CSI: Index Anti Social Behaviour Fear of Crime Home Safety Personal Safety Problem Neighbours Vehicles Domestic Abuse Child Safety Slips, Trips & Falls	Home Safety Introduction Domestic Abuse - Important! Click here first to cover your tracks Bogus Callers Internet Safety Electrical and Fire Safety Infants and young children's safety Home Security Slips, Trips & Falls Email a problem you’d like us to answer Links Introduction This category covers a whole range of topics because it is important to be safe in a place where we spend so much time. In fact more accidents happen in the home than anywhere else. It is not just accidents that can cause problems however, other serious safety issues also occur in the home although they are mostly targeted at specific people. Children are vulnerable to internet safety, older people (and others) are vulnerable to bogus callers and women tend to be vulnerable to domestic violence. Bogus Callers The majority of people that come to your door will be genuine. However, unless you know this for sure then you must take steps to check. Remember, anyone can dress up to look like a smart official, a builder or gasman. Professional conmen and women can be VERY persuasive. If they are genuine however, then they will not mind you taking these steps to check them out: Don't let anyone unknown into your home unless you are expecting them. Always use a door chain when you answer the door. Always check ID that is offered. Does it look genuine? Does the photograph match the caller? Do you recognise the name of the company? To check the ID then you need to contact the company but DO NOT use the number on the card. If the ID is fake then the number will be too and could just be another conman waiting to play their part. Use you phone book to contact the company and check. Remember it's ok to put your safety first. Be rude if you have to. Never buy from someone at the door; they'll learn you have money in the house and could come back for more or tell their friends. Do not keep large amounts of money in the house. Remember STOP, LOCK, CHAIN, CHECK: STOP: Pause before you open the door and think if you're expecting anyone LOCK: Check your other doors and windows are locked CHAIN: Use a door chain or bar, it means that you keep control of the situation CHECK: If the person is unknown, ALWAYS check their ID and do it properly! Look at the person at the door and compare it to the picture (but don't open the door to do this, use a spy hole or mirror). Phone the company they claim to be from. Look it up in the phone book. Beware of legitimate salespeople using the hard sell. And remember, if you do have to sign something to get them to leave, in most cases you have 7 days to cancel. Call your local Trading Standards as soon as possible and they will help you. Not everyone is a criminal but it's always safest to check. If a person has a legitimate reason for calling they WILL NOT MIND waiting while you check them out. Internet Safety Internet Safety applies to everyone although mostly it is focussed on children since they are particularly at risk. Things everyone should know: Personal details stored on your computer can be stolen if not properly protected. As today’s society becomes more internet based, more of our personal lives are stored on our computers. This can include names, addresses, bank account details, credit card information, shopping habits etc. Unless you are careful, this information can be intercepted when passing it on to legitimate sources, or stolen by people posing as a legitimate source. There are many scams, insecure websites and viruses around that can put your information at risk. The most important things to remember are: Use a good firewall. Some well know brands are: McAfee or Zone Alarm. When purchasing online make sure you use a well known company, ensure the site is secure when you put your card/account details in (ie there is a closed padlock in the bottom right hand corner of the browser window and http:// has changed to shttp:// in the address bar) If given the option, send a cheque by post to complete the transaction. When using online banking, type the bank’s address yourself, DO NOT use links especially from emails. Banks will NEVER ask for account details by email so be very wary of anyone asking for personal information. Don’t send emails that contain sensitive information (ie bank account details). It may be intercepted. Remember, if an email sounds too good to be true; it probably is. Safe Surfing for Children Ensure your child understands about keeping personal information confidential. Get to know the services and websites that your child uses. Don't believe everything you read or see online. Encourage children to tell you about anything they find that is suggestive, obscene, threatening or makes them feel uncomfortable. Don't immediately blame the child if they receive or access something obscene - this may have been done accidentally. Use the Internet as a family activity and if possible, keep the computer in a family room rather than in a child's bedroom. Try to get to know your child's online friends as you would their other friends. Try not to use the PC or the Internet as an electronic babysitter. Set your own golden rules and after discussing them, stick them at the side of the computer. Enjoy surfing! From BeSafeOnline.org Other Links Electrical and Fire Safety Every year over 55,000 fires in the home kill 700 people and injure another 10,000. (From www.fire.org.uk) Yet if we make home safety a part of everyday life many of these risks can be minimized. Here are a few simple things that you can do: Take safety seriously. Turn off electrical appliances when not in use. Install a fire alarm and check it regularly Make an escape plan and ensure the whole family knows it Do NOT overload plug sockets and only use one adapter per socket Use the right fuse: Appliances that use up to 700 watts: 3 amp fuse (Eg TV) Appliances that use 700 to 1000 watts: 5 amp fuse (Eg Vacuum cleaner) Appliance that use 1000+ watts: 13 amp fuse (Eg Kettle) Maintain your wires. If they get damaged or frayed, get them properly repaired. A bit of tape does NOT do the job. DON’T run wires under the carpet or you won’t be able to see if they’ve worn. Keep an eye out for danger signs: hot plugs and sockets, scorch marks, fuse blowouts for no obvious reason. If you see any of these warning signs, ask a qualified electrician to check your wiring Do not let cables or plugs get wet. Keep water well away from any electrical appliances. Make sure your plugs are wired correctly and they are firmly in position. Keep at least 3 feet clear from all heating appliances, including furnishings. Do NOT dry washing on or near heaters, or on fire guards Use a fireguard if you have children around Do NOT leave the kitchen with the stove in use Download your free fire checklist here How to develop a fire escape plan Have working smoke or fire alarms on each floor of your home. Make sure you test them every month Draw a plan of each floor of your home and work out a main (eg door) and secondary (eg window) escape route from each room. Make sure that everyone knows what to do if the alarms go off or someone shouts "fire!" ie Get down low, if it's night time then roll off the bed onto the floor Feel the temperature of a door before opening it. If it's hot then use the secondary escape route. Make sure the youngest get out first, adults follow behind. Crawl low along the floor, under the smoke. If clothes light on fire then STOP, DROP, and ROLL keeping hands over your face Once outside gather at a pre-arranged meeting place and call the Fire and Rescue (999) If trapped in a house then call from a window to attract attention. Try and block smoke from coming under the door but listen out for firemen coming to the rescue as you'll need to move it to let them in. Make sure everyone knows not to go back into a burning house. Encourage teenagers to let you know their coming and going so you'll know whether to expect them when doing a head count at the meeting point Practicing your escape, especially with children, can help to avoid panic during a real evacuation Make sure your babysitter knows the escape plan too Should I put the fire out myself? Think safety first. Do NOT attmpt to tackle a fire if you cannot do so safely. Otherwise get out and call for help closing the doors as you leave to help stop it spreading. But remember, if you decide to tackle it yourself instead of dialling 999 and cannot control it, valuable time has been lost. Type of Fire How to tackle it Warning Electical Fires If possible, pull the plug out or cut the power at the fuse box. Smother the fire with a blanket or dry powder (blue) extinguisher NEVER use water Oil and other liquid based fires If possible, remove heat source (eg turn the hob off) but don’t get too close. Smother the fire with a damp (and wrung out) towel, lid or fire blanket. Or use a foam (cream) or CO2 (black) extinguisher, but not for a chip pan fires. Leave to cool Do NOT add water, it will fuel the fire. Do not try to move the pan, it will help the fire to spread. Clothing fires Stay calm but act quickly. Drop to the ground and roll to smother the flames. Call for help. Use a large coat, blanket or towel to smother the person, use any available liquid to hand, a drink (so long as it won’t scald) or a vase with water in. Do not run around it will increase the flames Try not to panic, the quicker you act the better. Wood, cloth, paper, eg anything solid fires Use a red fire extinguisher or water Do not use this method near electrics. Home Security The vast majority of burglaries are opportunistic. In some instances, no force is required to gain entry. By taking simple steps you can reduce the opportunity presented by your home and reduce the risk of it happening to you. Ensure doors and windows are secure. Mortice deadlocks are best for doors as other locks may be able to be kicked in. Don’t leave windows open when you go out. Preferably have locks fitted to your windows as a third of burgulars get in this way. Make sure all locks have a british standard kite mark. Make sure any patio doors are also secured. Do NOT leave a spare key anywhere obvious. It will be found. Do NOT leave keys by the window, in the lock or near a letterbox. If you’re locking up for the night take the key with you and keep it somewhere safe in case of emergencies. Outside lighting can act as a good deterent as burgulars prefer to work in areas they won’t be seen. Make sure it looks like someone’s in, even if you’re not. Use a lamp on a timer switch when you’re away and make sure you cancel deliveries like milk and papers. They are very obvious clues to someone on the prowl. When going on holiday do NOT put your home address on the luggage labels. Preferably get taxis to the airport a few doors away from your home. Don’t leave a lot of valuables lying around which can be viewed from a window, you will only increase the temptation. Don’t keep car keys by your door when you go on holiday, otherwise your car could be taken too. Mark your property with your postcode using a UV pen, that way the police can identify stolen property as yours. Install an alarm, make it visible and use it!