SINGAPORE - Actress Joanne Peh, 38, injured her back after slipping in the bathroom about a week ago.

She was showering her five-year-old daughter on a recent Saturday (May 15), when she slipped while trying to get out of the bathtub.

The fall left her in pain for about five days before she was able to go for a short walk.

Peh briefly shared the accident on her Instagram account: "Slipped in the bath while showering my daughter last weekend and finally able to manage a short walk today."

When contacted by The Straits Times on Monday, she said: "I was trying to leave the tub to grab a new bottle of shampoo. I stepped on the slope and slipped, hitting my back against the side of the tub."

Thankfully, her actor-husband, Qi Yuwu, 44, was around to help her up. They also have a four-year-old son.

"Actually there are many bathtub accidents that we probably don't hear about. It is only after my fall that I realise how there is a science behind a well-designed bathroom," she said.

The family is now staying at a temporary apartment while waiting for their new home to be renovated.

The tub is partly shielded by a glass panel, leaving a small opening to get in and out. It also did not come with a safety grab bar, which they have since installed.

"You'd be surprised, developers don't take into consideration the usability of the bathtub. In fact, this bathtub is so unfriendly that we would not recommend our elderly parents to use it."

Peh added: "Bathtubs can be very hazardous and I want to take this opportunity to ask homeowners to be very careful when it comes to the bathroom design."