Keep Your Home and Family Safe From These Threats—Here’s How

Guest post by Melanie @ DisasterPrepared.info

Maintaining your home and family’s health and safety is always a priority. However, there’s little doubt that the need to take a more proactive stance on these has been magnified as of late. It feels like a multitude of threats from the world at large—both seen and unseen—have become more apparent. Fortunately, the ways to combat them have been made easier and more accessible, thanks to modern technology.

Now is the time to learn about these options. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to keep your home free of the things that could harm it and, by extension, what might threaten your family’s overall well-being. Fedhealth shows you how to protect the ones you love.

Free from Fire Hazards

While there is never a guarantee you won’t experience a fire at home, there are tried and true methods that help ward off potential fires as well as alert you quickly. These methods include keeping anything flammable away from an open heat source, cooking safely, keeping matches out of reach from children and installing smart smoke alarms. It’s also in your family’s best interest to develop an escape plan in the event of a fire.

Free from Contaminants

Less obvious threats to hearth and home are arguably those that can’t be seen by the naked eye. Case in point, consider the water your family is drinking. For the most part, water from the tap is safe to drink. But the fact is, you never really know for sure what harmful contaminants might be present, especially in a city or industrial area. With this in mind, an effective water filtration system is a must to make sure that your family only consumes clean and purified drinking water.

Free from Chemicals

Now, threats to your home and family’s health are also often in the form of germs and bacteria that carry all sorts of viruses. In fact, this is a threat that has been at the forefront of almost everyone’s consciousness recently. On the bright side, this has made people more vigilant about cleaning and sanitizing their homes to effectively combat the threat of disease-carrying germs. However, this has its downsides, too. For example, you could be inadvertently exposing your family to harmful chemicals, which are present in most cleaning products.

Fear not, though, because you can kill all sorts of germs and bacteria without having to use harmful chemicals. In fact, there are actually chemical-free alternatives to Lysol and similar products. Better still, these are items you almost always have in your home at the ready, such as vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and even vodka. It goes without saying, therefore, that you can easily make the healthy switch to these natural cleaning products and, in the process, create a cleaner and healthier home.

Free from Crime

Lastly, don’t forget that crime is still very much present in this day and age, so you must always remain vigilant if you want to keep your home and family safe. Your first step is making sure you have reliable and secure locks on your doors. If you need to hire a locksmith to install locks, view customer ratings and reviews to narrow down your choices. A trustworthy locksmith will be insured and licensed and offer warranties for their work.

While honoring common safety measures at home like simply locking your doors and windows and keeping your entryways well-lighted (to name a few), it can also be very smart to consider making use of technology to boost your home’s security. This is especially true if you operate a home business that could make you a target. Never open the door for unexpected visitors, and don’t assume that a uniform means the person is legitimate. Also, if you travel for work, invest in a good security system as robbers look for vulnerabilities like vacant houses as opportunities to target homes. These days, home security systems already come with a good number of interactive bells and whistles, so yes, there are plenty of things to consider—running the gamut from surveillance camera placement to motion detectors.

Free from Flooding

Although you can’t control the weather, you can be prepared for it. If you live in or near a flood zone, take precautions specific to this force of nature. First, invest in good flood insurance. These policies protect you from damage from floods and are often subsidized by the government. In fact, homeowners in areas that are particularly prone to flooding may be required to purchase this kind of insurance.

Another precaution you can take is to use waterproof or water-resistant concrete in and around your home. According to Best Concrete Mix, Corp, waterproof concrete can divert flood waters and provides long-lasting waterproof construction. You can even create a concrete floodwall to protect your home against this type of water damage. If you want to add concrete to your property, search online for “concrete work near me” and read through the reviews. Look specifically for mentions of waterproof concrete and flood prevention, since that’s the type of work you are most interested in. If they don’t mention it, ask specifically about these topics when you call to arrange an on-site quote.

Your home is only as safe as the steps you take—not just in securing the property itself, but also in maintaining your family’s health and overall wellness. Leaving it all up to chance is simply not an option in this day and age, so you must be proactive through actions, awareness, and even supplements such as flood insurance.

You may even want to work with Fedhealth to create customized books and ebooks with additional safety issues most relevant to your neighborhood and community. Ultimately, you will not regret the measures you take in the name of health and safety.

Fire Prevention Week is Oct 8-14, 2017

Did you know fire kills more Americans every year than all natural disasters combined? Fire spreads quickly so there is NO time to grab valuables or make a phone call.

That’s why this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme: “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” is so important. It reinforces why everyone needs to have an escape plan.

Some key FPW messages from the National Fire Protection Association include:

• Draw a map of your home by using NFPA’s grid in English (PDF) or Spanish (PDF) with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
• Close doors behind you as you leave – this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

Find more Home Fire Prevention and Safety Tips  … and learn more about FPW at www.firepreventionweek.org

Home Fire Prevention and Safety Tips (excerpt from our It’s A Disaster! book)

Did you know fire kills more Americans every year than all natural disasters combined? At least 80% of all fire deaths occur in residences — and careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths. And cooking fires (leaving food unattended or human error) is the leading cause of home fires.

Fire spreads so quickly there is NO time to grab valuables or make a phone call. In just two minutes a fire can become life threatening! In five minutes a house can be engulfed in flames.

A fire’s heat and smoke are more dangerous than the actual flames since you can burn your lungs by inhaling the super-hot air. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you drowsy and disoriented (confused). Instead of being awakened by a fire, you could fall into a deeper sleep.

BEFORE A FIRE (FIRE SAFETY TIPS):

Install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors! – Test alarms 1-4 times a month, replace batteries once a year, and get new units every 10 years.

Make a plan – Create an Escape Plan that includes two escape routes from every room in the house and walk through the routes with your entire family. Also…

• Make sure your windows are not nailed or painted shut.
• Make sure security bars on windows have a fire safety opening feature so they can be easily opened from the inside…and teach everyone how to open them!
• Teach everyone how to stay LOW to floor (air is safer).
• Pick a spot to meet after escaping fire (meeting place).

Clean up – Keep storage areas clean – don’t stack up newspapers & trash.

Check power sources – Check electrical wiring and extension cords — don’t overload cords or outlets. Make sure there are no exposed wires anywhere and make sure wiring doesn’t touch home insulation.

Use caution – Never use gasoline or similar liquids indoors and never smoke around flammable liquids!

Check heat sources – Check furnaces, stoves, cracked or rusty furnace parts, and chimneys. Always be careful with space heaters and keep them at least 3 feet (1 m) away from flammable materials.

Know how to shut off power – Know where the circuit breaker box and gas valve is and how to turn them off, if necessary. (And always have a gas company rep turn on a main gas line.)

Install A-B-Cs and remember P-A-S-S – Install A-B-C fire extinguishers in the home since they work on all types of fires, and teach family members how to use them. Remember P-A-S-S = Pull the pin; Aim at the base of the fire; Squeeze the trigger; Sweep side to side.

Call local fire – Ask local fire department if they will inspect your home or business for fire safety and prevention.

Teach kids – Explain to children that matches and lighters are TOOLS, not toys… and if they see someone playing with fire they should tell an adult right away! And teach them how to report a fire and when to call 9-1-1.

Prevent common fires – Pay attention when cooking & don’t smoke in bed!

DURING A FIRE:

If only a small fire that’s not spreading too fast…

Try to put out…? – Use a fire extinguisher or water (unless it’s an electrical or grease fire) … and never try to put out a fire that’s getting out of control!

• electrical fire – never use water… use a fire extinguisher approved for electrical fires
• oil or grease fire in kitchen – smother fire with baking soda or salt (or, if burning in pan or skillet, carefully put a lid over it — but don’t try to carry pan outside!)

If fire is spreading…

GET OUT – DO NOT take time to try to grab anything except your family members! Once outside, do NOT try to go back in (even for pets) – let the firemen do it! Ask a neighbor to call fire department if not already called.

GET DOWN – Stay low to the ground under smoke by crawling on your hands and knees or squat down and walk like a duck… but keep moving to find a way out!

Closed door – Using the back of your hand (not your palm) always feel the top of the door, doorknob, and the crack between the door and door frame before you open a closed door!

• if door is cool – leave quickly, close door behind you and crawl to an exit
• if door is hot – DO NOT open it … find another way out

No way out – If you can’t find a way out of the room you’re trapped in (door is hot and too high to jump) then hang a white or light-colored sheet, towel or shirt outside a window to alert firemen.

Use stairs – Never take the elevator during a fire … always use stairs!

If YOU are on fire – If your clothes ever catch fire, STOP what you’re doing, DROP to the ground, cover your face and ROLL until the fire goes out. Running only makes the fire burn faster!

Toxic gas – Plastics in household goods create deadly fumes when burned.

AFTER A FIRE:

Don’t go in there – Never enter a fire-damaged building until officials say it’s okay and watch for signs of smoke in case the fire isn’t totally out. Even if a fire’s out, hydrogen cyanide and other toxic fumes can remain.

Utilities – Have an electrician check your household wiring before you turn the power back on and DO NOT try to reconnect any utilities yourself!

Damage – Look for structural damage (roof, walls, floors, etc.) since they may be weak.

Call for help – Local disaster relief service (Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc.) can help provide shelter, food, or personal items that were destroyed.

Insurance – Call your insurance agent or representative and…

• Keep receipts of all clean-up and repair costs (for both insurance and income taxes).
• Do not throw away any damaged goods until an official inventory has been taken by your insurance company.

If you rent – Contact your landlord since it is the owner’s responsibility to prevent further loss or damage to the site.

Move your stuff – Secure your personal belongings or move them to another location, if possible.

Above extracted from our IT’S A DISASTER! …and what are YOU gonna do about it? book ~ learn how to order our paperback and/or ebook for 70% to 80% off list

And learn more about fire safety and fire prevention visit the U.S. Fire Administration’s site www.usfa.fema.gov or contact your local fire department, emergency official, or your insurance agent / representative.

Some reasons to leave your shoes at the door

Think about all the places you walk every day then ask yourself … do you really want to bring those shoes with all that crap (or whatever) into your home..?!

First things first … I hate wearing shoes. The instant I walk in the door my shoes are off and they stay off until I have to go out in public again. I’m not like Cody Lundin but I’ve gone barefoot most of my life.

On the other hand, Bill has different shoes he wears indoors versus the ones he wears out in public.

In hindsight, these are both good practices when you consider all the stuff you track in from the great outdoors.

Removing shoes at the door is very common in many countries and cultures, but Americans rarely practice shoe removal.

But if you have kids (both 2 legged ones and 4 legged furry ones), remember all that gunk you bring in — including pollens, pesticides, poop and more — gets into the fibers of your carpets.

Of course if you have linoleum, tile or hardwood floors, those are much easier to clean … but how often do you clean them?

Some studies show that we are tracking all types of dangerous pollutants into our homes. For example:

• A 2010 study by the University of Arizona found about 60% of household dust comes from outside and is primarily brought into the home from the bottom of shoes. The findings published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology show contaminants include arsenic, lead and DDT!

• Typically when people hear lead, they think of lead-based paint used in older homes which can cause problems for young children and the unborn. However, lead is commonly tracked into homes on shoes due to auto exhaust, smelting and soil deposits.

• Another 2010 study by the California state Department of Public Health and CHAMACOS revealed 22 pesticides were commonly found in the dust of homes in Salinas. Dr. Frank Lipman explains the Environmental Protection Agency and National Institute of Environmental Health found that low level chronic pesticide exposure as found in these homes can cause numerous health problems, especially for fetuses and young children.

• Rodale reports a study published in the journal of Environmental Science & Technology, found a connection between toxic coal tar and cancer. Coal tar, a known carcinogen used in sealants, is tracked into homes from driveways, playgrounds and parking lots.

Think about this next time you’re stretched out on the floor playing with your kids or critters. And also remember little ones routinely transfer things from the floor to their hands to their mouths. Eating some dirt is good … but sometimes it can be bad.

So … going forward, consider taking off your shoes before entering your home to reduce the amount of toxins and other crud you bring in. And ask family members and visitors to remove their shoes at the door too. Realize some visitors may be uncomfortable with it, but hopefully most will comply. There are some cool signs and doormats that can help drive home the point… 🙂

Stay safe and have a great week!  j & B