Maintaining safety at home is something that cannot be accomplished by a single person but needs participation from everyone. There are various aspects that need to be looked into to ensure that home is a safe place for all the members.
Safety features like smoke alarms, lockable cupboards for firearm safety, and keeping hazards out of the way to ensure the health and safety of your family is imperative. Likewise, having safety rules at home is another way through which all the occupants at home are able to ensure that safety is maintained.
Usually, each home has its own safety rules and, though some may differ from one home to the other, most of these rules can apply to almost every home.
It is, therefore, important for each family to be to identify what safety rules are needed to be adhered to in order to make home a safer place to live in. Another area that is often overlooked, but just as important, is food safety.
Table of Contents
- Safety Rules At Home For That Needs To Be Implemented To Make It Safer For Everyone
- Rule 1: Always Keep The Doors Locked
- Rule 2: Always Keep The Doors Closed
- Rule 3: Keep Medicine In Safe Cabinets
- Rule 4: Keep The Floor Dry At All Times
- Rule 5: Always Have An Emergency Plan
- Rule 6: Ensure That Alarm Systems Are Working
- Rule 7: Turn On Security Lights At Night
- Rule 8: Keep Certain Rooms Locked
- Rule 9: Never Give Out Personal Information on the Internet
Foodborne illnesses can severely affect family members and so measures should be put place to ensure that everything is clean to avoid food poisoning.
The National Center for Health Statistics indicates that the number of emergency visits as a result of unintentional injuries is at 30.6 million. A high number of these injuries occurs at home and, therefore, there is need to re-look into home safety.
Home is one of those places that can be assumed to be safe but this may not be entirely true. There are more safety concerns, especially in homes with children and elderly people and extra caution on safety should be observed.
Safety Rules At Home For That Needs To Be Implemented To Make It Safer For Everyone
Safety is a broad concept and its implementation is not that easy, but it is necessary. There is also no shortcut when it comes to safety and to achieve this objective requires commitment.
A lack of good knowledge on what is needed to achieve safety at home is one of the reasons people adopt some methods and techniques that do not help make home a secure place.
Rule 1: Always Keep The Doors Locked
Despite the fact that one may be living in a safe neighborhood, it is always advisable to have the locks on. This not only minimizes cases of burglary but also ensures children do not go out without supervision.
Home is meant to be a place where there is peace and tranquility and you do not want anyone to come in and out as they wish. The rule should also ensure that older kids go out with permission from the parents or guardians. They should not just bring anyone unannounced to the house.
Rule 2: Always Keep The Doors Closed
Children are friendly and also tend to be curious to know who is at the front door ringing the bell. However, not every visit means well and, therefore, it is important to ensure that children are more aware of this fact.
Nonetheless, children especially those less than 5 years may not understand that there are people out there who may harm them and as a parent, find a convenient way to make them understand.
For instance, teach the child to always let an older person open the door for the case of children tall enough to reach the locks. Also, you can tell the children that anyone who is a friend to the family will not mind waiting.
Rule 3: Keep Medicine In Safe Cabinets
Medicine is something that needs to be handled with care at home. Safety rules at home on storage of medicine should not be ignored by anyone. Not only is the medicine risky to kids but also to some adults.
People have various problems and some of these such as psychological results into a person being suicidal. Therefore, in a family with a suicidal person, it is always good to ensure that all items they may use to harm themselves are out of reach.
Elderly people also use drugs for the various illnesses and there is need to ensure that they are taking the correct amount of prescription. It is recommended that they are given prescription at the time advised by the physician and take back the remainder for safe keeping.
Rule 4: Keep The Floor Dry At All Times
Accidents caused by a wet floor can lead to severe health effects of a person such as spinal injuries. At home, everyone should be taught the importance of being responsible to ensure that safety is maintained.
Spillages are common in the home and may not be preventable. Having rules on how to manage the spillage is what is important. Ensuring that everyone understands the dangers of a wet floor is necessary at any home.
Moreover, parents and guardians should pay close attention to kids while they are eating. There should be a designated place for feeding the kids and it should be dried once feeding is done.
Rule 5: Always Have An Emergency Plan
Accidents are caused by situations that are not expected. However, it is important to be always prepared for any emergency. Having an emergency plan should be part of safety rules at home and it is critical to ensure that the family is safe.
Getting everyone to know what to do in case of an emergency such as fire will give one satisfaction that the family is safe even while away. In case of an emergency, people need to react fast and there should be a safe way to get out.
This safety rule at home should also be introduced to anyone who comes to stay with the family for short period in order to ensure that everyone is protected.
Rule 6: Ensure That Alarm Systems Are Working
Alarm systems are meant to alert in case of any form of intrusion or deviations from the norm. Numerous alarm systems in the market are designed to meet specific needs. For instance, smoke detectors beep once they detect smoke as a result of fire or burnt food.
Advancements in technology have made it easier for one to make the home safer. There are also motion sensors that are able to detect motion in areas such as the back of the house and notify the owner.
Most of these alarm systems are connected to cell phones and makes it convenient for the person to determine whether there is any genuine cause for alarm.
Carbon monoxide alarms are important and every home should have one. Keeping a home warm by lighting a fire is done by almost everyone, especially during the winter.
However, this can prove to be disastrous, especially due to the fact that carbon monoxide gas cannot be detected by smell. It is, therefore, imperative to ensure that the alarm is installed and constantly checked to determine that it is working.
Rule 7: Turn On Security Lights At Night
This particular safety rule at home is aimed at protecting the family against potential intrusion. Usually, intruders are motivated to break into your house when it is dark. Lights deter criminals as the possibility of being seen is high.
You may not be always around as the sun sets to ensure that the lights are turned on. However, having a rule that the lights must be turned on at a specific time will leave you at peace knowing that things run smoothly despite your absence. Having a safety culture at home requires everyone to play their roles. Making it a rule to do things in a certain way makes it easier.
Rule 8: Keep Certain Rooms Locked
Usually, most of us emphasize more on keeping the front door locked to prevent entry of intruders. However, it is important to remember that there are also certain rooms in the house that should always be locked as they pose a risk.
The laundry room is one of those rooms that should always be locked. Children are curious and at the same time always on the move. It may be difficult to keep following them on every step they take. However, it is important to ensure that any part of the house is safe for them.
Apart from keeping the laundry room safe, ensure that the kitchen is always locked if it has electrical appliances within their reach. Knives and other sharp items should be kept in locked cabinets to ensure that they are only accessed when being used and that they do not fall into hands of the wrong person.
Rule 9: Never Give Out Personal Information on the Internet
Internet technology has brought with it many benefits to everyone in terms of improving convenience and making the world a global village. However, there are numerous dangers that lurk over the Internet and everyone at home should have the necessary information to avoid becoming the next victim.
In this era, when everyone has cell phones and Internet connectivity, it is more difficult for parents and guardians to determine what kids learn from the Internet. However, despite it being difficult, you do not want to learn that your child is a member of an outlawed sect or something even worse, which they were introduced to via the Internet.
The Internet has become a big part of life for people and it may be a challenge to have a safety rule at home barring them to use certain aspects of the internet. However, creating awareness on dangers that are associated with the Internet will make it safer for all the family.
At the same time, everyone should be discouraged against sharing any form of information via the Internet or inviting someone to their home that they only know from the Internet.
Sources
- https://www.privateproperty.co.za/advice/property/articles/9-home-safety-rules-every-child-should-know/5390
- https://www.safekids.org/blog/top-10-home-safety-tips-you-and-your-friends
- https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/family-living/kids-media-safety/children-teens-web-internet-safety/#.WiOJUkqnHIU
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Actions-Schools-Are-Taking-to-Make-Themselves-Safer.aspx
- https://www.bullguard.com/bullguard-security-center/internet-security/security-tips/family-online-safety.aspx
- https://www.qld.gov.au/emergency/safety/firesafety-home