Keeping your home safe is a number one priority. You've heard many times that more accidents happen in your home than anywhere else. But did you know, of those home accidents, 70 percent happen in the bathroom. It makes sense with all those hard surfaces and the mixture of water and electricity. Here are some precautions to follow:

Minimize falls by placing non-skid bathmats in tubs and showers. When you step out of your tub or shower, make sure there is a non-skid rug in case you lose your balance. Install grab bars in the tub and near the toilet. There are many new designs and finishes to choose from.

Children are especially susceptible to burns from water that is too hot. And no one likes to be the victim of a sudden temperature change after someone else in the household has flushed a toilet or the washer has finally filled. Reduce the temperature on your water heater to no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll stay safe from potential hot water burns and save on energy costs.

Be sure electrical plugs in your bathrooms are equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter. GFCI plugs, when properly installed, could prevent over two-thirds of the approximately 300 electrocutions that occur in homes each year. And there are a number of people who simply get burned or incur electric shock injuries. The GFCI monitors electricity flow in a circuit, sensing any change in current. If the flow through the circuit differs by a small amount from that returning, the GFCI quickly switches off power to that circuit. Let's say someone drops a hair dryer in the bathtub. The current is stopped instantly. You may be shocked, but you would not be electrocuted or receive serious injury.

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