Diagnostic Division: Safety

Definition: Accentuated risk of accidental tissue injury (e.g., wound, burn, fracture).

RISK FACTORS

Internal
Weakness; Balancing difficulties; Reduced muscle coordination; Reduced hand/eye coordination; Poor vision; Reduced sensation; Lack of safety education/precautions; Insufficient finances; Cognitive/emotional difficulties; History of previous trauma

External [includes but is not limited to:]
Slippery floors (e.g., wet or highly waxed); Unanchored rugs/electic wires; Bathtub without antislip equipment; Use of unsteady ladder/chairs; Obstructed passageways; Entering unlighted rooms; Inadequate stair rails; Children playing without gates at top of stairs; High beds; Inappropriate call-for-aid mechanisms for bed-resting client; Unsafe window protection in homes with young children; Pot handles facing toward front of stove; Bathing in very hot water (e.g., unsupervised bathing of young children); Potential igniting gas leaks; Delayed lighting of gas appliances; Wearing flowing clothing around open flames; Flammable children’s clothing/toys; Smoking in bed/near oxygen; Grease waste collected on stoves; Children playing with dangerous objects; Accessibility of guns; Playing with explosives; Experimenting with chemical; Inadequately stored combustibles (e.g., matches, oily rags)/ corrosives (e.g., lye); Contact with corrosives; Overloaded fuse boxes; Faulty electrical plugs; Frayed wires; Defective appliances; Overloaded electrical outlets; Exposure to dangerous machinery; Contact with rapidly moving machinery; Struggling with restraints; Contact with intense cold; Lack of protection from heat source; Overexposure to radiotherapy; Large icicles hanging from the roof; Use of cracked dishware; Knives stored uncovered; High-crime neighborhood; Driving a mechanically unsafe vehicle; Driving at excessive speeds; Driving without necessary visual aids; Driving while intoxicated; Children riding in the front seat of car; Nonuse/misuse of seat restraints; Unsafe road/walkways; Physical proximity to vehicle pathways (e.g., driveways, lanes, railroad tracks); Misuse [/nonuse] of necessary headgear [e.g., for bicycles, motorcycles, skateboarding, skiing]