Know your home dangers!

Accidents are waiting to happen, whether indoors or outdoors yet it’s our alertness and preparedness that lower the risks involved. Most accidents that happen at home can be prevented by understanding the reasons and following simple procedures.

Let us begin with Fire Safety: Keeping all kinds of fires, such as cooking fire or lit candles unguarded is a huge risk. Fires spread fast and are capable of engulfing the entire house within minutes.

Never allow smoking in bed or leave cigarettes unattended.
Be careful while cooking and avoid curtains in the kitchen or near stoves.
Keep lighters and matches away from children.
Always place room heaters away from beds, curtains, carpets and furniture.
Resist drying clothes on room heaters.
Store inflammables in tight containers away from any heat source.
Install smoke detectors with long battery life and make sure they work fine.
Plan an escape route which your family may safely follow in case of fire.

Electrical Safety: Many home accidents involve electricity related shocks and fires. Avoiding such instances is entirely in our hands.

Make sure to buy new and standard appliances without settling for lower quality products.
Employ an electrician for the job and resist doing it yourself.
Have your house cables and wiring checked at least once every five years.
If any appliance isn’t working right or its parts seem worn out, get it repaired from a technician or discard it.
Avoid overloading an electrical socket.
Make sure none of the electricals or switches are exposed to a water source.

Cooking: Most accidents happen in the kitchen and being alert can save you from many disasters.

A gas flame is usually blue, if it turns orange, it’s time to change the cylinder; if not, get it checked.
Whether purchasing a new gas appliance or its spares, make sure it is ISI marked.
If you smell gas or suspect a leak, immediately switch off all knobs and fire sources and call the gas supplier. Do not attempt to operate the switches as even a spark my lead to fire.
Kitchens should always be well ventilated without any curtains near stoves.
Hot utensils, knives and peelers should have a dedicated space away from the reach of children.
Do not attempt to move hot food and drink around the house especially with children and elders around.
Always make sure to switch off every knob before retiring from the kitchen.

Medicines and First Aid: As soon as we have a cut or a bruise, we rush towards the First Aid Box, clean and dress our wound and carry on with our work, mostly without replenishing the box.

Regularly checking the box, discarding old medicines and refilling it up with fresh medication and bandages etc. is the first step towards right First Aid.

Make sure to store medicines in their original containers, away from children and pets as ingesting them may turn fatal.

Refrain from sharing your medication and avoid taking others as doing so may cause you serious harm.

Chemicals: Cleaning products and materials used for gardening are full of chemicals and must have a dedicated space to store them away from kids just as cosmetics and perfumes. Inhalation or intake of these chemicals may cause sickness and need immediate attention by a doctor.