Is your house hazardous to your health? You may not realize it until it’s too late, but design or construction flaws around your house may be more dangerous than you think. A stair rail that cannot support the weight of someone who slips and falls is one example. Loose flooring joints that make tripping all too easy is another.

After living in a house for some time, we grow accustomed to the apparently minor deficiencies around us. Under normal circumstances, it’s possible to make avoiding a hazard such as a loose stair nosing part of our daily routine. But what about the unusual occasions? Suppose you come indoors out of the cold with an armload of groceries and your glasses fog up. Can you remember what part of the stair tread to avoid? Unless you have a photographic memory, you could be in trouble.

Slipping on exterior stairs is even more dangerous. If you fall, you will likely land on concrete, rather than on a carpet covered stairs as is the case indoors. Treads of 300 mm width on exterior stairs will reduce the possibility of a major fall. If you are pouring new concrete walks and steps, always specify a “broom finish” for maximum traction. Exterior wooden railings should be well maintained and checked for rot to ensure they won’t fail when needed most. Rot tends to occur in cracks and joints where water accumulates and in the underground portion of the posts.

All stairs require a handrail, even short flights of two or three steps down to a sunken living room. Handrails should be easy to grip, especially for the smaller hands of children. The most important factor about any handrail is its anchorage. Screw the brackets directly to the wood studs. Toggle bolts in gyprock may pull out when the handrail is grasped in an emergency situation.

The kitchen is a prime place for fire. With its multitude of electrical gadgets, outlets and heat generating appliances, combined with a busy lifestyle making distractions likely, the risk of fire is significant. Maintain your electrical devices in good working order and install a portable ABC fire extinguisher in your kitchen.

Then there’s the most dangerous room in the house – the bathroom. Besides having a floor splashed by water from three sources, the bathroom is a place where much bending and stretching occurs, increasing the possibility of losing one’s balance. A non-slip floor is essential. The best types have a raised or embossed pattern and are made of rubber rather than vinyl. A non-slip floor will also make life considerably easier for someone who has reduced mobility or coordination problems when walking.

Towel bars are not normally designed to function as grab bars, although they are often used as such when near the tub. The cheap, three-piece chrome types are quite unsuitable for supporting one’s full weight during a fall. Use towel bars of solid, one-piece steel construction, firmly anchored to the studs. For persons who use a wheelchair, install 38 mm diameter grab bars with a peened grip at the toilet, walk-in tub or accessible shower.

Perhaps you’re building a basement bedroom for guests, the oldest teenager or your in-laws. The building code does not require windows for an unfinished basement, but it does require an operable window for all bedrooms. If window openings were cast into the foundation wall, don’t assume they were originally sized for fire escape. Make sure the clear opening is at least 380 mm in height and width, with a total opening area of at least 0.35 square meters.

When it comes to electrical items, avoid the handyman’s special or the do-it-yourself jobs. Hire a certified electrician. Electrical fires due to faulty or undersized wiring can grow unnoticed inside a wall, reducing the amount of time available for a safe exit.

The most important safety device in a house is the smoke alarm. Install one between each sleeping area and the nearest exit. Keep the batteries fresh and test the alarm regularly. A carbon monoxide detector is also recommended to prevent CO poisoning. Some models are designed to detect both smoke and carbon dioxide.

Don’t take chances with safety. Even the best designed or best built house can become a menace to your health. Take time to install and maintain good safeguards around your home.