There is no place in the world where accidents do not occur. The Home is sweet, but sometimes bitter acci­dents take place in the home. By petty accidents within the four walls of their homes many important personalities have died. It is seen that many serious burns brought to the hospitals come from disorganized homes.

The common inci­dents at home are:

(i) Children love the glow of the fires, whether coal, gas or electric. So, all fires should be pro­tected to prevent a child from getting its hand through. Matches also should be kept out of reach of the children. Kerosene lamps are some­times knocked over by children playing in the home. The kerosene spills out of the lamp and burns. A heater should be put in a place where it cannot be knocked over. Pots and pans con­taining hot water or other hot liquids should not be put where small children can reach them. Small children ought not to be left where there is danger.

(ii) Electricity is always dangerous. Electricity can keep us warm or cool and it can cook our food but it can also kill us. We should never touch any electric wire if it is switched on. Besides, the gas taps and points and electric points should be kept out of the reach of children as far as possible.

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(iii) All things which can cut are dangerous. Sharp knives and scissors should be put away where children cannot reach them. Small children should not be allowed to play with them. It is better not to hold the knife, pin or scissors at the time of talking as the tips of the instruments may push accidentally into someone’s eyes and make him blind.

(iv) Medicine makes us better when we are ill. But if we take the wrong medicine, it can make us ill or kill us. The children’s limitless and healthy curiosity and their tendency to put strange things into their mouths expose them to risks. So the safest rule is to keep all foreseeable sources of danger, e.g. poisonous cleaning agents, sprays, vermin killers, medicines safely out of their reach. Children should be taught from the very beginning not to eat any fruits or berries without permission and not to chew leaves or stems. Similarly, children should not be sent in search of mushrooms as some are similar as poisonous varieties of fungus,

(v) The grown-ups as well as children are often hurt and may break a leg or an arm when they fall over, which is very common in the home. The skins of bananas, oranges and other fruits are very slippery. So care should be taken not to throw then on to the ground. Sometimes people leave boxes or other things in dark passages, where people walk. They do not see the boxes and trip over them which cause an accident due to a little carelessness. So we should be cautious about all the above measures of accidents and try to stop them.