Things We Were Surprised To Learn Were Actually Dangerous

Snow globes can set a house on fire.The snow globe.A snow globe may look like a harmless home decoration. It can cause serious damage to the room it sits in. One case shows a giant Hallmark globe burning down a home in 2008.

Well-made snow globes use glass. This glass catches and bends light hitting it. The snowy item acts like a magnifying glass. This glass makes intense heat and sparks. If flammable materials surround the globe, the decoration meant to show an icy winter scene can become a fire ball.

Smooth.River rocks.Some river rocks look great for an outdoor fire pit. However, river rocks formed by water over years lack the consistency of those found at a home improvement store.

Rocks you buy at stores for fire pits have specific designs. River stones lack that same airy consistency. They are solid shells holding an open center. Extreme heat causes the air inside them to expand, possibly causing them to explode.

Ancient people used this effect to split rocks before modern machines existed.

If fire pit fans still use stones for their projects,rocks.Granite, quartzite, marble, hornfels, skarn, and gabbro are safe choices. Builders should avoid river rocks like limestone, pumice, slate, sandstone, shale, soapstone, and pea gravel.

Though beautiful, the.Oleander bushes.Oleander bushes near highways add color to coastal southern US states, from California to Florida. These plants also release deadly poison. Colorado State University reports a single oleander leaf holds enough poison to kill a small child if eaten.

The bushes look harmless but contain four different toxic ingredients.Toxic ingredients.These include digitoxigenin, neriin, oleandrin, and oleondroside. The leaves are not the only poison source; twigs, flowers, and stems also hold deadly elements.

Oleander poisoning shows symptoms like blurred vision, low blood pressure, a slow or irregular heartbeat, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, lethargy, and hives.

Some flowers are edible and even valued in cooking. Oleander, though, should only be admired by sight, not taste.

Women drowned in history because their dresses became too heavy after getting soaked in the ocean or a stream. Until the early 20th century, women's swimsuits.Women's swimsuits.Seven to ten yards of wool fabric made it very hard to stay afloat. Styles changed, but people still faced the danger of drowning from heavy clothing.

However, many modern brides took wedding photos in water, resulting in bad outcomes. In 2012, aCanadian bridedrowned in a river after her photographer warned her the dress was too heavy and she struggled in the water. In 2015, another bridealmost met the same end after jumping off a boat into the ocean in her wedding gown. Looking guests jumped in to save her.

Brides, or anyone wearing too much fabric, should watch out if their clothes get soaked on the beach, near a lake, or on a ship.

Patrons visit bowling alleys to socialize and compete. Though the place seems safe, pinsetting machines pose a hazard if bowlers and workers lack care.

In 2018, bowling alley ownerEctor RodriguezEctor Rodriguez of Florence, CO, got caught in the automatic pinsetting machine. A pin struck Rodriguez during work, killing the alley owner.

This tragedy was not an isolated event. Jimmie Carroll Ward IIdied similarly at a bowling alley in Huntsville, TX, in 1986. AnOklahoma teenagerdied after an accident during a routine pinsetter repair in 2001.

A spring is the main part for proper garage door operation.A garage doorspring is always under tension. If it is bad or old, a strong spring can break suddenly, injuring people and damaging things in the garage.

A garage door spring stores tension and energy for release. This action is usually safe. But springs lose function over time. Most springs last seven years; rust buildup or other issues can cause sudden failure. A closed garage door stretches the spring to its maximum capacity.

Garage door owners must hire a pro to replace old or worn springs to avoid injury and damage. Noisy springs need grease to stay lubed and reduce rust. Safety cables attached to wall sides serve as backup.

Anyone who tries to function on little sleep knows how hard a day without rest is. Many see the uncomfortable tiredness and brain fog that make life less fun as the worst symptoms.

However,John Hopkins UniversitySkipping beauty rest means more serious problems. Studies show consistent lack of sleep causes poor eating, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Other symptoms of sleep deprivation are less serious but still cause trouble.Sleep deprivation.It includes a weaker immune system, high blood pressure, mood swings, and lower sex drive.

For some, the smell of wood burns.Wood burning on an open fire brings back good memories of camping or sitting by the fire with loved ones. That same scent causes many unwanted health issues.Wood smoke releases carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides as wood burns. These harm lungs, inside or outside. Organic compounds like benzyne and formaldehyde are also present; these are known carcinogens humans usually avoid. Breathing wood smoke hurts even healthy lungs, but those with COVID-19 or asthma face worse effects. The wood smoke releases into the air, damaging the ozone layer and causing air pollution.

Wood burning releases carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. These harm lungs, inside or outside. Organic compounds like benzyne and formaldehyde are also present. These compounds are known carcinogens; humans usually avoid them. Breathing wood smoke harms even healthy lungs. People with COVID-19 or asthma face worse effects. These toxic elements enter the air as wood burns. This damages the ozone layer and causes air pollution.

Despite the mechanism's dangerous flaws, little of the escalator design has changed since its 1892 patent. Around 10,000 escalator injuries cause serious harm needing emergency care each year in the United States alone.EPAOther incidents include a child losing a toe on an escalator in Singapore and a sushi chef being strangled when his scarf got caught in the moving stairs.

Though a simple cleaning device, pressure washers can cause significant physical harm if used wrong.Most pressure washers feature a multi-function design. Users adjust the cleaning pressure. At the highest setting, the power can cut skin and slice through a shoe. Urvashi Rangan, PhD, director of the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports, argues these powerful tools should not ship with the highest setting on many models. Around 6,000 users went to the emergency room in 2014 after a power washing injury.The EPA has changed since its 1892 patent. Around 10,000 escalator injuries each year in the United States need emergency medical care.

pressure washerEscalator-related catastropheAn escalator disaster happened in London in 1987. Paper and lint mixed with grease in the machine's undercarriage. This caused the mechanism to ignite and explode. Thirty-one people died. Many escalators got emergency stop buttons, sprinkler systems, and deflector brushes. Companies are not required to include these parts.

Other incidents include a child losing a toe on an escalator in Singapore. A sushi chef got strangled when his scarf caught on the moving stairs.

Pressure washers seem like simple cleaning tools.Pressure washersPressure washers can cause serious physical harm if used wrong.

Most pressure washers offer a multi-function design. Users adjust cleaning pressure. At the highest setting, the power can cut skin or slice through a shoe. Urvashi Rangan, PhD, director of the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports, argues these tools should not have the highest setting on many models. Around 6,000 users went to the emergency room in 2014 from power washing injuries alone.

Because the blast from thepressure washerA water stream has great power. It can throw objects unexpectedly, harming anyone nearby. Direct contact with the water flow causes delayed injury if users miss the seriousness of wounds. Using a gas-powered machine risks carbon monoxide poisoning.

Sibling rivalry, competition, bickering, and not sharing are normal in families. Sibling bullying, however, is serious. It can cause lifelong psychological damage.Psychology Today covers sibling bullying causing lifelong trauma.Nearly 80% of children experience sibling abuse. This number beats spousal and child abuse rates.

Society often ignores the emotional, physical, and sometimes sexual abuse a sibling (usually the older one) inflicts. These cases go unreported. Long-term effects mirror parent-child abuse. Victims lack boundaries, act aggressively or people-please, become susceptible to drugs, and sometimes develop PTSD.

A child repeatedly bullying a sibling for power or control is child abuse. A clinical psychologist considers this.Dr. Elizabeth Seeley-Wait discusses sibling bullying causing lifelong trauma.Dr. Seeley-Wait warns that bullying happens if one sibling is the constant aggressor in family fights. Both children usually seek attention and understanding from parents. Parents who spot these patterns can step in. They must fix the aggressor's behavior and make things right.

Passengers feel relaxed on a road trip. They often prop their feet up on the vehicle's dashboard.Passengers resting feet on a vehicle's dashboard face many injuries.Resting feet on the dashboard can turn a calm trip into a multi-injury crash if the car hits something.

The airbag poses the biggest danger. It deploys at 100 to 220 miles per hour after a vehicle impacts. Many passengers think they can move their feet in time. That is false.

This position increases passenger risk. They get less protection in a rollover, and they often wear their seatbelt wrong.

Audra Tatum discusses passengers resting feet on a vehicle's dashboard facing injuries.Audra Tatum learned this in a car accident. Her feet rested on the family car's dashboard. She broke her femur, ankle, arm, and nose. Other passengers only got scrapes and bruises.