Top 30 household risks – walking on wet floor tops list
A poll of 2,000 adults has revealed nearly a fifth (18 per cent) have risked electrocution by turning on light switches while still wet after coming out of the shower.
And more than a third (34 per cent) regularly risk slipping and falling on their wet bathroom floor.
Other potential gambles people take include leaving their windows unlocked when they head out for the day (26 per cent) or standing on a rickety chair to catch a spider on the ceiling (23 per cent).
And of those who have garden furniture, 18 per cent neglect to secure it ahead of stormy conditions.
Other dicey moves include jumping the last few steps on the staircase (23 per cent) and not fitting smoke alarms or making sure the existing ones work (12 per cent).
A resounding seven in 10 people indulge in at least one risk a day at home, whilst nearly a third can think of a time when they have taken a chance and it has backfired on them.
Tara Foley, Retail CEO at AXA UK, said:
“You never know what’s around the corner, and it’s worrying to see a high proportion of homeowners regularly making decisions that can be hazardous at home.
“Risks surrounding our homes are so common that people often don’t consider the dangers they present, but that doesn’t mean Brits should let their guard down and allow themselves to be caught out by easily preventable disasters.
“It is important that people take precautions around the home to protect themselves from accidents which could end up being costly and even dangerous.”
The study also found a daredevil 40 per cent of those polled would consider themselves risk-takers in their day-to-day lives. And 51 per cent admitted to taking risks without considering the consequences of their actions first.
Beyond wet floors and unlocked doors, a third extend their risk-taking behaviour into their finances.
Of these financial risk-takers, 53 per cent have dipped into their savings to buy non-essential items, and 35 per cent have put off renewing their home or contents insurance.
Preventing possible disasters
The study, conducted by OnePoll.com, also found 24 per cent are not currently protected by a home or contents insurance policy – despite 38 per cent living in areas susceptible to flooding or other extreme weather events.
And even of those who do maintain a policy, 46 per cent are unsure what their home or contents insurance covers them against.
While 42 per cent don’t carry out basic checks and maintenance around their home to prepare for adverse weather conditions, with 33 per cent believing taking countermeasures to prevent disaster is too costly.
However, AXA UK has found the average costs of repairing flood and storm damage could significantly outweigh the cost of preventing disaster, with flood damage repairs totalling an average of £36,000 and storm damage totting up to more than £1,000 to repair.
Tara Foley added:
“The cost-of-living crisis has made it even more crucial for people to protect what matters most to them.
“With extreme weather events looking likely to increase in the UK, it is important that people prepare their homes against floods and storms and they check their insurance cover.”
Top 30 most common risks at home
- Walked on a wet floor
- Put a washing machine on and left the house
- Left the mains water on when going on holiday
- Left windows unlocked
- Left curtains open when going on holiday
- Stood on a chair to catch a spider on the ceiling
- Jumped down the last few steps on your staircase
- Climbed up on top of kitchen units to reach the top shelf
- Turned on a light switch with wet hands
- Put the dishwasher on and left the house
- Left your gutters ‘just one more month’ before clearing them
- Dipped into your savings for a luxury item
- Didn’t secure a heavy piece of furniture, like a wardrobe, to the wall behind it
- Not checked roof tiles ahead of a storm
- Not keeping a list of emergency contacts
- Not tied down garden furniture ahead of a storm
- Left something cooking in the oven while popping out
- Walked on wet decking
- Not getting a winter car service
- Left the front door unlocked all day
- Not keeping your car in your garage ahead of a storm
- Walked around on the beams in the loft
- Not having a clear car windscreen
- Not checking you have the right tyres for wet and / icy road conditions
- Not checking car battery and lights
- Not ensured all windows, doors and gates are securely shut ahead of a storm
- Left a cable trailing across a walkway
- Left the garage door unlocked
- Overloaded a plug socket with loads of multi-plug adapters
- Not fitted smoke alarms or made sure existing ones still work
