How safety conscious are you?

The most terrifying moment - was finding my four-year-old granddaughter had rapidly undone the safety catch on a window - five stories high. There she was, half hanging out, looking down - as I crept up to grab her.

We were viewing a flat for my daughter. It was a new building and everything had been checked, all complied with current building regulations. So, we're left with a situation where a child could die, any day.

I grew up in an age, and a different country, where heath and safety didn't exist. Common sense was a big thing and there was no such thing as compensation claims. And it stands me in good stead today, always aware of my surroundings, hazards, etc. But I will make sure I know my nearest exits in any place. Yes, it helped one evening when a hotel smoke alarm went off and we joined other guests in various states of dress.

DH works with lots of Americans so -unfortunately- he tells me to be "careful about" this/that, "watch your step", etc, forgetting my former upbringing environment . But I understand where he is coming from. But now and then, if it gets under my skin, I tell him I am AWARE and -that I am not thick-.

OMG Hetty, that must have been terrifying for you. Thank goodness you saw her!

I was once on a ferry in the far east, and noticed a cupboard which displayed the words "Life Jackets". It was padlocked.

Yes, I check the fire safety route in hotels. Hetty, that made me shudder. Lucky little child.

Gosh I never check exits and escape routes , it’s never occurred to me before . I will now though .
Those who leave their keys in the front or back doors at night , just be aware others can’t get in . My fil used to leave his keys in the front door and after a fall and calling his alarm button the ambulance staff couldn’t get in and smashed the glass in the door .

We were on the 25th floor of a hotel on the Gold Coast earlier this year.
Luckily we had left our shoes and my back pack with passports etc. in it by the door so when the fire alarm went off we could grab them. 25 floors mean a lot of steps.
It was a false alarm but everyone seemed calm and organised before we found that out.

Yes I always check safety instructions and listen carefully on flights. You can never be too careful.

I’m very safety conscious. I’ve been in 2 house fires , trapped in one (I was a child but it stayed with me). I can’t get my head around why people don’t go through fire drills with their children. Nothing heavy but just for them to know what they should do. When I started doing this my kids first reaction was what about the pets? I had to explain that they would be ok as they wouldn’t be affected. Some other comments were, we can’t jump out of the window because we’ll hurt ourselves. It was a useful exercise but thankfully it never happened.

We have a friend who's a tv cameraman. He says he checks the safety card in every hotel all over the world.

As soon as you open your hotel room you should go back out and locate the emergency exits. Noting which way you need to turn coming out of your room and count and memorise the number of steps to the exits.
Not only do I stack knives pointing down in the dishwasher but forks prong side down too. They wash perfectly well.

I always check there are smoke alarms and where my exit would be. I also always put sharp knives point down in dishwasher, I've heard horror stories of people tripping and landing on knives, otherwise I'm not overly safety conscious but use common sense.

Safety Starts at Home
For us seniors, things like:

• Throw rugs on the floor. People have a tendency to shuffle with their feet which can entangle your foot and make you trip.
• Do not obstruct your vision when carrying boxes or things down the stairs. Always keep your eyes on your feet and where you are stepping.
• Extension cords laying on the floor from appliances that you forget are there and make you trip.
• Do not try to walk in the dark at night going to the bathroom, thinking you’re saving electricity. You might trip over your cat!
• If you’re not wearing a “life alert” around your neck then put your phone in your pocket when you move around the house doing tasks like taking out the garbage, vacuuming/hoovering(?), doing laundry, sweeping the patio or sidewalks, etc.

Pick up your feet! Turn on the lights! Keep phone within reach!
USA Gundy

Good points Gundy the number of people I know who don’t keep their mobile with them all around the house and accidents can happen to people of any age.

I have been very concerned about my families with modern houses who are so worried about safety, that they actually put all in great danger in case of fire. All double windows locked, and keys not to hand, and not a single window with a larger/wider opening that would allow exit by window- and doors double locked + Chubb Lock, and keys put away.

Every family with modern double windows should ensure they have an accessible window with wider opening- and for the whole family to know exactly where keys are and how to deal with them in case of fire. I'd rather be burglared than killed in a fire.

We would have been in Maui now, but because of work commitments we are booked for September. Our bungalow is still standing but it is just outside the the town of Lahaina that has been destroyed.
I don’t think I could run fast enough to get away from those fires.
I obviously wasn’t meant to be there.

Burglared fp? That’s a new one.

No excuse for not having window and door keys to hand. Ours always have been, I assume that by double windows you mean double glazed. I would be surprised if windows in a modern house were too small to permit escape,

I live in a 3 storey house. Before buying it, knowing l would sleep on the top floor, l checked that l was comfortable with an escape route should l need it. I wouldn't have bought the house otherwise.

Fleurpepper, I don't lock the upstairs windows - as only a very determined burglar would attempt to go up there to break in. They'd be on camera too.

I'm far more concerned with escape from a fire - and who knows where children would leave window keys? I wouldn't fancy my chances of breaking a double-glazed window either.

Having had 4 break-ins over the years, and now having a lot of first floor windows unoverlooke at the back, giving onto a single storey extension, we have window locks - in use - on every window. However I have the key to unlock them in every room adjacent to the window, but unobservable from outside.

The purpose of window locks etc is to stop people getting into the house, not stop them getting out and once they are in, providing the main doors cannot be opened easily to remove loot, they then have to go out the same way they came in.

I have always had keys accessible by the relevant window, even when my children were small, but I explained to them clearly why the keys were there and the sanctions that would be imposed if they were touched. other than in need. They were never played with.

How many here have a carbon monoxide alarm.
I ended up in hospital many years ago with carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s not pleasant 😥
I was advised to have it in your bedroom because most tragedies happen while people are asleep.

MerylStreep

How many here have a carbon monoxide alarm.
I ended up in hospital many years ago with carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s not pleasant 😥
I was advised to have it in your bedroom because most tragedies happen while people are asleep.

I confess we don’t at home but we doin our holiday let, along with a fire blanket, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and mandatory smoke alarms and exit details.

We recently replace our monitor, as they need changed after five years. Ours is in the kitchen, near the boiler, as recommended by our gas supplier.

We also have interlinked fire alarms all over the house, in accordance with govt. regulations here in Scotland.

An extinguisher and fire blanket are in the kitchen.

Hetty58

Fleurpepper, I don't lock the upstairs windows - as only a very determined burglar would attempt to go up there to break in. They'd be on camera too.

I'm far more concerned with escape from a fire - and who knows where children would leave window keys? I wouldn't fancy my chances of breaking a double-glazed window either.

Exactly, it is not that the windows are too small, but the width of the opening is not sufficient. I'd urge everyone to test their windows and see, and have at least one that it altered so it opens wide enough.

MerylStreep - we have only been once to Maui, to Lahaina and Kihei, with the whales in the bay in front of us. Watching the footage of the devastation is just heart- breaking.

We have had three Carbon monoxide alarms for around 15 years. The recommended for CM alarms is within 2 metres of the devices that produce the carbon monoxide, in our case, boilers, cookers and wood burning stove.

Having an alarm in the bedroom is like having a smoke alarm in the bedroom rather than close to the potential sources of fire. By the time it goes off the situation in the house will already have gone beyond the critical state.

The presence and working order of our CM alarms are now checked very year by the CH serviceman and the chimney sweep. I think this is a legal requirement