7 Ways to keep your family home safe

Cate Palmer - 6 Nov 17

When we are truly comfortable somewhere we say that we ‘feel at home’. This is because a home is a place of peace and safety. It is a secure environment we enjoy with our loved-ones. There are situations and people which can disrupt this feeling but also there are ways of preventing them.

Fire safety

“Fire is a good servant but a bad master”. Beware of the fire hazards in your home. If you have children, keep everything that can start a fire out of their reach. Do not allow them to go near fireplaces or light firecrackers indoors. Make sure that you have a proper fire alarm and a fire escape plan. You can even get a defense system which can close of flame areas with fire-proof doors. Keep the escape route clear at all times. Try not to leave or dry clothes on the heaters as they can lead to the fire.  Just in case, keep at least one fire extinguisher in your home and out of reach of your children as it needs to be fully functional in case of an emergency.

General Safety

Make sure everything is under control. Do not allow yourself to have loose floorboards or wobbly staircases. If your window is cracked, do not take chances, replace the glass and thus prevent a disaster from happening. The last thing you want is to have it break when one of you is close to it, it can cause serious injuries. Inspect your house for these ‘minor’ issues every once in a while and have someone fix them. If you are a young parent, remove any sharp or heavy objects within the children’s reach. Keep them away from the sources of heat as they are very likely to try touching it in order to explore and end up burning their hands. All of these can cause falls and physical injuries, amputations, and electrocutions as ridiculous as it may sound, it can be very serious.

Health risks

Make sure you do not accidentally bring toxins into your home. Use natural cleaning products, but even then, keep them locked away in a cabinet.  Children like touching things with their little hands and exploring different textures, as well as putting everything in their mouths. Even if you do not have the little ones running around fumes from certain cleaning products can contaminate the air you breathe and cause discomfort and allergic reactions, to say the least. Speaking of allergies, bear in mind the needs of your family members and act accordingly, do not use products made out of substances someone in your family may be allergic to. Install a carbon monoxide detector to keep you alert in case it detects high levels of CO in your house.

Keep the intruders out

There are numerous precautions you can take in order to keep your family and your belongings safe from burglars. Keep your car in the garage, do not show off what you have by leaving things outside, use curtains in windows to block the view into your home. Also, keep your yard tidy and nicely trimmed as it will minimize the number of hiding spots. Use the motion sensor lights and keep the house generally well lit. I know that it is an old trick, but keep lights in some of the rooms and the hallway on as they make it seem like there is someone inside and awake.

Make sure you have locks on all your doors, gates and windows and keep them locked unless you are in the room. Also, put up a fence but not a private one as, again, it can be used as a hiding spot. Make sure that there is a lock on your gate and if you do not have a fence, install Steel-Line Garage Doors. Install an alarm system or at least fake cameras to make it seem like the house is under surveillance. Finally, last but not least, get a dog as they helped a lot of families in the past.

Attend to special needs

If you have a family member with a disability, a child or an elderly person living with you, you need to invest a little extra to make the home safe and comfortable for them. For the elderly and those with disability keep the house well lit, install handrails at places they find them necessary, remodel your bathroom and kitchen to their needs and make sure you cover slippery surfaces to prevent them from falling. There are personal alarms they can use in case they need assistance. Purchase safety caps, corner bumpers, doorknob covers and other things available in stores to child-proof your home. Children generally put their sense of curiosity and fun above all other. They will not spend any time thinking about safety so you have to do it for them.

This can sound a lot when found in one article but it is all fairly reasonable and it does not take a lot to keep your home the safest place there is.

Cate Palmer

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