Sunday, November 4, 2012

Utilize these five important home safety devices

Kathryn Shepherd — For all of us, the safety of your home and your family is the top most priority. And to ensure full safety and security, there are some safety guidelines which we need to follow. In this article, I will explain the five important and must safety home devices:

[caption id="attachment_16859" align="alignright" width="239"] A glass "grenade" style extinguisher, to be thrown into a fire.[/caption]

1. Smoke Alarm: A well-known quote says, “Smoking is injurious to health.” But little negligence can cause injury not only to your health, but to the health of your family members at home. So it is important to have smoke alarms installed at your home. According to NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), nearly 67 percent of fire occurs in the house with no smoke alarm installed. The smoke alarms must also be ionized as per NFPA that quickly responds to fire flames.

2. Fire Extinguisher: To have portable fire extinguisher installed at your house can greatly reduce the damage. Fire can be stopped at the earliest before it gets out of control. NFPA also recommends using fire extinguisher in small areas. However, if the fire gets out of control, it is advisable to leave the premises than to use fire extinguisher.

3. Carbon Monoxide Detector: Carbon Monoxide is a poisonous gas that can cause great risk to lives of those facing it. So it becomes important to have carbon monoxide detectors installed at your home, especially outside the sleeping areas. As per NFPA, it is advisable to install these detectors in enclosed areas where vehicles or generators run continuously. There were 80000 cases of carbon monoxide leaks reported in US in 2010.

4. Flashlight: In case of storms, earthquakes, or any other natural disasters, power fails. So it becomes important to have flashlights installed at your home so that you can see what has happened and what you can do. You cannot see in the dark if the power fails unless you have flashlights installed, which can help you find your way to a safe place and to make sure you don’t put your step on broken glass or plates. It can greatly reduce the risk of injuries that can be caused due to a blackout.

5. Burglar and Safety Alarm System: To have your house secure from the risk of burglary and theft, it is necessary that you install safety alarms which can reduce the risk of your house being robbed. Burglar alarm system warns you whenever someone makes a move to enter your house without letting you know. The risk of burglary increases during the night, so safety alarms work great at night; and more to it, it not only warns you of someone entering your house, it sends police a message of attempted robbery and police sends their personnel immediately.