Unlock 6 secrets to make your home safer

If you have young ones, you have to cater to their curious minds. Although it’s great that they are eager to explore, they could also be at risk.

Safe space

Look around your home and see where you need to put barriers to stop your child from getting into harm’s way. Spaces such as the kitchen and bathroom can be full of hazards. Food prep involves knives and cooking with “wok hei” calls for an open fire, while the bathroom floor may be wet and slippery. Consider installing safety gates at the entrance of the kitchen and bathroom, at the top and bottom of stairs, and the balcony.

When choosing grilles for windows or doors, make sure they are narrow enough so that your child cannot squeeze in between the gaps.

While toddlers may be unsteady on their feet and young ones like jumping around, you can make sure they have a soft landing. You can put bumper guards on furniture corners so there are no sharp edges, or line an area with foam playmats and keep them safe.

Safe touch

Everything is new to the young ones and their hands help them discover new textures and sensations. They can touch, point, grasp or pull – signs of their growth and development which are delightful but also worrying. Use plug socket covers to prevent your child from sticking their fingers into the electrical sockets. To make sure little fingers don’t get caught if the door slams shut, you can put pinch guards or door stoppers.

Loose ends

Cords and cables left lying loose could become dangerous if the child decides to play with them. Electrical cable organisers can tuck away potentially dangerous cables, while cords for curtains and blinds should be neatly coiled and placed out of reach.

With ageing, your parents or senior loved ones become less mobile and less steady. They also shrink in height. While they can strengthen their limbs and improve balance through physiotherapy and exercise, there are some measures you can take to make the physical space safer.

Hold on

While the elderly can use a walker or cane to move about the home, grab bars can help steady them, especially when changing from a sitting to standing position. As the bathroom floor could be slippery, grab bars would help the elderly manage better. Lowering one’s center of gravity also lessens the risk of falling, so using a shower seat would be helpful.

Covering ground

When assessing home safety, consider the floor. While some tiles may be lovely to look at, they could pose a risk if they are smooth and slippery. Do clear the floor of wiring and rugs which might cause a slip.

Reach up

As seniors’s bodies shrink, it gets harder for them to reach high shelves and wall switches. You might have to help them re-organise their cabinets and cupboards, so that items which are more often used are within easy reach. If lowering plug points or switches require major work, an easier fix would be to use extension cords – neatly tucked in place, of course!

Personal mobility devices (PMDs) and power-assisted bicycles (PABs) are great for helping us get around. But be aware that their batteries can catch fire through a number of ways: if you continue charging when the battery is full or damaged, or if you use charging equipment that didn’t come with the device.

Avoid charging your devices when you are absent or asleep. This way, if anything untoward happens, you can take action quickly.

A clutter-free home is a safer home. Stacks of stuff (eg. cardboard, clothes) can feed a fire. While cooking activities were the leading cause of fires in homes, there is a 40.5% increase in fires involving discarded items, vegetation or vehicles.

How to reduce your risk? Throw or give away what you don’t need. A rule of thumb is if you haven’t used an item in the last 6 months, chances are, you won’t be using it anytime soon.

Mishaps can happen in the blink of an eye. That’s why it’s important to keep corridors and walkways clear, in case rescue workers, paramedics and firefighters need quick access, with wide enough space for their equipment. Being a good neighbour works both ways. No matter whose unit needs rapid response, helping each other will improve the chances of rescue and recovery.

Even with all the safety features in place, accidents can still happen. Enjoy the sense of security of being covered by MSIG Enhanced HomePlus® should there be an accident or disaster.

Coverage for your living space and contents

While fire insurance is compulsory with a HDB loan, fire insurance only covers the physical structure of your property. With home insurance, you are insured for renovations or improvements to your home, such as flooring, walls and doors, and any loss or damage to your belongings, such as furniture, home appliances, personal computers, books, toys, clothing, and footwear. Should these be destroyed by fire or flood, replacing them can cost a hefty sum. Alleviating the financial burden with MSIG Enhanced HomePlus® with coverage of up to $270,000 (Ultimate Plan).

Tiding you over

Depending on the damage to your home, it might not be feasible for you to return immediately. MSIG Enhanced HomePlus® offers additional benefits, including alternative accommodation while you wait for your home to be sorted or loss of rent if your property is tenanted out. You might also need professional help in removing the debris at the site. Not forgetting that having some emergency cash for buying essentials and personal effects is always helpful. MSIG Enhanced HomePlus® even pays for the monthly service fee and conservancy charges during the period that your home is uninhabitable.

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