Is Your Bathroom a Danger Zone?

Keep your bathroom safe.

Insurance is there to help protect you in the event of an accident, but adopting an effective risk management strategy into your life can help you reduce the chances of an accident occurring. Risk management can be adopted across our day-to-day life, but particular focus should be applied to the home.

The bathroom is one of the most common rooms in the home for an accident. Water from sinks, showers, and bathtubs not only makes the floor very slippery but can also increase the risk of electrocution. While these risks are particularly prevalent for young children and the elderly, everyone can have an accident, so taking certain steps can help you lower the risk:

1. Add non-slip mats
   The bathroom can be incredibly slippery, so make sure that your tubs and showers have a non-slip surface or adhesive mats to make it safe to enter, exit, and stand in.
2. Reduce moisture build-up
   Make sure you are using extractor fans and vents to help you reduce the build-up of moisture.
3. Do not use wax
   Make sure that you are not using wax on bathroom floors as this can be very slippery.
4. Act quick
   All spills should be cleaned up immediately.
5. Add rails
   For the elderly or those with limited movement, consider installing rails to make it easier to use bathtubs, showers, and toilets.
6. Soap dishes
   You should make sure that any soap dishes or towel bars are made from a break-resistant material.
7. Soaps
   You should also consider the soaps you are using. Packaged liquid soap is often a better option compared to the harder-to-grip bars of soap, which are often a leading cause of falls.
8. Bath mats
   Make sure you minimize the risk of slip outside of the tub/shower area by using a non-slip, absorbent bath mat.
9. Lock your cabinets
   One of the main methods of reducing risks is to make sure that all of your bathroom cabinets are inaccessible to toddlers. This means keeping all products, chemicals, medicines, and cleaners out of sight and reach.
10. Use grounded electrical outlets
    Ensuring your bathroom uses grounded electrical outlets will ensure that all outlet circuits will when exposed to water, minimizing the risk of electrocution.
11. Unplug accessories
    Equally, you should ensure that all electrical appliances are kept unplugged when not in use and away from water.
12. Make it more accessible
    Finally, you should consider making your bathroom more accessible for those with low mobility by installing step-in style tubs and showers.

While insurance is essential to helping to protect you from risks, taking a risk assessment of your home will reduce the likelihood of accidents occurring.