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Some people perceive home akin to love. To some, it acts as shelter and to others it is simply a symbol of security. No matter how a home is defined, any moment spent with dear ones is always worth living. However, if proper home safety measures are not ensured, it would not take a single moment to ruin such a beautiful sentiment. One needs to be aware of the fact that safety measures lie at the heart of building construction. Hence it would be wise to remain cautious about major accidental causes, even before they can take place. To enlighten you more about such disastrous situations, this article discusses further on the importance of maintaining home safety measures.

 Steps to follow during the construction phase 

Fire exit
Know the proper location of the stairs and fire exit of the building

It is possible to construct a building while ensuring full safety simply through preventing the possible causes of accidents. However engineering wise, it is not feasible to implement such measures which will alleviate all the risks involved. Hence along with preventive steps, it is also imperative to implement other home safety measures. 

  1. Adhere to the standards laid out by the National Building Code while raising a building. Once a structure is established tailoring to the safety measures, only then seek for approval. 
  2. The risks associated with a building can be mitigated if the layout of the building is properly followed and the right set of skillful people remain involved throughout the entire process. It would be wise to emphasize more on home safety measures instead of worrying about the cost. While planning the fire safety of a building, it would be best to consider someone who is highly experienced in this domain. 
  3. It is necessary to distinguishably set the different aspects of a building, like location of stairs, and fire exit and many others.
  4. Another major step towards ensuring home safety includes having sound knowledge regarding fire safety measures as advised by experts. 

Fire safety measures 

Fire Extinguisher
Place the fire extinguishers at a near and convenient place

The fire protection system of a building can be segregated into two ways: Active and Passive arrangements.  

Active Arrangements 

Under this system, certain devices are kept in the building which can detect fires autonomously. Besides, one should make sure the fire detection system is equipped with heat detection and smoke detection devices. These sort of devices send out warning signals right when a fire is detected. As a result, everyone can evacuate the building at the primary stage and minimize any sort of damage caused by the fire. The active arrangement also includes having fire extinguishers in the building along with sprinklers and hose pipes. This makes the process of putting out a fire even easier. One benefit of having a sprinkler system is that it automatically turns on, in order to get the situation under control.

Aside from forming a strong fire detection system, it is necessary to educate people regarding their usage. More importantly, children should not play with devices like fire extinguishers and it should also be placed at convenient locations for faster reach in times of emergency.

Passive Arrangements 

Passive arrangements deal with measures which are ingrained during building construction. It is solely done with the intention of ensuring more safety through controlling fire quickly and by controlling smoke emission. Considering such cases in mind, buildings consist of fire corridors and stairs where fire and smoke cannot reach easily. So during construction, special attention needs to be placed on having ample space on the fire exits and stairs. Besides, equipments which are more likely to ignite a fire should be kept aside. 

What needs to be done for controlling short circuits 

Short Circuit
Check the electrical connections every six months to avoid risks

In spite of making a safe and secure building, another common cause of accidents is electrical short circuits. Short circuits might be the cause of dangerous incidents, if ignored. In the context of Bangladesh, there are several records of such cases in both residential and commercial apartments. Hence, you also need to know about the issues which relate to the electrical connections of the building.

  1. One needs to be careful about the cables used for setting up the electrical connection. It is preferable to use high end products or branded cables in these cases. 
  2. Apart from the building designs, the cables which will be used inside the building walls or outside of it, should be according to what is suggested by the National Building Code. 
  3. One of the most important check ups involve managing the electrical short circuit. Many times, accidents might occur in a building due to lack of proper scrutiny of electrical connections. In order to avoid such risks, it is important to check all kinds of electrical connections every six months. 
  4. If you notice the temperature of the electric cable or the room temperature has gone up, address the matter immediately. Try to figure out the reason behind it as soon as possible in order to undertake home safety measures. 

How to avoid gas leakages

Stove
Do not forget to turn off the stove once you are done working

There are endless things to worry about when it comes to organizing a kitchen of our homes, be it rental or our own house. Amidst all of the decoration it is easy to forget the line located just beside the gas stove. One of the most crucial appliances you need in your home is a gas stove. Unfortunately this particular thing can be the root cause of severe accidents. Thus, in order to stick to the home safety measures pay attention to the factors mentioned below. 

  1. Try to have a spacious kitchen size and maintain hygiene factors. It is advisable to keep the kitchen windows open all the time, or at least while cooking.
  2. Once you are done with cooking, make sure the stove has been turned off properly. 
  3. Use better quality products when it comes to rubber tubes or hose pipes. Pour soap foam down the pipes to see if there is any leakage or not.
  4. While connecting the gas line, prefer someone who is experienced and skilled in this related field of work.
  5. The gas stove connection line also deserves a leakage check, at least once a year.
  6. If someone is using an LPG gas cylinder, which is gas free or unused, then they should turn off the knob of the regulator. At the same time, place the cylinder at least 2-3 meters away at a clean place in order to maintain safety. 
  7. Refrain from using curtains inside the kitchen, especially if it is close to the cooker or stove. Do not place kerosene or combustible material near the gas cylinder or the stove.
  8. Keep emergency phone numbers within reach to deal with emergencies. 
  9. To deal with emergency situations, keep safety equipment like gas detectors and fire extinguishers in your kitchen.  

It is quite understandable that one might feel reluctant and irritated while always being on their toes. That does not lessen the importance of your home safety at all. It does not even take a single moment to destroy one’s beautifully built home just because of incidents like fire, gas leakage and short circuit. It is better to be safe than sorry. While building a home, more emphasis should be given on how to reduce the possibility of such incidents, and then the destructive impacts of such situations in case if they arise. Remember, prevention is always better than cure.

Let us know in the comments section below about the steps  Which steps are you going to follow from today to build a safer home for your dear ones? Do you have other home safety measures to share? Let us know in the comment section below.

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