Provide secure locks to entry doors and ground floor windows.
  • Provide good night lighting at entry points.
  • Install remote control garage entry for night safety.
  • In known funnel web spider areas, install screen doors.

Floors:

  • Secure loose carpet or vinyl edges and joints.
  • Avoid slippery surfaces (such as glazed or polished marble) for indoor flooring.
  • Apply non-slip coating to slippery surfaces.
  • Apply non-slip backing to mats.

Fire Emergeny Equipment

Fire safety:

  • Install and test smoke alarms.
  • Check emergency exit signs and lights.
  • Check fire resistance of walls.
  • Remove objects obstructing fire escapes or emergency exits.
  • Fit fireproofing to flammable walls near gas cooktops.
  • Supply fire extinguisher.

asbestos chrysotile fibers that cause lung disease COPD lung cancer mesothelioma

Hazardous materials:

  • Identify any asbestos products.
  • Anticipate lead in paint films over 20 years old.
  • Anticipate toxic termite chemicals in the basement and subfloor.

Water:

  • Fit temperature-limiting devices to showers, baths and basins.

Steps:

  • Fit railings to all stairs, including any hard-to-see steps, ramps, driveways, or drops of more than 600mm.
  • Install lighting so all steps are clearly visible at night.
  • Close any gaps in stairs where infants might fall through.
  • Attach non-slip nosing or grooves to the edge of all steps.

OUTSIDE

The average person spends more time inside their home than outside — most of our eating, sleeping and entertainment happens indoors. So the external safety hazards around your home may be even less familiar or obvious to you than the internal ones. You know what they say: out of sight, out of mind.ย But there are dozens of problems that can arise if you neglect the safety of your outdoor areas, so donโ€™t take your chances. Every property has its own unique safety and security issues – here are a few common ones.

Moss And Mold

Paving and decking:

  • Remove any slippery moss growth.
  • Avoid single steps.
  • Remove tree roots that are lifting paving to create a trip hazard.

Drainage:

  • Request to local council that any open drains, pits or culvert are fitted with childproof safeguards.
  • Upgrade onsite drainage to eliminate seepage onto paving.

Gardens:

  • Identify and remove any poisonous or spiky trees or plants.
  • Around childrenโ€™s playground equipment, install sand or soft fall.
  • Remove hanging ropes from trees and buildings.
  • Ensure up-to-date compliance on BBQ storage cylinder.
  • Avoid planting and fences that obscure the footpath and compromise safe entry to the front door.

Parking:

  • Fit speed humps in longer flat driveways.
  • Install wheel stops in car spaces where vehicle can potentially damage structures or drive through railings.
  • Install bollards or crash barriers where appropriate.

This gated pool is a great place to spend a warm afternoon.

Pool:

  • Install aย childproof fence around the swimming pool.
  • Service gate latch and self-closing device.
  • Fence all water features or place stainless steel mesh just below surface of water to eliminate drowning hazard.

This checklist is fairly comprehensive, but you may come across other unique safety and security issues when buying or renovating your property.

— Jerry has over 40 years experience in the building, architectural and timber pest industry. As the founder of Tyrrells Property Inspection,ย he has managed building and pest inspections in over 90,000 buildings.

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November 25, 2015

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Swipe for after! What a fab, yet sympathetic, mak Swipe for after!

What a fab, yet sympathetic, makeover of this untouched (but not in a good way!) 50s house by @sellinghousesaus See all the rooms on the blog now via link in bio.

Great use of small space and working with the retro feel of the home while still modernising it.

Bravo @wendymooreedit ๐Ÿ‘

#sellinghouses #sellinghousesaustralia #50shouse #50shome #beforeandafterbathroom #retrorenovation #lifestylechannel #foxtel #smallbathroomdesign #showeroverbath

@andrewtwinter
There's nothing like ticking off little jobs! We f There's nothing like ticking off little jobs! We finally knocked out our 60s brown tile back step and replaced it with a smaller grey one made from @trexcompany Island Mist decking to match our deck (that went in 4.5 years ago) and now painted brick exterior. Making the step smaller allowed us to add in an additional manhole under the back door too to allow easier access under the house at the back. And we made a cover for that too (final slide) using Trex. I say "we" but I really mean our handyman ๐Ÿ˜‰ One plank was enough for both jobs. Why we didn't do this ages ago I do not know but it's done now! ๐Ÿ˜ Installed with @trexrainescape to ensure it stays dry and lasts!

Disclosure: Plank of Trex decking was gifted. I paid for the handyman.

#backstep #doorstep #deck #decking #deckdesign #deckideas #compositedecking #trex #trexdecking #greydecking

Mat from @doormatau
Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I fir Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I first came to Australia in my 20s, it's where I headed to buy everything I needed for my first apartment at an incredible price! And I've loved watching the range get more and more impressive over the years as my knowledge of furniture has increased. I had no idea how extensive their Aussie Made sofa range was though. I'd love you to check out the options via link in bio as I think you'll be impressed! I think we have a renewed appreciation for Aussie Made and supporting local manufacturing and jobs and this is a great success story. We love a bit of high low decorating, and turns out Fantastic Furniture is a great place to find your family lounge, a special accent chair, an extra ottoman for occasional seating and so much more. 

#fantasticfurniture #aussiemade #australianfurniture #FindyourFantastic #FantasticFamily #affordablehomewares #affordablefurniture #custommadesofa #custommadelounges #australianhomes #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsdaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Please don't show my boys this room or they'll wan Please don't show my boys this room or they'll want one like it!

How gorgeous is this Brisbane kids' bedroom?! 

@brittwhitestudio worked closely with the boys (aged 7 and 9) to understand their needs with a bespoke bunk bed solution crafted by BRC Cabinets, featuring ample storage as well as an under-stair hidey-hole, a useful reading nook for books and a built-in charger for electronics. Local craftsmen Emmettโ€™s Ropes designed and hand-tied the ropework on the top bunk and the supporting pillar beneath.

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see and read more!

#bunkroom #bunkbed #bunkbedsforkids #bunkbeds #bespokebunkbeds #custommadebunkbeds #sharedbedroom #sharedbedroomforkids #boysroominspo #boysroomdecor #junglebedroom #kidsroomstyle #kidsroomstyling #childrensrooms #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #brittwhitestudio #highriseliving #apartmentlifestyle #penthouses #apartmentlivingwithkids #newsteadbrisbane 

Pix by @joebrosnan.photo
Comment your fave: 1, 2 or 3? Just 3 of the kitch Comment your fave: 1, 2 or 3?

Just 3 of the kitchens in the @duluxaus Colour Awards 2023 shortlist which will give you some serious inspiration!

Loads more gorgeous residential rooms to see on the blog this morning via link in bio.

Projects by @studio__bright @kaiko_design and Georgie Shepherd Interior Design. Pix by @arorygardiner @fiona_susanto and @christophermorrisphoto 

#duluxcolour #duluxpaint #duluxaus #duluxcolourawards #duluxcolourawards2023 #moodykitchen #allwhitekitchen #designerkitchen #sagekitchen #boldkitchen #colourfulkitchen #colouredkitchen #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount
We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony m We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony makeover using @kmartaus stone tiles!

Nineties townhouse in Lennox Head or villa in Greece? You decide! All up it cost $2000 including all materials and she did the work herself.

Read all about it via link in bio now.

Love your work @twin_palms_lennox

#kmartaustralia #kmartdiy #kmarthack #kmarthome #modernmediterranean #balconymakeover #balconyideas #diybalcony #budgetdiy #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Wallpaper in every single room! What do you recko Wallpaper in every single room!

What do you reckon? You'd think it would be overkill but it isn't because so many of the designs are subtle yet still impactful.

Head over to the blog to see how @grafico_walls transformed this blank canvas Melbourne townhouse with their products, which you've probably seen on The Block over the years. And read how Damian Corney has grown this Melbourne business with wife Adele and a growing team. There's also a look inside the very cool Motley Hotel which has used a whopping 4km of their wallpaper throughout!

You can also watch a video tour with Bec Douros as the house featured on Open Homes Australia over the weekend.

Via link in bio now.

#wallpapergoals #wallpaperdesign #australianwallart #australianwallpaper #wallmurals #wallpapermural #wallpapermurals #wallpapereddoor #digitalwallpaper #digitallyprintedwallpaper #customwallpaper #wallpaperaesthetic #wallpapertrends #wallpaperaustralia #grafico #graficowallcoverings #melbournebusiness #melbournesmallbusiness #openhomesaustralia #theblock #becdouros
Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! 

Braved the rain second morning in a row to feed the animals at @edenfarmescape because life's too short to worry about a bit of mud and drizzle!

Feeling relaxed ๐Ÿฅฐ
Did you see this cracking little transformation on Did you see this cracking little transformation on @sellinghousesaus last night?

We have all the finer details on the blog today via link in bio. Particularly love the kitchen refresh using the existing blue cupboards which really weren't doing anything for me before ๐Ÿ˜‚

#sellinghouses #sellinghousesaustralia #beforeandafterkitchen #beforeandafterrenovation #beforeandafterlivingroom #renoshow #realreno #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #bluekitchen #budgetkitchenmakeover #budgetdiy #budgetmakeover
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About Olivia Shead

When she's not writing for Interiors Addict, Olivia is now a TV and radio news producer. She's a journalism graduate of UTS Sydney.

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