Top Tips on Fire Safety in the Home

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Safeguarding your home against the danger of fire is one of the most important things you can do for your family. Fires can occur from basic household activities like cooking with a gas flame, stoking a fuel-burning stove, or even just lighting a scented candle. They can also happen when we’re asleep or away from the home, as a result of an electrical fault or wildfire. While it’s not possible to eliminate all risks, there are a number of steps you can take to help protect your home from these emergencies.

Liberty Insurance have rounded up four critical fire-safety tips for every homeowner or occupier:

1. Install Fire Alarms

The most important step is to install smoke alarms on every floor of your home. Dublin City Council (DCC) recommends putting a smoke detector in each “escape route (corridor, landing, stairs etc), in each bedroom, and other high risk rooms like the living room, garage and utility room.” False alarms can happen in kitchens, so they advise installing a heat detector there too.

Some houses have smoke and heat alarms that are connected to the mains power, while others are battery operated; regardless of how they’re run, they should all be connected so if a fire is detected in one room, it’ll set off alarms throughout the house. This extra noise might make all the difference to your family if a fire occurs late at night. 

2. Test Alarms Regularly

When installing fire alarms, make sure you follow the instructions carefully, or even better, entrust an expert with the task. DCC recommends that they’re placed somewhere you can reach them easily and safely, so that you can test them weekly.

If they’re not working, replace the batteries or repair the connection without delay – don’t leave it on the long finger. It’s a good idea to keep extra batteries in the house (somewhere safe, where children can’t access them) so that you can ensure your alarms are fully functioning at all times.

3. Practice an Escape Plan

If a fire occurs, it can be a very frightening and bewildering experience, particularly at night time. Smoke can reduce visibility and fear can cause disorientation, even in your own home. Therefore, it’s very important that you formulate a fire escape plan and share it with your family.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has some very useful tips to include in your plan, such as keeping corridors and hallways clear and only opening the door that will help you exit the house. Once you’ve checked off all the items on the list, practice your escape plan with your family regularly, so that it becomes second nature. This will help them to keep a cool head and get out safely in the event of an emergency.

4. Keep Safe in the Kitchen

According to the USA’s National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries. Leaving pots, pans and fryers unattended is a major contributing factor, as is leaving oven mitts, tea towels or wooden spoons near the cooker.

Unfortunately chip-pan fires are still a common occurrence in Ireland, as cooking with oil is particularly hazardous. If oil does catch fire in your kitchen, use a fire blanket to put it out. Do not move the pan and never use water to extinguish the flames – this will only make a dangerous situation much worse.

5. Get Out, Stay Out

If a fire does occur in your home, the advice from all the experts is very simple: get out, stay out, and call for help. Fires can move very fast, and have devastating effects, so don’t delay and whatever you do, don’t re-enter the house. No personal possession is worth risking serious injury for. Once you have called for help, your local fire brigade will take over.

They are trained to put out fires safety and effectively – you can you trust them to deal with your emergency, and your insurer to help you with what comes next.

Liberty Insurance offer peace of mind as well as insurance policies. Find a home insurance quote today to help protect you if the unexpected happens.

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This article has been written and provided by Liberty Insurance. #ad

5 Changes to Make Your Home Work For You

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For many finding the perfect place to call home can be a stressful time. There are many things to consider such as location, space and no doubt a checklist of items each person in the family would love to feature in the home (and let's not even mention all the back and forth, delays, fees and legal stuff!). But once you find your dream home, that place you can settle down in, its a pretty good feeling right? 

But more often than not, when you find that home it may not tick all the boxes, the important thing to remember though is that changes, adaptions and work can be done to your home. It doesn't have to be perfect straight away, if you are willing to do a little work you can change a house that ticks most boxes to a dream home that ticks them all. 

Keep reading below to hear some of our suggestions on changes you can make to make your home work for you for years and years to come. 

The Benefits of Journaling for Children

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Keeping a journal is much like writing a diary, and is more beneficial than you might think for both adults and children. This is particularly true where mental health is concerned; it can be quite therapeutic to get one’s thoughts out on a page in an organised manner. Journaling is such a simple yet effective way of providing a safe space to let out your feelings (good and bad) and since it's so simple it makes it a great option for all ages. 

Helping Your Child to Become a Better Problem Solver

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Solving problems is something we have to learn to do from a very young age and it is something we continue to do for the rest of our lives. From simple problems as a toddler such as learning to move, grab and play to more complex problems as an adult, learning how to problem solve is a key skill. So it makes sense that learning problem solving skills early would be beneficial for any child, right?

 

One very important thing to remember is you should teach your child is how to solve problems in a healthy manner. Doing so will help them live more independently as well as become more confident in their abilities, not only this but they will be more likely to approach challenges with a more optimistic attitude. 

Wicked Uncle: Helping You Find the Perfect Gift Every Time

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Whether its for a birthday, Christmas or another special occasion, choosing the perfect gift can often feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to choosing gifts for children. Stores often have a huge amount of choices available and it can feel almost impossible to filter out what gifts are perfect for the recipient you have in mind. This can be especially true if you are buying for your children's school friend.

There are plenty of things to consider when choosing the perfect gift including age, likes & dislikes, relevance and also other things such as whether you are looking for an educational gift, practical gift or something totally fun. But fear not, whilst the stores may feel overwhelming there are ways you can make the whole process a lot easier. 

Top Tips for Helping Your Child Become More Independent

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It is only natural for children to rely on their parents for many things, particularly when they are younger. But as time goes on, you may begin to notice that they will start to crave more independence, which is a natural part of growing up. It might hurt you to see your child pulling away from you a little, but it’s really important for the development. In fact, it’s something that you should try and actively encourage when you feel the time is right, this will of course differ for all children though. 

Here are some tips from a pre-school in Lincoln that you might find useful if your child is looking for a little more independence. 

Father's Day - 5 Low Cost Ways to Make it Special

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Fathers Day falls on Sunday 19th June this year (it always falls on the 3rd Sunday of June) and many will be looking at how they can show their dads, step dads, grandads and other men who may be in their lives, just how special they are. Whilst I agree that it shouldn't just be all about showing that love for one day, it should be something be do all year round, its always nice to have a day dedicated to them and all they do. A chance to say thank you, to surprise them with something nice or just a day to encourage you to tell them just how much they mean to you. 

There are many ways you can show the men in your life just how much they mean to you this Fathers Day (and they don't all have to cost an arm and a leg either!). In this post I am sharing 5 ways in which you could make this Fathers Day extra special, so if you are stuck for ideas or want some inspiration, keep on reading below. 

How to Make the Most of a Small Bedroom - Making it Work for you

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Most homes will have a "smaller" bedroom, especially in homes with 3 or more bedrooms. These are often turned into nurseries or office spaces, but what happens when you need that space for a proper bedroom? Small bedrooms may work great for young children, but teenagers and adults often want and need more space. But fear not, just because a room may be on the small side it doesn't mean it can't still make a great bedroom, its just about thinking more carefully how you plan things out. 

Sadly, we can’t make a bedroom more significant without knocking through walls and extending, but we can measure up furniture correctly and boost storage giving the feel and look of more space whilst the room remains practical. 

With that being said, here are some tips on how to make the most out of a small bedroom: