It can sometimes be difficult to remember all the little things we should be doing to keep our families safe. As a mother of three boys, I know this all too well. Observances have been set up at certain times of the year to encourage people to think about how to keep their families as safe as possible. Home Safety Month is in June each year. Here, we will examine some of the solutions to the top 5 hidden dangers in the home, in order to help parents keep everyone safe.
Carbon monoxide is the silent killer. You can't see it, and you can't smell it, but carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning. It's produced by improperly working appliances, fireplaces, and it can even seep into the house from a running car in the garage.
Carbon monoxide alarms are the only way to detect carbon monoxide. Each level of the home should have an alarm installed, especially outside the sleeping areas, and don't forget one for the basement. Check with your fire department to see what local and state laws require in terms of placement. And be sure to have your appliances checked regularly.
Your home must have fire extinguishers. The biggest cause of fires in the home is when people walk away while cooking, so always be in your kitchen when using the stove, check the oven often when you're baking, and be sure that there is nothing flammable near the range.
Most people don't consider that cracks in the foundation to be dangerous but they can be. Radon is something that most homeowners have no idea about, but it is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking. This odourless, radioactive gas can move up from the soil and enter the home through cracks in the foundation. If a home has no basement, it's no guarantee that radon isn't present, since it can seep into the house through construction joints or service pipes connected to the home.
You can't see or smell radon, but you can easily test for it with an at-home kit.
It's little known how fast home fires can spread. If a smoke alarm is beeping, there can sometimes be only around 2 minutes to get your family together and exit the home before it spreads too far to exit safely. Your ability to escape from a home fire depends on advance warning from a smoke alarm but, also, from advance planning with an escape plan. In a recent survey, it was indicated that only 29 percent of families have gone over their emergency exit strategy.
Home theft is something that's frequently overlooked. Many of us believe that it's not something we need to consider, but the sad truth is that every 14 seconds there is a break-in somewhere. Here are a few simple steps to take to prevent break-ins to your home: have heavy-duty deadbolt locks installed on solid core entry doors; entries to the home should be well-lit; install metal grates over basement windows; if there are bushes in the yard, keep them trimmed neatly so they can't be utilized by thieves to hide in. If you have a safe, this will set your mind at ease knowing that your most important items are secure.
Carbon monoxide is the silent killer. You can't see it, and you can't smell it, but carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning. It's produced by improperly working appliances, fireplaces, and it can even seep into the house from a running car in the garage.
Carbon monoxide alarms are the only way to detect carbon monoxide. Each level of the home should have an alarm installed, especially outside the sleeping areas, and don't forget one for the basement. Check with your fire department to see what local and state laws require in terms of placement. And be sure to have your appliances checked regularly.
Your home must have fire extinguishers. The biggest cause of fires in the home is when people walk away while cooking, so always be in your kitchen when using the stove, check the oven often when you're baking, and be sure that there is nothing flammable near the range.
Most people don't consider that cracks in the foundation to be dangerous but they can be. Radon is something that most homeowners have no idea about, but it is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking. This odourless, radioactive gas can move up from the soil and enter the home through cracks in the foundation. If a home has no basement, it's no guarantee that radon isn't present, since it can seep into the house through construction joints or service pipes connected to the home.
You can't see or smell radon, but you can easily test for it with an at-home kit.
It's little known how fast home fires can spread. If a smoke alarm is beeping, there can sometimes be only around 2 minutes to get your family together and exit the home before it spreads too far to exit safely. Your ability to escape from a home fire depends on advance warning from a smoke alarm but, also, from advance planning with an escape plan. In a recent survey, it was indicated that only 29 percent of families have gone over their emergency exit strategy.
Home theft is something that's frequently overlooked. Many of us believe that it's not something we need to consider, but the sad truth is that every 14 seconds there is a break-in somewhere. Here are a few simple steps to take to prevent break-ins to your home: have heavy-duty deadbolt locks installed on solid core entry doors; entries to the home should be well-lit; install metal grates over basement windows; if there are bushes in the yard, keep them trimmed neatly so they can't be utilized by thieves to hide in. If you have a safe, this will set your mind at ease knowing that your most important items are secure.
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