Home Safety
Your home or place of residence is an important place to keep safe and secure. In Perth, risks to your personal health and belongings in your home tend to be small. However, a risk is still a risk. These can be easily minimised with a few simple precautions or preventatives. Also, while not obvious, keeping the way you handle and eat your food clean and hygienic can save you down-time from getting sick or catching bugs from within your own home.
For those that live on-campus, Curtin Security provides an article on Student Housing Safety.
Safety in Your Home
- Have secure locks and security screens put on windows and doors. If you are looking for a place to rent, request these to be installed before taking occupancy.
- Secure your garage. If this is not possible, move items such as bikes inside the house.
- Keep the majority of your cash in the bank and store your jewellery in a safe place.
- Be sure to lock windows before you leave the house. If you wish to have them open while at home, ensure you can lock them in a position that someone cannot squeeze through the opening.
- Make sure you have and use a latch hook on the front door.
- Check the identities and reasons for calling of strangers before you open the door. If in doubt, ask them to wait outside while you phone their company to verify their authenticity.
- Keep names and addresses off key rings. It is better to lose a key than to lose a key that can be traced back to your house.
- Make sure that at night there is a light that works and shines on visitors coming to the front door.
- Ensure your lawns in garden are reasonably maintained.
- Get to know your neighbours. They can assist with looking out for your property and report any suspicious behaviour.
- Bring your shoes inside the front door, as leaving them outside can indicate to burglars whether you are home or not.
- Keep your valuables out of sight.
- Turn your lights on at night. Movement-activated security lights and timing lights are highly recommended.
- Arrange the curtains so that it is difficult for someone outside to see into your home.
- Only smoke when not in bed, preferably outside. Lit cigarettes are dangerous inside the house.
- Have safety alarms fitted throughout the house and remember to check the batteries regularly. Alarms generally have a test function which will allow you to test the battery quite easily.
- Keep a rechargeable torch within easy reach of your bed.
- Think about ways that you would evacuate your house if a fire was to start in it.
- Avoid connecting too many devices to one power outlet as this may cause an overload which could lead to a fire being started.
- Ensure all electrical equipment is safe and used for the purpose if was built for.
- If going out for the night, leave a light and radio on.
- Keep your keys to yourself - do not give them to strangers, including tradespeople.
- Hiding keys under plants and mats is an obvious first place for burglars to look.
- Wedging a door open can be risky in the event that you want to shut it quickly.
- Turn off heaters, fans and cooking implements before leaving the house.
- Report broken or faulty locks to the landlord immediately and request they be fixed as soon as possible.
- Keep all heaters and fans away from bedding, clothing and curtains.
- Ensure all cables on appliances are in good working order and are not frayed.
Food Safety
- Keep cooked meats and raw meats separate, whether in the shopping bag or the refrigerator.
- Use separate chopping boards for vegetables and meat.
- Store raw meat on a plate in the fridge. This will stop leaking blood and other liquid from coming into contact with other food.
- Clean your fridge out regularly.
- Use the oldest products first to avoid using food that has passed its Use By date.
- Always wash your hands before handling food. This works more effectively with hot water and soap.
- Keep your fridge at 4.5°C (40°F) or below.
- Even if you plan to peel vegetables or fruit before eating them, it is always advisable to wash them first.
- Wash all utensils and chopping boards with hot soapy water.
- If you have a power failure, check produce stored in the refrigerator before using.
- Keep the door of the refrigerator closed for as long as possible during a power failure so that it will help retain the cold air longer.
