Home safety is a serious business that must not be handled with levity. It was reported that at least 27 children were killed after fire broke out at a religious school in Liberia on Wednesday. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, minor electric spark when power is restored is mostly the causes of fire outbreaks in Nigeria. In 2015, Ebeano supermarket in Lekki gutted fire due to this reason and imagine the enormous size of this supermarket, not a single fire extinguisher was available to avert the tragedy. More recently, there was a major fire outbreak in satellite town Lagos state which consumed the entire building killing a woman and her two babies. Same reason mentioned above led to this as well. The purpose of this is to remind us that we must take safety in our homes very serious.
Did you know that if fire erupts in your house today you may have less than 2 minutes to escape? Did you know that most unintentional injuries and deaths occur at home? Did you know that most of them often happen unexpectedly and are avoidable?
Safety is one area of our lives that we often neglect unconsciously. Most times, safety materials barely find their way into our shopping list and safety culture is mostly unpopular in our homes. For instance:
- Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home?
- Do you know how to use a fire extinguisher?
- Do you have smoke detector?
- Do you have a fire alarm?
- Do your kids know what fire alarm signifies?
If you manage to answer yes to at least three out of the five questions, then you are halfway better than 85% of Nigerians. Everyone should be aware of safety measures and precautions to prevent dangers in and outside the home. The most common causes of accidents at homes leading to injuries, death and loss of properties are:
- Fire and Burns
- Drowning
- Falls
- Poisoning
- Choking and suffocation
Here are our few essential tips to help you keep safe at home
- Ensure that all electrical appliances are switched off when leaving home.
- Be certain that all electrical appliances are in good condition, without loose or frayed cords or plugs.
- Don’t run electrical wires under rugs.
- Prevent kids from using kitchen appliances and supervise any art or science projects involving electrical devices.
- Install fire and smoke alarm at the appropriate places. E.g. Kitchen, Injunction box, Air condition station. Etc
- Teach kids what to do in an emergency or when they hear the fire alarm
- Don’t leave your kids alone around the pool if you have any in your house.
- If your kids must learn swimming, ensure that they are in a capable hand, and most importantly, it is often advisable to be personally present.
- Think of installing a fence if you have a home pool.
- Babies can drown in as little as one inch of water. Therefore, empty all bathtubs, containers, kiddie pools or other devices used for swimming or bath time immediately after use. Store them upside down, so they do not collect water.
- Avoid spills on the floor.
- Discourage kids from the climbing fence or jumping on the bed
- Keep all cleaning products and detergents away from your kids:
- Leave detergents in their original pack or container.
- Don’t place medicines within kids reach
- Be familiar with basic measures to take in emergencies.
Safety is everyone’s responsibility . Take a walk around your home and make a few smart changes to ensure your home is the relaxing, comfy, and safe abode it should be. Our top 10 General Safety Rules for Kids might interest you, click here to read . Don’t forget to share this with your network . Click the button below to share.
