We don’t live in a movie. We don’t have amazing superpowers. There isn’t a vigilante who will swoop in at the first sign of danger and save us all. It’s in our hands to keep our family out of harm’s way. With that priority in mind, there are a number of steps we can take to prevent and eliminate the dangers that can befall our loved ones.

Keep Home Dangers Away From Children

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According to the National Safety Council, approximately 245 unintentional injuries occur in homes and communities daily, many of which require imaging technology to determine the severity of the injury. Prevention efforts will work to eliminate many of these. When children get to the point of moving around and becoming more curious, it’s time to double your efforts to make sure nothing happens to them. Harmful objects are found all around your home so here are some steps to take to keep them out of the hands of your children.

  • Make your cabinets and drawers child-proof. Knives, heavy pots and pans, and plastic bags can all lead to injury. Cabinets also house poisonous cleaning products that are hazardous to your child’s health.
  • Prevent drowning or other injuries by investing in a barrier fence for your pool area. If you already have one but it needs repair, call a fence repair company.
  • Unplug electrical equipment after use and store them out of the reach of your children. Then, when you get an electrical outlet & switch installation, make sure that it comes with covers.

Install a Home Security System

You may already take a number of precautions for safety, but with the array of home surveillance systems out there, risks can be reduced still further. Most people are familiar with the traditional intruder alarm system, but with new technology available today, a security system installation can work even better for you. Purchase carbon monoxide, water level and temperature detectors, among others, and then wirelessly monitor and control your systems. The sky is the limit as far as home systems are concerned, even while you’re away.

Fireproof Your Home

A serious fire will not only do significant damage to your home, but can harm your family too. It’s important to put prevention measures in place and have those fire-fighting items in your home should one occur. To equip your home for prevention and detection, follow these steps:

  • Install a smoke detector. Where there is smoke there is fire, or at least a great chance of it.
  • Equip your home with a fire extinguisher. Should a fire start, quickly grab the extinguisher to eliminate it before it gets out of hand.
  • Avoid electrical issues by unplugging unused devices and never overloading extension or power cords.

Deter Criminals

You may live in a gated community and you even have a neighborhood watch group, but the possibility of an intruder breaking into your home is still there. Sometimes a traditional alarm cannot work alone to deter criminals from entering your home. Therefore, it’s important to take additional steps to keep those harmful individuals away. If someone is trying to break in, motion detectors and outdoor lights can do the trick. In addition, keep your yard maintained to reduce hiding places for intruders, secure your windows and don’t showcase your valuables for anyone looking in to see. If you live in a condominium, ask your condo place to hire additional guards through a private security company.

The mounds of statistics and stories are proof that unfortunate instances do occur. By doing what you can to protect yourself, your home and your children, you end up greatly reducing the risk of turning in to one of those statistics and ensuring an emergency in the process.

 

Guest Contributor Amanda Brown is a freelance writer whom enjoys playing and coaching volleyball. She loves her friends and family including her dog, Charlie; as well as traveling all around the world.