Bathroom Safety Products: Safeproofing Your Bathroom Is Easier Than You Think

(HIT) - For many people, a luxurious hot bath or an invigorating shower can be one of the most highly anticipated activities of the day. Unfortunately, this brief visit with relaxation could be painfully interrupted by an unexpected slip of the foot, loss of balance or sudden change in water pressure resulting in a burn.

Thousands of families decide to remodel a bathroom each year, but seemingly few will make safety an integral part of their design plan. That is unfortunate, because most bathroom accidents are easily preventable and people who are contemplating remodeling their bathroom should not ignore simple measures and bathroom safety products that can help ensure its safety.

Bathroom Safety Products That Can Prevent A Slip Or Fall

"Safe proofing your bathroom is necessary as a protection for your family. It is simple and requires less effort than most people think," commented George Higgs, President of Carex Health Care Products, a leading manufacturer of bathroom safety products.

Higgs suggest the following simple tips for safeproofing your bathroom:

• Bath mats are the simplest way to avoid slippage when getting in and out of the bath tub. These inexpensive bathroom safety products can help safeproof your tub for everyone. A rubber section cup construction allows them to hold firmly to bath tub surfaces and are available in an assortment of sizes and colors to blend well with any bathroom decor.
• Wall mounted grab bars are easy to install and provide a source of quick leverage when maintaining or recapturing balance. Carex Grab Bars can be mounted vertically, horizontally or diagonally and are available in white or chrome steel in an assortment of lengths.
• If getting in and out of the bath tub is difficult, as it may be for older folk, bathtub rails are an important safety precaution for added stability and are available in white or an attractive chrome.
• For those who are highly prone to slipping and loss of balance in the shower, using an attachable hand held shower spray is a good idea. They are easily connected to shower arms and feature an extra long hose which allows the bather to sit while washing.

Bathroom Safety Products That Help Prevent Burns

Each year tens of thousands of children in the United States are treated for scald burns resulting from hot liquids. These scalds can burn and scar as severely as any caused by direct heat sources.

"It takes just three seconds for a child to sustain a third degree burn—requiring hospitalization and skin grafts—from water at 140 degrees Fahrenheit," says Bill Kamela of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. "A child isn’t likely to jump out of a bath to avoid hot water. A young child in hot water will scream, but he may not be able to get out."

Among the bathroom safety products to consider when designing a bathroom are pressure balance tub and shower valves. Required by law in some communities, pressure balance valves help prevent scalds by keeping water temperatures at a safe level when water pressure suddenly changes, says Greg German of Delta Faucet Company.

Delta Faucet Company and its sister company Peerless Faucet, are both sponsors of the Campaign. "In the event that a child or adult is showering, and there is a drop in the cold water pressure because someone may be flushing a toilet or running a washing machine, a pressure balance valve will help ensure that the shower temperature remains constant.

"Delta’s pressure balance valves also have the added benefit of allowing you to limit the handle rotation so that it cannot accidentally be moved into the dangerous hot zone. A handle rotational limit stop is particularly important in instances where a young child is being bathed and may voluntarily or accidentally move the temperature control," he says.

Besides installing pressure balance valves, there are several simple precautions that parents and caregivers can take to help prevent scald burns, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign:

• Never leave your child unattended in the bath, even for a minute. Most scald burns occur in the tub when a child is left alone or in the care of an older sibling. Kids can turn on the hot water faucet.
• Always test the water temperature of the bath or shower before bathing a child.
• Lower your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature will still supply hot water to do your dishes properly, and reduces the risk of scald burns.

While it takes only three seconds for a child to suffer third degree burns in water at 140 degrees F, it may take at least five minutes if the water temperature is set at 120 degrees F.

Other Safety Considerations

Other safety products you can incorporate in your bathroom design are magnetic locks on medicine cabinets and drawers so that children cannot reach poisonous materials, low voltage lighting to reduce the risk of electrical shock, and rounded edges for sinks, counters and cabinets to minimize the risk of cuts or abrasions.

With a little serious attention paid to safeproofing your bathroom and a small investment in bathroom safety products, one of the most frequently used rooms in the home does not have to be the most hazardous for anyone.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center