It doesn’t matter how old your kids are, their safety will always be your top priority. Although your home should be where you feel safest, a surprising number of accidents and injuries actually occur in domestic environments. Due to this, it’s important to carry out regular risk assessments and take steps to prevent accidents occurring. With this in mind, take a look at these six ways to make your home safer:
1. Invest in Secure Storage
If you have toddlers or young children, you’ll know just how easily they manage to get into everything. While an upturned box of child-friendly paints or rogue non-toxic crayons might cause a mess, there are far more dangerous hazards lurking in your home. From cleaning products to electrical appliances, it’s important to have secure storage that kids can’t access.
Whether you choose to add a lock to certain cupboards or purchase lockable storage boxes, it’s well worth investing in secure storage options for around the home. Many parents choose to keep potentially hazardous items in cupboards that are situated at head height, but this isn’t always effective. Youngsters are adept at climbing, and they’ll use a range of furniture to give them a head-start! With lockable storage, however, you’ll have peace of mind that potentially harmful products or items are kept well out of reach.
2. Upgrade Appliances
Faulty or malfunctioning appliances can be a major risk in the home, particularly as it’s not always evident when something goes wrong. If you have a gas cooker or boiler, for example, a fault could result in toxic carbon monoxide leaking into your property. Alternatively, faulty electrical appliances can cause shocks and/or electrical fires, which puts the safety of your entire family at risk.
While smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will alert you if something goes wrong, routine maintenance and upgrading when necessary can prevent anyone from getting hurt. Many families postpone upgrading appliances because of the cost involved, but your financial situation needn’t stop you from making your home safe.
When you use reputable providers like Boiler Central to source a boiler replacement, you can use no-interest financing to plan your purchase. With no deposit required and fast installation, upgrading your appliances couldn’t be easier. What’s more – choosing a more efficient boiler can reduce the cost of your utility bills, so you can save money in the long-term too!
3. Install an Air Purifier
It’s easy to assume that you only have to worry about pollution when you’re out and about in urban areas, but you might be surprised at the air quality within your own home. Choosing a HVAC system with high-quality filters can go some way to improving air quality but installing a separate air purifier could significantly improve the quality of the air in your home.
When contaminants, such as pollen or dust, are removed from the air, it can have a major impact on allergy and respiratory symptoms. If anyone in your family has asthma, hay fever or other allergies, using air purifiers throughout your home can have a dramatic effect on their symptoms, comfort and quality of life.
4. Modify Windows
When it comes to home security, most people focus on making sure no one can gain entry to their property via the windows. While this should certainly be a top priority for every homeowner, parents also need to consider the possibility of kids opening the windows from inside and making their escape. Second storey windows are of particular concern due to the injuries a child could sustain from falling but all windows should be properly modified to ensure they’re safe.
This might involve adding interior locks to your windows or innovative mechanisms that limit how far a window can open. This means that you can still allow fresh air to enter your home but will prevent youngsters from falling or climbing out. Many window modifications can be retrofitted by homeowners but, if you’re not sure how to do this, it’s well worth seeking professional advice and having a contractor do it for you. You may also want to look at Home CCTV Installation not only to protect your loved ones but also your property.
5. Attach Furniture to Walls
It might be hard to imagine your toddler being strong enough to move furniture around, but youngsters seem to have super-human strength, especially when they’re determined to do something! Due to this, it’s vital to ensure that furniture is affixed to the wall or floor securely. Fortunately, many pieces are now manufactured with safety in mind, so you’ll find that they come with easy-to-install brackets and fixtures.
However, if you want to make sure your existing furniture doesn’t present a safety risk, you can easily purchase fixtures and fittings to affix pieces to the wall or floor. By doing so, you can prevent kids from being able to move furniture around or accidentally pulling bookcases, sofas, chairs or tables on top of themselves.
6. Switch to Safety Glass
Glass in windows and doors typically form large, jagged pieces when its broken, which can obviously cause serious injuries. However, safety glass is not only less likely to break on impact but, if it does break, it won’t form these large, dangerous pieces. Instead, the glass will shatter into smaller pieces that are less likely to cause injuries.
If you’re going to replace windows or doors in your home, be sure to choose safety glass. Alternatively, adding a sheet of shatter-resistant film to existing doors and windows can be a budget-friendly way of making your home safer.
Make Home Safety a Top Priority
Homeowners usually spend a lot of time babyproofing their property when they’re expecting but home safety is important at any age. In fact, as kids get older and are more independent, it’s even more important to safeguard your home and garden. By adjusting your safety measures as your child grows and identifying potential risks, you can ensure that your home is as safe as possible for your family. In addition to preventing injuries and illnesses, a few extra safety precautions will give you unrivalled peace of mind too.