3 Ways to Reduce Invisible Risks Around Your Home
Posted on by Eric Rubel
Lifeway often does a great deal of work to protect our families from dangers both inside and outside of our homes. However, we sometimes overlook one of the best ways to look out for our family – by examining the invisible risks around our home.
But how can you reduce your risk for dangers you can’t see? A great place to start is by addressing common household issues such as contaminants, media access, and emergency preparedness.
In this third article of our three-part series, we explore ways to protect your family with tips for reducing invisible risks around your home.
Contaminants
You can take concrete steps to protect your home from invisible contaminants such as carbon monoxide, radon, mold, and lead. For example, installing carbon monoxide alarms on each floor of your home and outside each sleeping area will help ensure a safe environment for everyone occupying your home. Take it one step further by adding a reoccurring alert on your phone to check the batteries every year to ensure all of the devices are working.
Be sure to evaluate your home for mold, radon, and lead content, which can go undetected for long periods of time and lead to chronic illness when left unchecked. It’s important to eliminate the presence of any of these hazards in your home for the sake of your family’s health.
Media
Our homes these days are subject to a constant influx of media content through television airwaves, cable, satellite, and Internet access. You can protect your loved ones from access to unwelcome media content by installing quality Internet filters and proactively managing your children’s access to the Internet and texting. Similar filters are available for televisions.
For families eager to maintain a healthy relationship with screen time, consider incorporating a service to control the amount of access you have to your devices overall. This can easily be done with most devices and some internet and cable companies offer these types of features for your convenience.
Emergencies
Emergencies can happen any time, and taking steps to reduce your risk and improve your access to help can boost your chances of coming out safe and sound.
First, whether it’s a mobile phone or landline, ensure you have a working phone at all times. Keep telephone numbers for local police, fire, hospital, medical support, and poison control accessible for everyone inside your home, including babysitters.
Consider installing a home security system to alert you to intruders, and maintain regular contact with a neighbor, friend, or family member who can check in with you to ensure your well-being.
In addition, keep a supply of clean, fresh drinking water and non-perishable foods on hand in the event of a power outage or weather disaster. Emergencies tend to happen when they’re least expected, and your efforts to be prepared will help ensure your family is protected.
Safety is a priority for every generation and every family, and the invisible risks around our homes can be especially unsettling. With these simple steps, you can help protect your family’s security and well-being from unseen contaminants, unwanted media influences, and unexpected emergencies.
A little preparation can go a long way towards keeping your family safe and sound!