As much as we’d like to believe we are all safe in our own homes at all times, that may not be true. There are a number of common injuries that you or your children can experience while at home.

Even the safest of households can be guilty of one of these accidents.

This article should help you learn about and avoid some of the most common injuries you can have at home.

1. Falling, Slipping, or Tripping

The first and most common would be trips, slips, and falls. This can happen to anyone of any age, and can be caused by a simple misplacement of a foot stool, or a pet at the wrong place at the wrong time. Imagine you are in a hurry to get something off of the stove while you are cooking and you quickly walk toward the kitchen. Then, there is something in your way that wasn’t there before. Next thing you know, you’re on the floor and hurt.

How to avoid it: Make a mental habit of always being hyper aware of your surroundings. Don’t rush in any particular direction, especially when the house is full of pets, kids, toys, or other objects. Always keep an eye on both the lower and upper part of your vision. Scan up and down as well as left and right as you move. At home, you are much more likely to trip over something than to walk face first into something. So, always look at the floor area while you are walking around.

In addition, make sure your home is well- lit during all waking hours, especially if you don’t have great vision.

2. Cuts and Burns

Cooking can be dangerous, and you probably have to cook pretty often in order to feed yourself and your family. This greatly increases the chances of cuts, burns, or other cooking accidents. Distractions or not feeling well while cooking can be a major cause of these two things.

How to avoid it: To avoid cuts, learn proper knife etiquette and form. Ask a friend or do a search on the internet for the best ways to hold the knife and how to hold the foods while cutting it. Don’t let your cutting board slip and slide around your table while you cut. Make sure your knives are sharp and don’t require hard pressure to cut things. It is super important to take your time, reduce distractions in the kitchen, and make sure you are feeling well and energetic as you cut or handle hot objects. Don’t wear anything that drapes or frays and could get caught on fire by a stove or oven. Make sure you have good quality oven mitts with no holes.

3. Falling Objects

Toddlers and children are the most likely victims to this injury, because they don’t always understand gravity and how it works. The best thing to do is make sure there’s nothing they can pull on or put their weight on that might fall. They may try to climb a dresser with a TV on it, so be sure that dresser cannot tip over. They might pull on a table cloth with something heavy on it and that heavy item might fall on them.

How to avoid it: Keep a very close eye on kids at all times, or ask a friend or family member to help watch. If that is not possible, you can install a camera in one room while you watch them from another room. Avoid being more than 1 room away from them, and make sure you would be able to reach them if something were to happen. Think ahead, and try to think like a kid. Don’t leave electrical cords or outlets exposed for them to get shocked on.

Hopefully all these tips will help you and your family stay safe at home.