Safety at home is an all-encompassing and a continuous process to ensure your well-being. Whether you are inside or outside your home, here are some tips to keep you and your home safe:
1. Spot the Unusual: Always be aware of what's going around your house. Keep checks of all the usual and unusual activities happening around. If you find anything suspicious, report it to the authorities.
2. Key Matters: Never hide spare keys outside. Burglars also watch movies and they know all the possible hiding places!
3. Pen Those Numbers: Post all emergency numbers beside the telephone. Don't rely on your memory in a time of crisis.
4. ID Please: Always ask for identification from service people or deliverymen before letting them inside.
5. Mind the Door and Windows: Did you know that 34% of the times, intruders break in from the front door, 23% from first-floor windows and 22% from the backdoor? Secure all doors and windows which can be accessed from the outside.
6. Fire and Smoke: The biggest hazard remains that of fire. It only takes 3 minutes for a fire to spread all over the house. Also the size of a fire tends to double in 30 seconds! It is advisable to devise a "fire escape plan" for your family in case a fire does break out. Do keep fire extinguishers handy, notably in the kitchen. If the house is big, it is sensible to invest in smoke detectors. And oh! Do keep the detectors clean; too much dust and lint build up can hinder their sensitivity.
7. Keep Away: Always keep candles, matches, lighters away from children.
8. In the Kitchen: Remember that 59% of all fire accidents in the house occur while cooking. Be extra careful in the kitchen.
9. Mail Safety: Keep your mailbox locked. It is easy for anyone to remove mail and gain access to personal information.
10. Turn it Down: If you are going away for a few days, remember to put your phone ringer on a low volume. You don't need potential intruders to know there's no one in the house. This way it will also be difficult to understand when your phone switches to the answering machine.
11. Don't Invite: Do not put signs or stickers for service people on your door proclaiming that you are not at home. This is like a welcome sign for burglars.
12. Flyer Trouble: Before going on a vacation, ask one of your neighbors to keep a lookout for flyers on the front door and remove them. It is known that wily burglars usually leave pizza ads on the front door to see how much time it takes for the ad to be removed.
13. Look for Unlikely Places: Never keep valuables, other than those absolutely necessary, inside the home. If you must, put them in your children's drawers. Burglars will often search the master bedroom while leaving the children's room untouched.
14. And Stay Insured: Finally, buy a home insurance, which protects you from thefts, fire and other such calamities.