Home Safety Protocols for Everyone in Your Household

by Ann Hayward 01/08/2023

Your home should be a safe place for everyone in your household. While you can do a lot to make this happen, such as removing tripping hazards or storing medication in a cabinet, everyone should learn certain procedures and protocols to improve home safety. Go over the following tips to help everyone stay informed and ready for whatever emergencies may come your way, regardless of age.

How to Find the Emergency Contact List

Keep an emergency contact list handy in case dangerous situations occur, such as a house fire or medical emergency. Show every member of your household, from children to seniors, where this list is and explain what each number and who each contact is. This list should contain phone numbers for your local fire department, police station, your doctors and emergency medical services. You should also have contact information for trusted family members or friends on your list.

Never Mix Electricity and Water

Learning the signs of both electrical and water malfunctions could save someone's life. Ensure that everyone in the home knows to look for frayed wires, especially near sinks or hoses, such as outdoors or in kitchens and bathrooms. Also look for drips, wet spots or bowed out areas near fuse boxes or next to water fixtures.

Mixing the two could be catastrophic for your home and your household, so everyone should understand what warning signs to look for regarding electricity and water and who to contact if anything goes amiss.

Cleaner Safety

Most households use commercially bought cleaners with warning labels on them. However, learning what fumes and cleaners may irritate some house members, or which can be deadly if mixed, is key to ensuring safe handling.

Young children should not handle any cleaners at any time, and those old enough to use them should know these basics. Accidents can still happen, though. If they do, make sure everyone knows the proper protocol for cleaning out eyes, washing hands and contacting poison control.

About the Author
Author

Ann Hayward

Born in Philadelphia and raised in the suburbs, Ann Hayward got her Pennsylvania real estate license at age 18 even before going to college. This second-generation real estate professional followed in the footsteps of her father and two uncles, inheriting their passion for the business. Licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Ann is accomplished in her career, with numerous designations including SFR, SRES, PSA, WHC, and multiunit Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) from the National Development Council. She specializes in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, all jurisdictions where Ann has lived and knows very well. In addition to her professional expertise, she owns and manages personal investment property, understands and has been involved in the renovation/remodeling process, and has great resources which she shares with clients. When you hire Ann to represent you, she will make your buying or selling experience an enjoyable, rewarding one. Her compassion, sensitivity to her clients’ needs, eye for detail, and ability to see the big picture when guiding you through a purchase or sale are unique assets that will ensure your success. A diverse and relevant background also gives Ann a distinct edge. For 30 years, she worked in fast-paced, high-pressure television and theatrical production, attaining the highest achievement – DGA membership as a Director, and as an award-winning staff and freelance writer. Her keen audio visual skills and design sense benefit sellers in marketing their properties, and are invaluable in helping buyers see the potential of space. A true renaissance woman, Ann was also an income tax professional and office manager for H&R Block, so she thoroughly understands the tax and financial implications of acquiring and selling real estate. Her superior organizational skills are further evidenced as owner of a downsizing/professional organizing business, Managed For You, which allows her to connect with everyone from millennials to boomers and seniors, whether for small space planning or assisting with major decluttering and transitioning. Ann holds an AB in American History from Simmons College, Boston, plus attended Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Administration where she was a candidate for Doctorate. She additionally studied Film Direction at the American Film Institute in LA, and was a Stanford University post-graduate Professional Journalism Fellow. Personally, Ann is an avid if not very good golfer, and the co-founder of a nonprofit 501c3 organization offering educational guidance, tutoring and counseling for youngsters from elementary school through college admission. She sits on the board of trustees of a nonprofit educational film production corporation as well. (202) 494-6252 [email protected]