A Guide to Home Safety and Security

Home Safety

Home is where we feel safe and secure. It is a place that provides peace and comfort. Unfortunately, it is also a place where accidents and crimes can occur. Thus, it is crucial to take proactive measures to ensure the safety and security of our homes.  

The safety and security of your home are essential aspects of maintaining a comfortable and protected living environment for you and your loved ones. Whether you live in a house, apartment, or condominium, taking steps to improve the safety and security of your home is a wise investment. This article provides a comprehensive outline of home safety and security measures you can enforce to protect your property and those within it.

I. Reinforcing Home Security Systems

a. Alarm System Installation

Install a monitored home security system that includes door and window sensors, motion detectors, and loud alarms. Make sure it is professionally supervised and connected to the local authorities.

b. Secure Entry Points

Consider using smart home security devices such as doors with cameras and videos and smart locks that can be controlled remotely or through phones. If this is still impossible, investing in durable window and door locks creates a more secure atmosphere for uninvited guests.

c. Adequate House Lighting 

Adequately lighted areas can deter potential intruders, improve visibility for security cameras, and enhance overall safety. Ensuring all entry and exit points to your home are bright and motion-activated can discourage trespassers from entering.

d. Secure Valuables to Safe Deposits

Securing your valuable items in a safe deposit box is a prudent way to protect them from theft, loss, or damage. Research various banks or credit unions in your area to find one that suits your needs and offers the size of the box you require.

e. Neighborhood Watch

Be a part of a neighborhood watch program to foster community security awareness. Neighborhood Watch programs encourage residents to be actively involved in their community’s safety. This involvement often includes getting to know neighbors, attending meetings, and collaborating with law enforcement agencies.

II. Preventing Accidents and House Hazards

a. Falling

  1. Keep floors dry to prevent any slipping accidents.
  2. Keep sturdy furniture when using them, such as stools.
  3. Utilize protective mats under the playground area for toddlers.
  4. Teach children the danger of climbing.
  5. Add non-slip mats in areas where floors get easily wet, such as the kitchen and comfort rooms.
  6. Ensure adequately lit staircases, basements, and other high areas.
  7. Keep a flashlight in reachable areas so that late-night trips are avoided.
  8. Keep all staircases free from toys, shoes, or other clutter.
  9. Wear shoes and slippers with non-slip soles.
  10. Relocate or tape down extensions and telephone cords that might make someone trip.

b. Poisoning

  1. Keep dangerous household materials such as cleaning supplies, paints, and chemicals away from children. Store them on hidden shelves or in a shed.
  2. Get family members and pets out of a room before you use pesticides or hazardous chemicals.
  3. Store medicines and other intake substances in secured storage.
  4. Lock away loose or spare batteries since they can also pose poisoning and choking risks. 
  5. Leave original labels while ensuring any erasures will be inspected on all products, and read labels before and after use. Better yet, put a readable label on any products to avoid confusion. Many bottles look alike, and this poses a threat to visually impaired individuals.
  6. Never give or take medicines in the dark.
  7. Never store poisons in your pantry or food cabinet.
  8. Sort through your medicines every once in a while, to check the expiration dates. Dispose of drugs no longer used by flushing the contents down the toilet and rinsing the container before throwing it away.
  9. If you have toddlers around, use child-resistant containers properly by closing them securely after each use. 
  10. Take note of emergency hotline numbers and nearby hospitals for worst-case scenarios.

c. Drowning

  1. Secure your pool properly. That means four-sided fencing with a self-closing and self-latching gate
  2. Keep the gate locked at all times to ensure that children can only have supervised access to deep-water areas.
  3. Never leave babies alone in bathtubs. 
  4. Relying on plastic arm floats or floating toys to support your child is dangerous. They may slip off or deflate.
  5. If you have sandboxes, cover them tightly when not in use. Rainwater may be kept inside, posing a danger for toddlers to slip off. 
  6. Teach your children the proper water safety rules, including not running or shoving near the pool deck or diving board, not dunking other swimmers, and when to shout for help.
  7. Know the primary emergency first aid responses, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
  8. Invest in a pool cover and pool alarm system.

d. Choking and Suffocating

Suffocation

  1. Put child-resistant locks on airtight spaces like fridges to ensure a child doesn’t crawl in and get locked inside.
  2. Keep plastic bags out of reach.
  3. Cut or tie up window blind cords and curtain cords out of reach of children.
  4. Keep short drawstrings on clothing, backpacks, and hoodies to prevent entanglement.
  5. Install equipment such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and check them regularly to see if they function correctly.
  6. Ensure playpens are set up correctly and do not have any loose fabric, strings, or objects that could pose a suffocation risk.

Choking

  1. Ensure children’s chewing ability to eat and not swallow large bites thoroughly. Cut up a child’s food into bite-size pieces. 
  2. Always supervise infants, toddlers, and young children, especially when eating or playing with small objects.
  3. Keep deflated or broken balloons away from young children, as they pose a choking hazard.
  4. Inspect toys and stuffed animals for small pieces that could come off quickly.
  5. Check the ground regularly for small items like bits of toys, hard foods, marbles, and jewelry that children could easily choke on.
  6. Choose age-appropriate toys for children and regularly check for broken or damaged toys.
  7. Secure button batteries out of children’s reach. These can be swallowed and cause serious harm if ingested.

III. Fire Prevention Tips

Fire prevention is essential to ensure the safety of your home and loved ones. Taking proactive measures and emergency preparedness can significantly reduce the fire risk in your home.

a. Install Smoke Alarms

Place smoke detectors on every level of your home, including inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Also, test smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries at least once a year. While on it, it’s better to also invest on fire preventive equipment such as fire extinguisher.

b. Electrical Plugs Inspection

Place safety plugs over all electrical outlets to prevent children from sticking their hands or other materials such as screwdrivers, nails, pins, or other metal objects into them. Using electrical appliances such as radios or hair dryers near a filled bathtub or sink is a big no. They could fall in and electrocute someone. Always turn off the circuit breaker before making any electrical repairs to avoid danger. 

c. Create a Fire Exit Plan

Develop a detailed fire escape plan with two escape routes from every room. Establishing a designated meeting place outside the home and even preparing an emergency kit is an ideal preparation standard rule—Lastly, Practice fire drills with your family regularly, especially with children.

d. Appliance Maintenance

Regularly clean and maintain appliances such as dryers and ovens. It would be best if you replaced worn or damaged cords and plugs. 

IV. House Emergency Preparedness

Emergency preparedness refers to planning and organizing resources and actions to effectively respond to and mitigate the impact of different emergencies or disasters. These emergencies can range from natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and tornadoes to artificial disasters such as crimes and terrorist attacks.

a. Device an emergency plan and exit.

Develop a family emergency plan that includes communication methods, meeting points, and evacuation routes.

b. Prepare Emergency Kits

Assemble and always keep an emergency kit with essential supplies such as food, clothes, water, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, and a portable charger.

c. Stay in line with updates and news.

Invest in a battery-operated or hand-crank emergency radio to receive updates during power outages. Sign up for local emergency alerts.

d. Create an evacuation plan.

Know the evacuation routes in your area and have a plan for sheltering in place if necessary.

e. Practice drills.

Conduct fire and emergency evacuation drills with your family to ensure everyone knows what to do in an emergency. Further, to learn basic first aid and CPR skills, consider taking a certified first aid and CPR course.

Conclusion

Ensuring the safety and security of your home needs a combination of preventive measures and proactive actions. There should be a conscious effort from everyone in the household to the dos and don’ts when it comes to mindful practice of security measures. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep every step safe from any danger. After all, creating a safe and secure home environment is everyone’s priority.