Tips on Keeping Your Family Safe – Part 1

Published by cravat | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous

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 some 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 is 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 cannot detect since it has no odor. Getting your home’s radon level tested is easy and relatively inexpensive, plus it is 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 carbon monoxide 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 carbon monoxide poisoning, immediately open windows and doors and go to the emergency room and report the suspected poisoning.