Stairway Safety
You may consider yourself safety conscious and congratulate yourself on how well you reduce risk in and out of your home. One area that you may ignore is your stairway. It's easy to use your stairs as additional storage space and let some basic maintenance go. If you want to keep your family and any visitors safe, you need to keep your stairs in good shape.
Housekeeping
You know better than to drop items on your stairs, but after a long day at work or school, it's tempting to "temporarily" leave things on the stairwell and promise to pick them up later. Unfortunately, later often never comes. Your household rule should be that the stairs are a "junk-free" zone. If necessary, you should confiscate anything left on the stairs to reinforce that rule. This action is especially important for the very young and the elderly because they are often the ones who take dangerous stairwell tumbles. Remember, if your neighbor trips over a board game, the resulting injury could land you in hot water and require that you hire an attorney to protect your interests.
Treads
Worn or slippery treads can cause anyone to fall, no matter their age. You should routinely check your tread coverings to make sure they are properly secured. Always choose a rough finish for your treads to make it more difficult to fall. If your stairs are shiny and smooth, they are a real danger to your family and any visitors you may have. If your current treads do not "grip," you should replace them as soon as possible. Remember that you should always choose treads for their safety factor first and their design second.
Lighting
Dim lights can make stairs even more dangerous. Adding brighter lights to the stairwell can really help prevent the elderly from falling because vision tends to decline as you age. In addition, adding lights to the stairs themselves makes your home even safer, especially for those nighttime refrigerator runs or dark wintertime mornings. Blurry eyes need as much light as they can possibly get in order to keep you from missing a step. Also, visitors to your home who are unfamiliar with your stairs are more likely to take a tumble, resulting in injury for them and liability for you. Even your best friends may sue if they are involved in an accident at your home.
Stairway falls are dangerous and cause serious injury every year. You obviously want to keep your family safe from these accidents, but you should also consider the liability you face if a visitor slips and falls on your stairs. Simply keeping the area clean, well-lighted, and in repair can eliminate many of these concerns. To learn more, contact a company like Lawyer, Lawyer, Dutton & Drake LLP.
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