Smyrna Times

STATE SAFETY COUNCIL NEWS

Home Fatalities Have Been Found Second Only To the Automobile

SOME TIMELY WARNINGS

Home fatalities are second only to those caused by automobiles, according to a preliminary edition of "Accident Facts" prepared by the National Safety Council.

The country's 1935 fatalities numbered approximately 99,000. The accident fatalities are divided into the following classifications: Motor vehicle fatalities 36,400; Home fatalities, 31,500; Public fatalities (not motor vehicle), 17,500; Occupational fatalities, 16,500. The Delaware Safety Council emphasizes that one need not be fearful at home but must be aware of the potential dangers that lurk in every house and be prepared to guard against them. The kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house. It is an especially hazardous place for children. Here is where mother works with pointed knives and shiny pans. Here is where she turns little knobs on the stove and wonderful things happen. It is no wonder that baby follows her to the kitchen, tries to reach the knives and pans, and wants to play with the knobs. Although the greatest danger comes from the use of fire and the presence of gas and hot liquids, falls, cuts and scratches, and other kinds of accidents take their toll. The floor is not highly polished, but the danger of slipping is great if it is not kept clean. Stepping on a piece of fruit or into a puddle of spilled oil or water has sent many a person to the floor and thence to a hospital. A rent in the linoleum or a turned up edge is similarly dangerous. Every kitchen should be equipped with a sturdy step-ladder for reaching to high cupboards. The hazards of common cookery are real and such processes as deep fat frying can be extremely dangerous.

Pans on top of the stove should have their handles turned in so that a child cannot grasp them and so that a grown person will not inadvertently brush against them. Since pet-cocks are of a height to attract the youngster it is advisable to have them equipped with safety cocks which cannot be turned without first lifting or turning a clip. Many women have been burned by steam when taking a top off a roaster or other cooking dish. The top should be taken off far side first so that the burst of steam will escape away from the face. In deep fat frying it is desirable to have nobody else in the room. Grease burns are terribly painful.

The potatoes or other food to be cooked should be thoroughly dried before immersion in the grease because water causes the grease to sputter and fly. With wood or coal burning cook stoves, the things to look out for are (1) overheating the stove so that nearby combustibles are ignited by radiation; (2) the insulation of the floor and nearby walls to safeguard against this hazard; (3) avoidance of such unsafe practices as starting the fire with gasoline or kerosene or hanging clothes too close to the stove to dry or cleaning the stove with a polish which contains benzine or other explosives. Stove pipes should be kept clean. A common cause of conflagrations starting in the kitchen is the electric smoothing iron. Have an asbestos pad or metal platform for the iron to rest on and turn off the current if it is necessary to answer the telephone or door bell. Tin cans and bottles should be disposed of promptly and they should not be thrown into a waste basket if children are creeping about. In using any cutting tool, cut away from the body, so that if the blade slips it will not hurt you. A recent analysis of home accidents requiring hospitalization in Wilmington hospitals revealed the startling fact that the majority of home accidents occurred in the kitchen, on Saturday afternoon, were caused by falls and involved male members of the household.