How to avoid bathroom slips
Sep 24, 2010
MARY Nansamba, a university student, will never forget the day she lost her<br>father who slipped in a bathroom and died.
By Stella Naigino
MARY Nansamba, a university student, will never forget the day she lost her
father who slipped in a bathroom and died.
He had gone to bathe while all his family members were away from home. When one of them came back home, he was shocked to find his father lying on the
ground dead.
Bathroom slips and falls are a common cause of not only injuries but death.
The elderly and children are more susceptible to bathroom slips but anybody can be a victim.
Bathrooms by their nature are private places, so the chances of remaining unattended to for long after an accident are high. Secondly, modern bathrooms are increasingly using slippery material like ceramics.
With the combination of water and soap, the bathroom becomes a high-risk area in the home. So one has to be careful to avoid likely accidents.
Joseph Ssempasa, a civil engineer, says one of the the commonest causes of bathroom accidents is when the toilet seat falls down. This is especially dangerous for children.
Among adults, it can lead to injuries like bruised buttocks, fractured tail bones and dislocated hips after sitting on the toilet bowl rim when the toilet seat is down. Children also run the risk of falling into the toilet. Children who fall in bathrooms and toilets may lose their teeth.
Ssempasa says many people do not include support rails for people with disabilities in the bathrooms and toilets.
Other injuries can be caused by the feet slipping or the toilet bowl collapsing under the weight of the occupant.
Older high flush cast iron cisterns have also been known to detach from the wall when flushed (by pulling a chain) causing injuries to the user. There are also frequent injuries from people standing on toilet seats to reach heights.
There are also instances of people slipping on a wet bathroom floor while taking a bath.
Daniel Isabirye, a civil engineer, says bathroom accidents are also caused by electrical cords that pass across the pathways. These, if not turned off, can shock a person to death.
The continuous existence of soapy and watery areas in the bathroom makes it possible for the occurrence of these accidents.
“It would not do any harm for one to use rubber mats or slip resistant stickers in the bathtub to help absorb water because soft water makes showering very slippery,†Isabirye observes.
While constructing your bathroom, safety comes first. The floor should have a rough texture to avoid slips and falls. Bathroom floors can be crafted from materials that can withstand bleaching or anti-biotic cleaners.
Ssempasa says use matte finishing because its ideal for bathrooms compared to carpet and wood floors.
He says when constructing a bathroom, put a drain in your bathroom floor because it averts cases of water stagnation.
Ssempasa says you can also use tiles for your bathroom floors especially the terrazzo type because they have a rough surface that controls slipping.
He cautions people against using pavers and glass tiles because of their sharp edges.
MARY Nansamba, a university student, will never forget the day she lost her
father who slipped in a bathroom and died.
He had gone to bathe while all his family members were away from home. When one of them came back home, he was shocked to find his father lying on the
ground dead.
Bathroom slips and falls are a common cause of not only injuries but death.
The elderly and children are more susceptible to bathroom slips but anybody can be a victim.
Bathrooms by their nature are private places, so the chances of remaining unattended to for long after an accident are high. Secondly, modern bathrooms are increasingly using slippery material like ceramics.
With the combination of water and soap, the bathroom becomes a high-risk area in the home. So one has to be careful to avoid likely accidents.
Joseph Ssempasa, a civil engineer, says one of the the commonest causes of bathroom accidents is when the toilet seat falls down. This is especially dangerous for children.
Among adults, it can lead to injuries like bruised buttocks, fractured tail bones and dislocated hips after sitting on the toilet bowl rim when the toilet seat is down. Children also run the risk of falling into the toilet. Children who fall in bathrooms and toilets may lose their teeth.
Ssempasa says many people do not include support rails for people with disabilities in the bathrooms and toilets.
Other injuries can be caused by the feet slipping or the toilet bowl collapsing under the weight of the occupant.
Older high flush cast iron cisterns have also been known to detach from the wall when flushed (by pulling a chain) causing injuries to the user. There are also frequent injuries from people standing on toilet seats to reach heights.
There are also instances of people slipping on a wet bathroom floor while taking a bath.
Daniel Isabirye, a civil engineer, says bathroom accidents are also caused by electrical cords that pass across the pathways. These, if not turned off, can shock a person to death.
The continuous existence of soapy and watery areas in the bathroom makes it possible for the occurrence of these accidents.
“It would not do any harm for one to use rubber mats or slip resistant stickers in the bathtub to help absorb water because soft water makes showering very slippery,†Isabirye observes.
While constructing your bathroom, safety comes first. The floor should have a rough texture to avoid slips and falls. Bathroom floors can be crafted from materials that can withstand bleaching or anti-biotic cleaners.
Ssempasa says use matte finishing because its ideal for bathrooms compared to carpet and wood floors.
He says when constructing a bathroom, put a drain in your bathroom floor because it averts cases of water stagnation.
Ssempasa says you can also use tiles for your bathroom floors especially the terrazzo type because they have a rough surface that controls slipping.
He cautions people against using pavers and glass tiles because of their sharp edges.