Oct 23 2006
The saying goes "there's no place like home" and families across the country continue to embrace that sentiment with an increase in home improvement projects. However, most families are spending more time focused on renovation projects than home safety. Colgate-Palmolive and the nonprofit, national Home Safety Council aim to turn this around through a new home safety awareness campaign including online tips. This comprehensive "Interactive Safe Home" offers safety tips room-by-room, information to help identify and correct home hazards and a simple safety checklist for parents.
The average person has completed twice as many home improvement projects as home safety projects in the past two years, according to a new poll conducted by Kelton Research for Colgate-Palmolive and the Home Safety Council. In the last two years, more than a third of those polled have paid for new appliances (38%), a new computer system (32%) and even new furniture or new upholstery (32%) to improve their homes, but barely one in four has purchased a carbon monoxide detector (24%). Even fewer households have been improved with basic safety items such as grab bars for tubs or showers (14%), a disaster preparedness kit (13%), and child-proofing gear such as window guards (9%). Furthermore, if respondents had an extra $3,000 to spend on their home, 85% said they would spend it on something other than home safety upgrades.
"This new survey reveals how many people in America fail to understand that a few simple safety measures can go a long way toward protecting their families, and improving their homes," says Home Safety Council president, Meri-K Appy. "Because unintentional home-related injuries result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits each year, there simply is no more important home improvement than safety upgrades." Although more than half of the survey respondents (57%) said they were confident in their knowledge of the basic steps to take to ensure home safety, the survey confirmed most homes could use some help. When Americans were asked about their greatest concern if a child were playing in their home, just six percent cited home-related injuries.
With the new web site, Colgate-Palmolive and Home Safety Council provide a virtual tour highlighting simple safety steps to take in the kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom. Parents can print out a safety calendar and checklists and challenge children with games that teach safety rules. Relevant news articles on childproofing and cooking safety are also available.
"Because caring is one of our core company values, we seek out partnerships with organizations that can help us further our goal of taking care of families," says Marie Agnes Daumas, Marketing Director, Colgate- Palmolive. "Caring for your family really starts at home so working with the Home Safety Council was a natural way to help inform families and offer practical tools that apply to every home."
Colgate-Palmolive has teamed up with the Home Safety Council (HSC), the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to preventing home- related injuries, to help protect families in the home. Between now and November 15, 2006, consumers are eligible to receive a 2007 calendar filled with product information and expert safety tips from HSC with the purchase of two Colgate-Palmolive products. In addition, many retail partners, including Kroger, Albertsons, Giant, Stop & Shop and Walgreens, have joined the effort to promote home safety across the country with in-store programs