We all want to feel safe in our homes. During the pandemic it’s where we were all told to hide away in order to shield ourselves from the virus. And in doing so we’d have also protected ourselves from accidents on our roads, bike tracks, icy pavements and all the other hazards that occur in the great outdoors. 

Working from home might have shielded us from potential risks in the workplace, but for many, it opened a new can of worms instead, as there are dangers that lurk within our own four walls that we might not have realised were there. 

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Injuries, the home is the most common place to get injured. They’re full of hazards and it’s important to be aware of what these are, especially after reports of large numbers of children requiring hospital assistance due to domestic accidents during lockdown.

So which room is it?

According to research from the National Accident Helpline, the kitchen poses the greatest risk, by far. Of the 2,000 people surveyed, 60 percent said they’d previously injured themselves there. This is a long way ahead of the garden, where just a third of respondents had been injured in the past. The living room was third, with 31 percent. Down at the bottom of the list was the garage (15 percent) and the attic (11 percent), which is not surprising given most of us would spend little time there.

What are the most common accidents?

It seems knives are the main reason kitchens are so dangerous. Almost half of respondents said they’d been injured by a kitchen knife and almost a quarter had been hurt by a hob. Exercise equipment is another culprit, with a third of those surveyed saying they’d come a cropper on this at one time or another. The others to make the top five are ladders (21 percent) and wet floors (18 percent).

Who’s most likely to get injured?

Interestingly, it’s younger people, with 83 percent of 35-44-year-olds saying they’d suffered multiple injuries in the home. This drops to just 57 percent in the over 65s category.

There’s no need to become paranoid about dangers in the home. But it’s always good to be aware, and act accordingly, to prevent accidents. It’s also worth noting that if you have suffered a domestic injury due to faulty equipment, or where there were insufficient warnings in place, you could be entitled to compensation.