Top 10 tips to make your home a safe home

Fit a smoke alarm and check it regularly.
Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire.
Take care when cooking with hot oil and think about using thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers.
Never leave lit candles unattended.
Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully.
Never smoke in bed.
Keep matches and lighters away from children.
Keep clothing away from heating appliances.
Take care in the kitchen! Accidents whilst cooking account for 59% of fires in the home.
Take special care when you are tired or when you've been drinking. Half of all deaths in domestic fires happen between 10pm and 8am

Safety inside the home

Plugs

Use SABS approved plugs.
Do not overload plugs, use an adaptor.
Switch plug off before pulling it out.
Do not connect electrical appliances to light sockets.

Cords

Do not use frayed cords - replace worn and frayed cords on appliances immediately.
Keep cords well way from hot stoves and other hot surfaces.
Do not run electrical cords under carpets and rugs.
Do not join cords with tape.
Do not run cords through hinges.
Use SABS approved electrical wires or cords.

Electrical Sockets

Do not stick fingers into sockets.
Never put bare wires into sockets.
Cover sockets with safety caps.

Water

Do not use electrical appliance in the bathroom.
Never touch electrical appliances with wet hands.
Never fill kettle when it is plugged in.
Never mow wet grass with an electrical lawnmower.
Never hold an electrical appliance in one hand while touching metal objects such as taps, fridges or stoves with the other.
Never use water to put out an electrical fire if the mains are not switched off. Use a dry chemical fire extinguisher.

General Safety Tips

Never change a light bulb without first making sure that the current is switched off.
Do not use a fork or a knife or anything metal to remove toast from a toaster when it is plugged in.
If you see sparks or smoke from an electrical appliance, it is telling you that something is wrong. Unplug it and call an electrician.
Do not work on an electrical appliance unless you know exactly what you are doing and have made sure it is not plugged in. When cleaning your house do not use water near any plugs of electrical cords.

Electricity and Children

When babies start to crawl or walk, extra care has to taken that they do not harm themselves. Children are naturally interested in cords and plugs. Here is some advice on how to make sure that your children are safe:

Children love playing with loose hanging wires. Make sure that the cord of your iron and kettle are not left hanging where a child can pull them, thereby causing a hot iron or kettle to fall down and burn the child.
If you have turned the heater on, watch yout child carefully so that he/ she does not stick his/ her fingers through the grill and touch the hot bars of the heater.
Do not let your children play with electrical cords - they can chew on a live wire.
Keep all unused plugs in the house covered with a safety plug. Babies love to stick their fingers into the plug holes.

Safety outside the Home

There are a few situations outside the home that could be dangerous

When working with any electrical appliance, like power drills, make sure they are connected properly. Never use them in damp or wet areas.
Do not enter electrical sub-stations; the voltage is extremely high and very dangerous.
Do not touch any electrical power lines. Under no circumstances should you ever go near them. All power lines are very dangerous.
Do not make a fire underneath power lines.
Never climb onto electrical pylons.
Do not play or build houses under power lines.
Do not throw stones at insulators.
Do not fell trees next to power lines.
Do not touch power lines that have fallen to the ground.
Do not carry long objects under power lines.

How to deal with shocks

The first thing you do is to switch the electricity off at the mains (everybody in the house should know where the main switch board is).
If possible, switch off the electricity at the wall plug where the appliance causing the shock is plugged in, and unplug it.
If the victim is in contact with the appliance causing the shock, they must be removed as quickly as possible.
There is great danger that the person helping the victim could also get a shock if he/ she touches the victim's body before the plug has been switched off.
Hands must be covered with dry rubber gloves or several layers of dry newspaper.
Pull the victim clear by getting hold of their dry loose clothing.
Push the victim away by using a broomstick or a chair. Make sure that it is dry and that you are not touching any metal parts.
Get someone to call a doctor immediatly. If this is not possible start giving first aid as follows:
- If the victim's breathing has stopped or is not normal, apply mouth-to-mouth breathing and massage the heart immediatly.
- Treat any injuries that may have been caused by the victim falling. Do not smear ointment on any burn. Protect the burns from the air with sterilized bandages.
- Get any electrical accident victim to a hospital or doctor as soon as possible even if they say they feel okay.

Practise fire safety

Every year hundreds of people are killed or bodily injured in fires where they live. The victims of fire are most often children, older people, or handicapped persons. Many of these fires are the result of accidents that could have been prevented. The elimination of all fire hazards is the key to any effective fire safety program. As most fires are the result of carelessness, the greatest element of safety comes from prevention.

Keep rubish in covered containers and dispose of it regularly.
Store paints, paint thinners and other flammable materials in their original containers and in a well ventilated area, away from all fire sources.
Clean work areas of paint, sawdust, or trash after every do-it-yourself project.
Don't overload circuits or use frayed electrical extension cords.
Have all electrical wiring checked by a competent electrician periodically to make sure it is not faulty.
Never run an extension cord under a rug or behind curtains.
Do not let large amounts of rubbish accumulate either indoors or outdoors. Clean basements, closets, garages, and storage areas frequently.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 June 2008 )