5 Bathroom Safety Tips to Prevent Accidents

To prevent any accidents in the bathroom, you should follow some basic safety tips. We'll tell you everything you need to know.

Reviewed and approved by the doctor Leonardo Biolatto.

Written by Ana Luzardo

Last update: 19 April, 2023

Taking a shower may seem like a harmless act. However, it holds some potential danger to one’s integrity. There are bathroom safety tips to prevent accidents because falls in wet areas, cuts with sharp objects, problems with electricity, and even poisoning can occur.

Special precautions should be taken when there are older adults or small children, who are more prone to accidents. According to statistics, older people fall more frequently in bathrooms. And, as the Provincial Center of Children’s Health of Buenos Aires refers, the bathroom is also the site of several risky events for the health of small children.

What are the most common accidents in the bathroom?

Among the most common accidents in the bathroom are falls. These are slips in the tubs or showers, due to dampness. You’ve probably already slipped yourself while bathing, so you will understand what we mean.

There are also more serious accidents, such as choking or unintentional drowning in the bathtub. The unfortunate thing is that children are often exposed due to a lack of adult supervision.

Burns are another common type of accident. They usually happen because the water is too hot or because there’s an excess of steam that affects the skin.

In the bathroom, there are also risks of electrocutions. Remember that electricity and water are not good friends. If the area is very wet and you are using an electrical appliance, such as a shaver, there is a greater chance of an accident.

Poisoning from chemicals or medicines is also common. It’s common for people to store their medications and cleaning chemicals in the bathroom. Thus, again, children are exposed to accidental ingestion. According to Spanish records, there are commercial presentations of medicines that would be lethal in a single intake for children. So the risk of carelessness is quite dangerous here.

5 safety tips to prevent accidents in the bathroom

There are ways to prevent events that could affect our health. So we give you here some safety tips to avoid accidents in the bathroom. See what they are.

1. Keep water and electricity away from each other

Avoid electrical accidents by installing sockets, light bulbs, and switches at an adequate distance and as far away as possible from the water. This way, there will be less contact between electricity and moisture. For construction instructions according to the current standards, contractors in Spain make use of the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulations (Reglamento electrotécnico para baja tensión).

Also, don’t touch an appliance when it’s wet. Only do so when you are dry, as well. So if you want to iron your hair, dry it with an appliance, or shave, it’s better to be patient.

Make sure that you unplug electrical products when you’ve stopped using them. Also, put them in another room where there is no water, once you have decided to put them away because they will no longer be useful that day.

2. Reduce the risk of slipping

Products such as shampoos, conditioners, gels, or soaps may contain substances that make them slippery. Therefore, step carefully to avoid falls in the shower. If you’re not using them, cover them well to avoid spills.

Leave the shower wearing shoes with non-slip soles, which offer greater stability. The idea is to increase balance. A good option is anti-slip floors or anti-slip strips that stick to the shower or bathtub.

Anti-fall supports can also be installed at the exit of the shower. These are metal pieces that you can hold onto to prevent slipping.

3. Supervise children to prevent drowning

Never leave your child unsupervised in the bathtub. According to surveys on these accidents, the absence of caregivers is a key risk factor.

You can install seats or bath rings in which children sit to be in contact with the water, keeping still. In addition, there are recommendations outlined by pediatric professionals when it comes to bathing an infant.

Avoid leaving the water in the bathtub when not in use. If the child is not there, uncover it and let the liquid run. Forgetting this creates a space where the little one could get close and fall in.

Make sure you have all the things you need for bathing on hand. That way, you won’t have to run out of the room looking for what you forgot.

4. Regulate the temperature of the water

Adjust the temperature of the heater so that it does not go beyond 45 °C, so that this type of accident can be avoided. If you don’t have a heater, insert your elbow or the inside of your wrist to test how hot the water is. If you have a toddler, teach him to turn on the cold water faucet first and then the hot one.

5. Store medicines safely

Store your medicines in a tall cabinet that isn’t easy for children to reach and that has a key or some kind of extra security. Try to also secure the containers you use to store medicines, such as bottles or cups.

Do not store everyday items with medicines. By this, we mean toothpaste, soaps, or shampoos. You should have a cabinet for each type of product.

Bathroom safety tips for greater safety in the home

The best advice to avoid any type of accident is supervision, foresight, and the use of mechanisms that already exist on the market. It’s a good idea to take advantage of the recommendation of the Spanish Ministry of Health on how to maintain vigilant behavior:

• Warn the person if there’s an imminent risk or a situation that could result in harm.
• Assess the risk real and what the consequences could be.
• Adopt a safe attitude: act accordingly to what we recognized might be risky.

Accidents are unlucky events. However, even though they can happen, there are things we can to do prepare ourselves and help prevent them.