There is risk in everything we do in life, but we rarely give it a second thought, if even a first. Mountain biking, participating in high-contact sports, taking a brisk winter stroll, and driving our cars to work are just a few of the things that could end poorly for us, and yet we do them easily without considering the potential risks. Often, we tend to bundle all accidents into the 'it would never happen to me' category.  

When we think of danger, most of us would imagine lightning strikes and plane crashes. However, the danger we should be more concerned about is the risk associated with the things we do every day. For example, we have a 1 in 471 chance of dying from crossing or walking down the street and a 1 in 19 chance of death from normal everyday activities in general. Unintentional injury is a far greater danger than we give it credit for, especially since there are around 223,000 deaths from it each year, or about 1 person every 2 minutes. This makes it the third leading cause of death!   

Even if you don't die, an unintentional injury can cause serious damage. The ER sees around 26.2 million visits a year due to unintentional injury. And every minute, 118 people will suffer an accidental injury. Thankfully, the majority of these incidents are preventable. There are a ton of ways to stay safe at home, work, and in your vehicle. The sooner you recognize and accept the fact that something could happen to you, the sooner you can take steps to be prepared for, and hopefully prevent, accidents. 

Staying Safe at Home  

We often feel safest at home, but that feeling can make us ignore potential dangers. A whopping 55% of accidents happen at home, and while some things are out of your control, you have the power to greatly decrease the odds of getting injured. Here are some tips to keep yourself safe at home:  

Keep A First Aid Kit In Your Home  

Keeping a comprehensive first aid kit in your home is always a great place to start. If someone does get injured, you'll be able to start treating them right away! We would recommend the MyFAK Pro for a good, all-around first aid kit. If you have 3 or more kids or more than 2 adults living in the household, the MyFAK Large Pro includes more supplies to cover the whole family.

Fire Safety  

Every home needs a fire extinguisher, and all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be in working order. If your home doesn't have a carbon monoxide detector or enough smoke detectors, you should make adding them a priority. 

Keep Up On Inspections & Maintenance  

Furnaces, hot water heaters, other gas appliances, flues, and chimneys need to be regularly inspected to ensure they're working correctly and not a fire hazard. It's also critical to maintain your home's wiring and electrical outlets for the same reason.   

Protect Your Kids  

Children can be clumsy and unpredictable. It's essential to ensure your home is properly child-proofed to protect them. Securing furniture, covering outlets, locking cupboards with cleaning products, and padding sharp corners are just a few of the ways you can keep your kids safe.   

Security Systems  

Installing a home security system is always a good idea to protect both yourself and your property. Fortunately, they have become more affordable in recent years.   

Staying Safe on the Road  

Many people brag about how fast they can get somewhere or joke about spacing out on the road, but these people rarely understand how dangerous what they're doing is. 25% of unintentional injuries occur on the road, and you have a 1 in 95 chance of dying in a car crash. Many accidents on the road are avoidable if you take the proper precautions and remain vigilant. Here are some things you can do to mitigate your risk:  

Have A Car First Aid Kit   

Having a quality car first aid kit in an easily accessible spot is critical for swiftly treating others or yourself. The MyFAK Mini Pro is a fantastic, comprehensive kit that can be easily stored almost anywhere in your vehicle. We recommend mounting it to the back of a headrest for maximum visibility and accessibility.   

Keep A Flat Tire Kit Ready  

You never know when or where you'll be unfortunate enough to get a flat tire. Keeping a spare tire, jack, lug wrench, reflective triangles or flares, gloves, and other essentials in your trunk will make sure you're not stranded without options!   

Assemble A Vehicle Emergency Kit  

If you were stranded in the middle of nowhere, would you have the things you need to stay safe and alive? Having a few basics on hand, like water, nonperishable food, and a flashlight, can be the difference between life and death in some cases.  

Prepare Your Vehicle At The Start Of Each Season  

Each season has its own dangers and challenges that you need to anticipate. For example, in the winter months, you should keep a beanie, blanket, hand warmers, gloves, something to help with tire traction (such as traction boards or kitty litter), de-icer, an ice scraper, and other things to keep you warm and prepare your car for the ice and snow.  

Maintain Your Vehicle  

Almost all of us have been guilty of ignoring a maintenance light or two longer than we probably should have. Be sure to perform regular maintenance and brake checks, top off fluids or change them as needed, make sure your lights are working, ensure you have good windshield wipers, and anything else you need to keep your car running well.   

Don't Drive Distracted  

This one may seem obvious, but so many people do it! Put the phone away, don't get too bogged down with the infotainment system or navigation, and do whatever you need to in order to focus on the road and what's going on around you outside of the car. 

Staying Safe at Work  

About 11% of accidents happen at work, and slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common causes of injury. There are countless things that contribute to workplace safety, but here are some things that can put the odds in your favor:  

Have Easy Access To A First Aid Kit  

Having access to a first aid kit is critical for workplace emergencies. A Medic is fantastic to cover employees, but a kit of that size is the responsibility of upper management. We recommend keeping a Sidekick Pro or Everyday Carry on your person or in your bag so you can quickly respond to emergencies.   

Follow Your Company's Safety Protocols And Procedures  

All the red tape can be annoying, but more often than not, it's there for a reason. By following all established safety protocols, you help protect yourself and your coworkers.   

Take Breaks As Needed  

Tired work is rarely good work, and doing some tasks exhausted or drowsy can put you and others in danger. For example, driving and operating heavy machinery are only two of the things that could have disastrous consequences in these circumstances.  

Be Aware Of Safety Risks  

Some of them are obvious, like a clearly unstable surface that you absolutely should not walk across. However, you also need to be aware of some more subtle risks to your safety. 

Keep Your Workspace Clean  

Ensuring your workspace is free and clear of clutter can prevent small things like trips or big things like fires.   

Pay Attention To Warning Signs  

Signs are often posted for a good reason. Make sure to take a moment to read them so you know if the floor is wet or if there are electrified wires nearby.

Recap  

Thinking that you will never be the one to get hurt, seriously or otherwise, is a dangerous mindset to have. However, we also don't want you to be paranoid or live in a state of constant anxiety. Recognizing that you could be the one to be injured allows you to take the necessary precautions and ensure you're prepared if something does go wrong. Being prepared also takes the pressure off yourself and helps make things less scary. And a powerful first step is getting a quality first aid kit and learning how to use it.