Home is where the heart is. It’s also where your family, and all your worldly possessions, are too! With important considerations like that, you want to make sure you’ve got the right tools and knowledge to keep your home safe.
Making your property safe isn’t about boarding up the windows and putting trip wires across the door like some crazy survivalist (think: the "Home Alone" movie).
It’s just about a bit of consideration and some key items of which can help protect you. Staying safe at home doesn’t have to be a chore, with these top 10 safety essentials.
1) Fire Alarm
The most obvious and essential item for home safety is a fire alarm. Every year in Malaysia, there are an estimated 30,000-60,000 fires, with 40% of them taking place in private homes.
A simple, affordable fire alarm can make a big difference in ensuring your safety at home. Even if you live in a large development complex, your own in-home fire alarm can offer extra peace of mind and protection to ensure you and your family are alerted on time.
2) Fire Extinguisher
You’re whipping up some amazing char kuey teow when things get a little over the top! How do you prevent a minor cooking incident from turning into a major accident?
You make sure you’ve got a fire extinguisher on hand as a key part of your safety kit. It’s the ultimate protection to ensure safety with fire! It means you’re ready to tackle a problem before it gets out of hand.
Fire extinguishers are designed for a range of different fuel sources, so make sure you check and get the right one for your home use.
In Malaysia, that’s likely to be what’s known as an ‘ABC fire extinguisher’, which tackles fires from solid combustibles like wood, flammable liquids, and gases.
3) Torch
It might seem simple, but a torch is an important home safety device. Sure, your smartphone comes with one, but you’re going to want to conserve the battery for more important things.
If there’s a power outage, particularly related to a natural disaster like storms or floods, torches are the most reliable and trustworthy way to find your way to safety.
In cases of less serious power outages, it’s also an important tool that allows you to work out what’s going on, or check the fuse box. Simple, but effective – like all good home safety tools!
4) Carbon Monoxide Detector
This is a special type of alarm which detect the presence of the carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide can leak from gas appliances which are faulty or incorrectly fitted, and quickly build up to cause life-threatening poisoning.
If not careful, the symptoms of this poisoning can be mistaken for a common cold, because the person will feel dizzy, weak, confused, or have headaches and chest pains.
Carbon monoxide detectors are the only reliable way to detect this gas. You can often find fire alarms with this type of detector built in, providing dual protection with one device.
5) First Aid Kit
You’ve forgotten your torch, stumbled into a mirror or window in the dark, and somehow managed to cut your head.
That’s when your first aid kit comes in handy! Key items for your first aid kit include plasters, bandages, antiseptic cream, painkillers, safety pins, stomach medication, sanitising wipes, and scissors.
Most people will have many of these items floating around the house already, but having a dedicated kit means you’ve got all you need in one place.
6) Grab Bag/Emergency Kit
A grab bag or emergency kit is an essential item for those times when emergency situations force you from your home.
That’s everything from a fire or flood, through to a last-minute need to visit hospital. This emergency kit is designed to ensure you’ve got everything you need to leave home and stay safe at a moment’s notice.
Discover more about how to build an emergency kit on our article Smart Planning With A Home Grab Bag Emergency Kit!
7) Burglar Alarm
Keeping safe at home isn’t just about keeping safe while you’re inside! A burglar alarm is a really simple way for people in both landed and high-rise properties to ensure you’re safe from intruders breaking in.
Do your research to find a burglar alarm or security device that best fits your budget, and make sure your house is safe, whether you’re at home or away.
Find out more about house safety with our Top 7 Tips To Keep Your House Safe When You’re Away.
8) Escape Plan
Most major developments have established escape or evacuation plans, so that the route away from danger is as straightforward as possible. Do you know what yours is?
If you live in a large high-rise development then take a moment to read over and understand evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency. Hopefully you never need it, but better to know it and not need it, than need it and not know it!
If you live in a self-contained or landed property, then discuss a simple evacuation plan with your family so you’re all prepared in case the worst happens.
This doesn’t have to be a stressful experience, especially if you’ve got kids, just think of it as a fun game where you plan for your super-secret emergency escape!
Make sure you recognise the risks involved, possible exit points, everyone understands the plan on how to get out, and where to meet outside the building.
9) CCTVs
A worthy addition to the home safety list is a CCTV. Major developments would usually have surveillance systems installed across key areas and the perimetres, but (hopefully!) not in your home.
Wireless CCTV is an affordable way to watch what’s going on at home when you’re away, covering everything from intruder monitoring to checking the puppy isn’t eating the sofa!
So, no matter if you live in a high-rise or landed property, it’s a good idea to invest in one for the outdoors and the indoors to ensure you’ve got all the angles covered.
Remember to secure your password if you choose a Wi-Fi version though. Read more about this in our guide How To Protect Your Home Security Cameras From Hackers!
10) Fireproof Safe
If you’ve got lots of important documents at home like birth certificates, insurance documents, deeds to your property, etc… then you might want to consider the ultimate in protection – a fireproof safe.
In the event of an emergency such as a fire, it’s extremely important you exit the house as soon as possible. That means you might not have the time to grab important documents or items.
Keeping those in a fireproof safe means even if you have to run from your home, your documents and/or valuables (like that heirloom diamond necklace!) should hopefully be protected against damage and thieves while you’re away.
When it comes to keeping your home safe, you can also consider investing in digital locks over the traditional padlocks, especially if you’re the type of person who usually misplaces or loses their keys!
Disclaimer: The information is provided for general information only. PropertyGuru International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd makes no representations or warranties in relation to the information, including but not limited to any representation or warranty as to the fitness for any particular purpose of the information to the fullest extent permitted by law. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in this article is accurate, reliable, and complete as of the time of writing, the information provided in this article should not be relied upon to make any financial, investment, real estate or legal decisions. Additionally, the information should not substitute advice from a trained professional who can take into account your personal facts and circumstances, and we accept no liability if you use the information to form decisions.