HIDDEN DANGERS IN OUR HOMES

KEEPING OUR FAMILIES SAFE!

OUR HOME IS OUR CASTLE !

A place we build to keep ourselves and our loved ones warm; dry; safe and secure from harm or threat.

BUT JUST HOW SAFE IS IT ?


We have all become so used to dealing with the many regulations; risk assessments and the 'Do's & Don'ts' in our workplace, yet when we leave our work to go home we leave it all behind us and tend to don our 'Hat of Complacency'.

We trust our home and consider our behaviours within it to be 'Safe', we give very little consideration to the dangers of our homes and what we have in it holds,  placing our trust in things not to happen.

Below is a collection of little known or understood, but often deadly Hazards from our homes. Some may sound obscure,  and others we might think would never happen..

BUT THEY CAN..  AND THEY DO !

FURNISHINGS !

We love to improve our castles, adorning it with many new gadgets; decorations; and furniture to make it comfortable.

After all what looks nicer than a brand new carpet ?

After the birth of our babies we all are so eager to create that new Nursery and make it look pristine with new carpet and cupboards.

Have you ever noticed that new carpet smell? or the smell from the newly assembled wardrobe or chest of drawers?

That smell is actually a gas, it is Fomaldehyde, yes the same chemical used in preservation of bodies as used by undertakers. It is toxic and can be highly flammable.

AND IT CAN BE DEADLY ! 

If you search the internet for a definition of Formaldehyde you will find this..

"In view of its widespread use, toxicity and volatility, exposure to formaldehyde is a significant consideration for human health!".

The 'Off-gassing' of Formaldehyde is common with items made from compressed woods such as MDF and Chipboard the two most common woods used in furniture manufacture. It comes from the Glue used to stick the wood particles together and also in the process of lamination. With carpets the Glue is used to anchor the weave or fabric to the base material.

These deadly fumes which can cause severe respiratory problems hang at a fairly low height from the ground, they may be unoticable by an adult who is standing above them, but at just the right height to affect babies; young children and our family pets.

DO NOT

Lay babies on a newly laid carpet to change or dress them.

Allow babies or young children to play or sleep in a room with new carpet or wood furniture until it has had chance to fully air for a few days with window open.

Allow pets to play or sleep in the room.


HOUSEHOLD BLEACH

Bleach is a cheap and commonly used household cleaning agent, yet the fumes it gives off can easily be enough to stop a baby or young child  breathing.

NEVER MIX WITH BLEACH & TOILET CLEANERS !

Many people use bleach to clean their toilet pan,  even after using a proprietary toilet cleaner they will add bleach to give the pan that extra shine.

Most toilet cleaners contain Ammonia, this when mixed with bleach causes one of two chemical reactions.

If a larger amount of bleach ismixed with a smaller amount of Ammonia it releases Nitrogen Trichloride which is an extremely volatile explosive and incredibly toxic to breathe. This is the same gas which was used as a weapon in WW2.

If the solution is made up of a  larger quantity of ammonia it creates Hydrazine, the final part of his reaction causes so much heat it will create an explosion.

Use of Bleach is banned in Government Buildings !

Have you noticed a fishy smell around your house ?

Or have you noticed brown or black marks or cracks on your power sockets or plugs?

That fishy smell could be a overheating socket, caused either by overloading or from a loose connection to the wiring hidden behind the socket.

THIS NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION !

If left unresolved, this could cause a serious house fire. Get a qualified electrician to check to find the cause and replace all damaged sockets.

OVERHEATED SOCKETS

Credit to:  24/7 Home Rescue

MELTED PLUGS AND OUTLETS

Credit to:  Electric Man

SMELL ROTTEN EGGS ?

The smell of rotten eggs in your home can idicate a gas leak.

Get a qualified CORGI technician to check it out !

COMPUTER DANGERS !

How safe are our Laptops ?

Laptop Computers

They are genericaly called Laptop's and because of this title we do use them perched on our laps.  Many, especially the younger members of our families often place them on bedding or seating or on the arm of a chair. Some then fall asleep with them switched on or still charging.
So what is wrong with that ?

FIRE RISKS !

Placing a Laptop on a soft material surface such as bedding blocks the cooling and ventilation holes on the underside of the machine, this causes the electronics inside to overheat, not only damaging the computer chips inside but also increasing risk of burns and fire.
Chargers too can get very hot and overheat, The Duvet covers or other materials we place them on may not be fire retardent and suddenly  ignite.

Cooler Tray

ALWAYS use Laptops on a hard flat surface such as a table, hard back book or large tray, this raises the base and allows air to be pulled in by the cooling fans through the ventilation holes.
Special cooling platforms are available from £5 - £10 which have additional cooling fans run from the laptop via a USB port, these will prolong the life of the internal components along with reduce the risk of burns or fire.

DUST BUNNIES !

The cooling fans on both desktop and laptop computers not only pull in air to cool, they also pull in dust; pet hair; carpet and material fibres, the circling air can create 'Dust Bunnies', highly flamable balls of hair and dust that form like cotton wool. The dust also clogs up the path of ventilation and causes the components to work at higher temperatures and overheat which can then ignite the dust.
Frequently vacuum the fans and ventilation holes to reduce build up, and every few months turn off the power and remove the covers of desktop computers and carefully vacuum inside.

EXPLODING WATER !

NO IT ISN'T A JOKE!

MICROWAVE DANGERS

We have all done it, warmed up something in the microwave, noticed through the door it is not bubbling, so put it on for another minute or two.
Microwaves can heat fluids far beyond boiling point without the liquids spilling over the sides of the containing vessel. But as we reach in to retrieve it and move the container it agitates the molecules and the fluids can suddenly erupt like a volcano, forcing the contents into our faces or over our body's and causing severe if not deadly scalding.

It is a phenonenom known as 'Superheating'.

Search the web for 'Superheating' to find out more!

SUPERHEATING !

ALWAYS PLACE A WOODEN OR MICROWAVE SAFE PLASTIC SPOON IN THE CONTAINER WHEN HEATING FLUIDS!.

This agitates the fluids molecules as it heats preventing 'Superheating' and will stop the fluids from erupting when you move them.
Make sure all your family are aware of this, especially the elderly who may use a microwave to heat up tea; coffee or liquid soups.

HOME SAFETY HANDBOOK

My book contains both these and many other important tips, explaining many of the dangers we have in our believed 'Safe' homes.

It shows that sometimes it is not what we have, but the way we use them that causes the high risks of injury or death, and tries to educate us that our attitudes of 'My parents did it that way!' or 'I have always done it like this and nothing has happened so far!' do not prevent a disaster from occuring and causing injury or even death.

The book has room by room checklists you can apply to your own home, and small fun exercices you can do as a family. It also has simple projects and ideas you can use to ensure the safety and survival of your family members in the case of a disaster happening.

Download it now, it could be the wisest few pounds you have ever spent!

Buy here for just £2.30
SIMPLE WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY RETURN TO WOO