Keep Your Family Safe with These Safety Tips

Author: Family Safety

Protecting your family can be quite a challenge, and it's only natural to want to do everything possible to ensure they remain safe and healthy. Unfortunately it impossible to protect your family from every bad thing in the world, but when it comes to your home there are things everyone can do to help keep safe. Just like a sports team working towards a goal, a family working together, can help ensure family safety. Here are 5 family safety tips that can help your family conquer some common household dangers.

1) A fire is reported every 45 seconds, and almost 180,000 people a year are hospitalized for burns in the U.S. According to the American Red Cross, the most common disaster in the country is household fires. The first step is to install a smoke alarm on every floor of your house, and in any room where the door is commonly kept closed. Just be aware that it takes more than a smoke alarm and early warning to protect your family from a house fire, it takes planning. It's imperative to develop an escape plan for the family in case of an emergency. A monthly practice drill is vital so that everyone knows instinctively what to do and where to go, if a fire should happen. Another step is to conduct monthly tests to check if each fire alarm is working properly, and to make sure to replace the batteries every six months.

2) Get your home tested for radon leaks. The Surgeon General warns that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Radon is found all over the U.S. and comes from natural radioactive gas that you can't detect, since it has no odor. Getting your home's radon level tested is easy and relatively inexpensive, plus it's the only way to know if your home has a leak. If tests show excess amount of radon in your home, the leak can usually be fixed with proper repairs.

3) Protect your family from carbon monoxide. It is estimated that 200 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year, and that number could be higher. Many times the victim will suffer the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning without knowing it. So it's important to know the symptoms of CO poisoning. The symptoms of CO poisoning are very similar to the flu. Symptoms include; nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue and weakness, headaches, sleepiness, and confusion. If anyone in your family start showing signs of CO poisoning, immediately open windows and doors and go to the emergency room, and report the suspected CO poisoning. Carbon Monoxide Detectors are an excellent way to get early warning of a carbon monoxide leak in your home. Just as with fire detector CO detectors should be installed on every level of your home as well as in any routinely closed room. Never use a gas range burner, or ignite coals inside your home. Keep your garage ventilated to reduce car emissions, and don't let your motor run while inside a closed garage.

4) Defend your home from burglaries and home break-ins. FBI reported, in 2009 that the average home burglaries value was over $2k. Their research also showed that more home burglaries occurred during daylight rather than at night. Protecting your family from burglaries will take team work. Teach the kids to never open the door unless they can see and identify the person, and if they don't recognize them, then they must verify with an adult if the person has a legitimate reason for knocking at your door. Home burglary is generally a crime of opportunity, and the criminal will always try to avoid drawing attention. This makes home security systems a good deterrent to have. In fact a third of all home break-ins, the burglar found his way in through unlock doors or window. All family members must take responsibility for always locking doors and bedroom windows. Another preventive measure is to install motion activated lights in order to deter intruders from hiding in the dark. To monitor your home while you're away, installing security cameras can help you keep an eye on your property.

5) Falls are the leading cause on nonfatal injuries seen in hospital emergency rooms for all ages. Use home safety devices, such as sensors or guards on windows to keep children from falling or climbing out of windows. Grab bars and rails in bathrooms help reduce accidents, especially for the elderly. Make sure everyone does their part to keep stairways, and hall ways clear of debris, toys, or anything that can cause someone to trip. For households with young children, gates at the top of stairs help keep children from falling. And lastly nightlights to illuminate dark rooms and pathways at night make it easy to avoid accidents while getting up from bed.

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