Safety Concerns With Stairways

If you live in a multi-level home, your staircases should be a safety concern. Even though walking up and down stairs might seem like a trivial thing, over a thousand people die every year from falls on stairs.

This is a special concern if you have young children or older parents living at home. So what do you need to do to make sure that your staircase is as safe as possible?

Here are a few points to check:

• If there is carpet on your stairs, make sure it is in place securely.
• Any handrails should be firmly in place and without cracks or splinters.
• Steps should not be irregularly sized since this can trip up someone who is unaccustomed to the stair.
• Starways should be adequately lit so you can see where you put your feet.
• To keep young children from entering the stairs unsupervised, place gates at the top and bottom.