Protecting your castle is a full-time job

Did you know that in the US a violent crime is committed every 19 seconds, one murder every 27 minutes. One forcible rape every 6 minutes. One robbery every 54 seconds. These none-too-encouraging numbers just go to show that you can't be too careful these days. That's why it is wise to look into purchasing personal safety products such as key chain alarms, personal alarms, and various self-defense devices such as pepper spray and Mace™. You never know who is making plans to make you a victim.

Safety products in ample supply

It is common knowledge that most accidents happen in the home. This is particularly true in the case of small children. Babies and toddlers are curious critters and are not aware of the hazards that lurk around every corner like open electrical outlets, caustic cleaning products, or a flight of stairs. To keep your baby completely safe, you need to do a thorough survey of your home and identify potential danger areas. If you need help, go to the internet. You'll find many useful sites offering both child safety equipment, supplies, and suggestions.

Safe at home, baby!

Here's ten solid ways to make your home safer that incudes some of the home safety products you might want to have:1. Install a security system!
2. Light up your home with well-placed, effective lighting and make it easier to spot unwelcome visitors. In addition, trim hedges, foliage, and trees that create dark corners and hiding spots.
3. Never leave a spare key hidden outside (burglars know all the best places).
4. A house that appears lived-in deters burglars: keep the TV or radio on when you are out, and use timers to operate your lights in key areas of the house.
5. Install deadbolt locks on all exterior entrances and shatterproof glass on windows. Remember if you use double deadbolt locks, the location of the key must be know to all. These are high security locks but, can be dangerous if not used properly.
6. Secure upstairs windows and doors that are accessible from the outside. Put in bars, extra locks, more sensors.
7. Make sure your smoke detectors are working and up to code.
8. Install peepholes so you can screen your visitors before opening the door. Ask to see identification from service and delivery people before letting them in. Do not allow unknown people to come into your home to use your phone. If possible, take the phone out to them or refer them to the nearest pay phone.
9. Review your answering machine message. Make sure it doesn't imply that you're not home.
10. Report suspicious behavior. Police do not feel bothered by this. They encourage reporting as it often deters or uncovers crime.

Don't gamble with your personal safety.

In recent years, home and personal security have practically become a national pastime. Manufacturers are answering the call with new and better home safety productsdesigned to protect life, limb and property. Check the web and you'll find a ton of safety sites selling alarms of every description, monitors, detectors and tests; safety locks, animal repellers, self-defense videos, diversion safes, hand-held scanners, safety lights, protective apparel, and much, much more.

Safety Products for the home

So, you have your home and now you have become your own handyman? Think of all the little things you have to do around the house. Some of these tasks include mowing the lawn, trimming the trees, sanding, painting, and countless other activities. I am a new homeowner and have been continually working on the house. After a few bumps, bruises and scratches it became apparent that I was forgetting something important.

Safety products were never very high on my list of things to get. It's easy to remember all the lumber and supplies you might need from the local hardware store; however, safety products are perhaps one of your most important items. Don't forget to pick up some work gloves, safety glasses, and even your ear plugs.

While some of these products are available at the local store, the style and usability leaves something to be desired. You should shop online. Some online companies sell great safety products in small quantities or in bulk. Trust me, it's worth the $10.00 or so to protect your most important asset…. Yourself

Great gifts for the outdoorsman

So, its gift time and you have a hard to shop for person. How about something practical and usable for the outdoorsman? You know what an outdoorsman is. Someone that works hard outside in the elements, spends their doing projects outside, or even likes to enjoy the great outdoors. I have a good idea for a gift or present.

Check out a dozen work gloves with some style. How about a hard hat with his or her favorite sports team? Looking for something a little cheaper? How about a $5.00 pair of safety glasses that look like some of today's top of the line sunglasses. Some of these items might be usable, inexpensive and a great gift idea.

Plan to be safe at home

Keeping the bad guys out of your home and away from your family requires more than installing high-tech gadgets. You need to have a plan of action in place before you encounter a threat. Home safety products are only as good as your willingness to be safe. For more information about home safety products and tips how to protect your home or apartment, go to websites such as www.for-your-safety.com

Safety products for gun owners

Safety products for the gun owner

If you are a current gun owner, hunter, or general outdoorsman, there are several safety products that you need to consider. Don't forget your hearing protection, eye safety products, and your safety vests for the buddy who might get a little excited on the big hunt.

Each time you fire your weapon without hearing protection you are reducing hearing by a small percentage. Safety companies offer safety glasses, ear plugs, ear muffs and other products like safety vests. You can purchase a box of over 100 pairs of earplugs for about $25.00. It's a small price to pay for your long term hearing.

Eye protection is another important safety product for the gun owner. Today's safety glasses offer comfort, style and do not reduce visibility. Most of the current safety glasses go for under $10.00 each. Be ready for the next time a shell kicks back.

One last item to keep that you might need to remember. It wouldn't hurt to have a safety vest handy. When you are bird hunting, it can get really easy to drop and shoot at a bird without realizing what is in the background. If you have buddies like mine, It wouldn't hurt to be a little more visible. While they might not be able to hit the side of a barn, it sure seems funny how they can pepper you from a hundred yards or so.

Important Home Safety Products

Since the majority of accidents and injuries occur in your home, you should have adequate safety items in your castle. The most important item to handle the wide variety of minor injuries that occur is a well-equipped first aid kit. Visit the Red Cross, OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration), or ANSI (American National Standards Institute) website to find a comprehensive checklist of the recommended items to make-it-yourself or purchase one of the ready-made first aid kits designed for home use.

A fire extinguisher is another must have home safety product. Flash fires can erupt with no notice and are not confined to the kitchen. A romantic candle that sends a spark to your living room curtains, an unseen exposed wire on a hairdryer in the bathroom, or a random spark produced as your heating system fires up are but a few things that might happen in your home. If they ignite a flammable object and you immediately smother the combustion with a blast from your home extinguisher, a potential tragedy may be avoided.

If there are young children in your home, numerous safety products should be considered. Among the most important: Caps for any electrical outlet not being used, kitchen and bathroom cabinet door locks, and stove burner covers all protect little people from injury. If you have a stove with controls on the front instead of the top, consider covering them unless you’re cooking. Another must have to protect both rug rats and curtain climbers is one or more adjustable pressure gates so you can install protective blockades for stairs, both up and down, or any location inappropriate for a little person.

Home Safety Products That Protect Small Children

Most home safety products to protect small children are normally related to the prevention of little people from gaining access to items or areas that might prove harmful. Here are some of the important items you should consider

• Electrical outlet caps – Covers all open outlets, preventing children from inserting any foreign object into a live electrical opening.
• Cabinet and drawer locks – Prevents little people from opening doors and drawers; primarily employed in kitchens and bathrooms, which contain all manner of items that may prove harmful to small humans.
• Cord binders – Keep curtain, shade, and other potentially dangerous cords away from children while still permitting their operation by adults.
• Multi-function lock straps – Can be used on doors, refrigerators, toilet seat covers, etc. to keep little people from opening things that they shouldn’t.
• Toddler finger “pinch protectors” – Soft, foam devices that can be placed on door or drawer edges to prevent mobile young children from catching their little fingers and pinching them, sometimes causing serious injury.
• Extreme Caution – Always the most important home safety “product” for young children to prevent them from putting dangerous things in their mouth, accessing items or places that could cause harm, and keeping them safe around household pets.

No products replace your constant attention to little people, who are surrounded by things that could cause injury to small children. Simple things like open windows, unprotected electrical outlets, or cooking provide conditions that could be dangerous.

Home Fire Extinguishers

There are two fire extinguisher ratings (of 4 common ratings) that are appropriate for the home. Type A extinguishers are usually dry chemical units that are designed to handle most fires of ordinary combustibles, like wood and paper. These products are suitable for living and bedroom areas of the home. A type B fire extinguisher is effective when the combustible is grease, oil, or gasoline and are appropriate for your kitchen and/or garage. These can be disposable after a one-time use or rechargeable.

Often, a better solution is to purchase one or more “multi-class” products that are effective in fighting type A, B, and even C (electrical fires; use non-conductive material to extinguish) rated fires. These are excellent for home use in all areas of your house since they are effective against all common types of fire emergencies that tend to occur in the home, including the always dreaded electrical fires that happen without warning. In all cases, don’t try to do too much with a home extinguisher. Only fight a fire at its beginning and always leave yourself a way out. Don’t allow a fire to block your exit. If you can’t extinguish a fire at its inception, get out and call the real firefighters immediately.

Safety Alarm Products Good for the Home

Safety alarm type products good for the home protect against a variety of dangers. The most common, even required in most areas of the U.S., are smoke alarms. At a minimum, you should have at least one smoke alarm for each floor of your home. They should be installed in a central area of your house on every floor. If your home is extremely large, consider installing two alarms on floors that have large square footage or where there are large distances from the ends of the floor.

Carbon monoxide detectors that look much like smoke alarms are now recommended, if not required, in the U.S. In most smaller and normal sized houses, one should be sufficient. Install it near the interior basement entry point in your home since most threats of this silent killer will come from below ground. In a larger home that might have two interior basement entry points, a carbon monoxide unit should be installed at each location.

Perimeter alarms have become very popular in recent years and are available in all price ranges. A low cost system might involve a few self-installed motion detectors and an electronic key pad to arm/disarm the system based on a code you select. If you want high-level protection, you could move all the way to wired window and door contacts with a complement of motion detectors, including an electronic key pad digitally linked to a 24/7 monitoring firm. With this level of protection, your monitoring organization will dispatch its own personnel or the local police whenever a break in security is recorded. Always remember there is no “perfect” system. Do not ever feel totally protected and always be attentive and aware of possible in home threats.

Tips to Maintain a Safe Home

Maintaining a safe home is one of the most important responsibilities of homeowners and particularly for those who are parents of small children. The most important items to consider:

• Prevent falls – Proper lighting of stairs and using all safety recommendations and products for children play areas is prominent.
• Bathroom safety – Use all the safety products available to keep your bathroom, the most “dangerous” room in your home, safe, including bath “grab bars” and wiping any standing water that often occurs.
• Protect windows – Use cord winders to keep these out of the way and be careful with furniture placed near windows that could provide a dangerous situation for young children.
• Prevent fires and burns – Store all matches, cardboard, wooden, or electronic, safely, don’t leave your kitchen while cooking, carefully light and place candles, maintain a kid free zone of around three feet away from your stove, and have a family fire escape plan that all understand.
• Poison prevention – Along with keeping the poison control hotline number (800-222-1222) nearby, examine all potential areas of your home that could be a location for items poisonous to humans and safeguard these items or areas.
• Carbon monoxide and smoke detection – Install carbon monoxide, an odorless, silent killer, and smoke detectors around the home.
• Install drawer and cabinet locks, electrical outlet caps, and corner edge protection throughout your home if you have small children.
• Fire extinguisher(s) – Keep one or more active fire extinguishers available to protect your home and family.
• Perimeter and motion sensor alarm systems – To protect your home while you are away, these can also be used to help prevent intrusion while you are at home, particularly if you spend time in a distant part of your home or on an upper floor during the day.

While there are many home safety products that can help protect your home from danger, the most important factor is always you! Take nothing for granted and remain alert for any potential threats or dangers.

Home Safety Tips for Elderly Roommates

There are home safety products you can purchase and actions you should take to make your home safer for older people. Among the products you could install and other safety actions you could take:

• Non-slip surface for your tub – There are a variety of methods to make tubs safer, including installing non-slip inserts, a full non-slip tub pad, or paint or spray-on treatments to the floor of your tub.
• Grab bars – Bathroom safety is critical to accident prevention and installing grab bars in appropriate areas greatly reduce falls and trips.
• Cord winders – Electrical and other cords that may appear inconspicuous but stretched across areas that might invite accidents can be stored and put safely out of the way.
• Counter-top microwave ovens – If you currently have one of the popular over the stove microwave ovens, consider installing another on your kitchen counter, making it easier for elderly people to access it and also avoiding drops and spills of items that may be very hot.
• Well lit staircases – Using full stairwell lighting solutions (at least 60 watt bulbs) and darkening staircase windows (if they cause glare) is an excellent way to prevent serious accidents.
• Lower water heater temperature – Remove the possibility of scalding by lowering your hot water temperature to 120 Fahrenheit or a bit less. On most modern water heaters you can do it yourself by setting the temperature or moving the indicator to the “low” level.
• Remove all scatter rugs – Leave only those rugs that are tacked, taped, glued, or installed with a good non-slip backing to your floor to prevent falls and spills.
• Install levers instead of doorknobs – Levers are quite attractive and much easier to operate than smooth, round doorknobs.
• Keep lights, telephones, and switches close to the bed – Do not force elderly people to contort and reach too far to activate lights, TV's, ceiling fans, or answer phones by keeping these items close to the bed and only a short reach away.

Other safety products, like portable or wearable medical alert alarms, may be appropriate depending on the age and health of your elderly roommates. Concentrate on their safety and comfort to improve everyone’s quality of life as older adults become part of your family.