The iPhone has many applications that let you view Web cams from around the world, but what about turning your phone into a remote camera of its own? A new app called IP Camera does just that. This $1.99 tool takes a photo from your iPhone’s camera every 12 to 15 seconds, then posts it to a local Web page that can be accessed from other computers on the same network.
All that’s needed for setup is to make sure your phone is on Wi-Fi, then to jot down the special local HTTP address it gives you. It will keep running until you quit the application manually or get a phone call; although like any good iPhone app it starts right back up when you’re done with a call.

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Liberty Mutual’s “Be Fire Smart” site is a great resource for fire safety information, presented in a fun and interactive way. There are separate sections for parents, teachers, and children - covering a variety of fire-safety and prevention topics. On the site you will find information on planning fire escape routes, tips for preventing fires, and other home safety information - most of it interactive or using video.

There are also fun ways to teach kids about fire safety, including:

• Download and print the Be Fire Smart coloring book.
• Learn what all of the firefighting gear is called, and what it is used for.
• Play a game called “How Fast Can You Spot Trouble”.

If you are a parent, be sure to review this information yourself to make sure you know how to keep your home and family safe from fire. Use the teaching tools to help your kids understand important safety tips.  

If you are a teacher, they have a wide variety of teaching materials available to you, including complete lesson plans for fire safety awareness.

Great Site! Way to go Liberty Mutual!

More than 9 million children between birth and age 19 are seen for injuries each year in U.S. emergency departments, and injuries are the leading cause of death among children in this age group.

During Home Safety Month —and all year—take some simple hands-on steps to make your home safer. You can protect the ones you love by preventing child injuries at home.

Learn more about it here.

Here’s a great group of tips from Gillian Grigor at grandparentscafe.com:

Front path and steps

• Make sure that the paths to the house are even, no major cracks, roots or rocks.
• Keep steps and paths clear of snow and ice.
• Check the stairs - no holes or uneven concrete.
• Hand rails, both sides if possible.
• Path and front entrance well lit. Movement-detector lights work well.

Entrance, Hallways and Stairs

• Declutter - make sure that shoes are put away and outdoor clothes hung up. If there are children, teach them to put their toys away.
• Lighting - halls and stairs should be well lit. A night light in the hall between bedroom and bathroom is vital.
• Take up any loose mats that could be a tripping hazard.
• Check that stair rails are secure.

Bedrooms

• No loose mats or rugs
• Make room around the bed, especially if your elderly Mom or Dad uses a walker.
• Have an easy to reach lamp by the bed. If it is awkward to reach the lamp, a sound activated (”clap-on - clap-off”) lamp will help.
• A phone beside the bed.
• For folks stiff with arthritis or others who may feel light-headed when they first stand up, a bed assist handle is a great help in preventing falls.
• Again, keep the area around the bed as clutter-free as possible.

Bathroom

• Where possible install wall bars at the end (tap end) of the bathtub and one on the far wall. A wall bar beside the toilet may also help.
• Some all in one piece, preformed tub surrounds should not have wall bars added. Clamp-on tub grips, or a floor-to-ceiling pole next to the tub can be used.
• Use non-slip mats in the tub or shower.
• A tub or shower stool is useful for those with poor balance.
• Any medications should be clearly marked. A dosette or blister pack will make it easy to keep track that the medications are taken as prescribed.

Living Room

• Remove loose rugs and mats
• Make sure that there is room for a walker if one is used - coffee tables often have to be moved out of the way.
• Avoid rocking/swivelling chairs
• Loose electrical cords are a tripping hazard. Route them away from traffic areas where possible, or use duct tape to fix them to the floor.
• A portable telephone is safer than a fixed phone. Many falls occur when people are rushing to answer the phone. Keep the handset nearby at all times, putting it back in its charger beside the bed overnight.
• Have good lighting, easy to reach switches.

Kitchen

• Make sure that essential utensils are easy to reach
• Use a sturdy step stool to reach higher cupboards
• Have a smoke alarm and be sure to check the batteries regularly
• If your older person has fairly severe memory loss, it may be necessary to limit their cooking or even unplug the stove.
• See that any spills are quickly wiped up.

 
Author Gillian Grigor is the proud grandmother of two 9 year olds and a new grandbaby boy. For more grandparenting ideas, you can visit her website:http://www.grandparentscafe.com - This site offers information on grandparent’s rights, distance grandparenting, seniors health, as well as photos, stories, games, and more.
 

Some 280 pre-kindergartners from Saline, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and surrounding areas will learn comprehensive safety skills this summer at Safety Town at Houghton Elementary School in Saline.

The 4- and 5-year-olds will attend multimedia sessions and participate in hands-on activities two hours a day for nine days…

…The program, which has been conducted for 25 years, is a joint project of Saline Area Schools and the Saline Police Department.

At Tuesday’s session, students were taken in groups through the “Smoke House,” a trailer set up like a home with bedroom where a nontoxic liquid creates a harmless “smoke” in the space. The exercise is to teach children how to respond to a fire.

Children learn the importance of crawling on all fours. The bedroom door becomes hot - a signal that they must exit some other way. In this case, the exit route is down the ladder outside the bedroom window, with adults assisting the climb down.

Find out more about Safety Town here.

With the economic downturn we are seeing the rise in home burglary.  According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics, an American home is broken into about every 15 seconds and a homeowner loses an average of nearly $2,000 in possessions and damages

It is said that every home is a potential target.  With that in mind ADT has listed several tips to prevent your home from becoming burglarized:

• Make sure all hedges and shrubs are trimmed and not covering windows. Overgrown bushes and trees close to your house can be good hiding places and also are an indication that you may be away from home. However, thorny bushes beneath windows can be a deterrent.
• Keep areas in and around the home well lit. A dark property is more attractive to burglars - most will choose not to enter a house that is well lit. Consider installing motion sensor lights outdoors and putting indoor lights on a timer. Also, install lights on other outdoor buildings, such as sheds or garages.
• Always lock all windows and doors when you leave home. According to the Burglary Prevention Council, most home burglaries occur during the day, when people are away at work or school. Practice and remind your family to always close and lock all doors and windows when leaving the house unattended.
• Never hide keys around the exterior of your home. Thieves look in mailboxes, under doormats and above doorways for keys. Do not make it easy for them to get into your home. If you will be out of town on vacation, leave emergency house keys with a trusted neighbor or consider a lock box if you must leave keys outside.
• Never put your name on your mailbox or record your name on your answering machine. Thieves look for any information they can find to gain easier access. Only put the house number on your mailbox and door and say you are “unavailable to answer the phone” on the answering machine without stating your name. By turning down your phone ringer, thieves will not hear calls go unanswered - a sign no one is home.
• Consider a monitored burglar alarm system. A recent Rutgers University study found that alarm systems are an effective deterrent, making a home less attractive to intruders. Make sure your burglar alarm system includes a loud inside alarm, detectors at all exterior doors and motion sensors in bedrooms and main living areas. Most insurance companies also offer a discount of up to 20 percent on homeowner’s policies when you install a monitored alarm.

“Right now we have the summer burglary season colliding with more desperate economic times. That makes it even more important than ever for homeowners to take steps to protect their most precious possessions - family and home.”

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children encourages families to “Take 25“, to sit down with your children for just 25 minutes - talking to kids about ways to be safer. On their site you can find educational materials for parents, and tips on how to talk with your kids about these sensitive subjects.

They offer 25 tips to help you get the conversation started, including:

1. Teach your children their full names, address, and home telephone number. Make sure they know your full name.
2. Make sure your children know how to reach you at work or on your cell phone.
3. Teach your children how and when to use 911 and make sure your children have a trusted adult to call if they’re scared or have an emergency.
4. Instruct children to keep the door locked and not to open the door to talk to anyone when they are home alone. Set rules with your children about having visitors over when you’re not home and how to answer the telephone.
5. Choose babysitters with care. Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbors. Once you have chosen the caregiver, drop in unexpectedly to see how your children are doing. Ask children how the experience with the caregiver was and listen carefully to their responses.

Take 25 was started to commemorate National Missing Children’s Day on May 25th. First proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, the day serves as an annual reminder to the nation to renew efforts to reunite missing children with their families, remember those who are still missing, and make child protection a national priority. It’s a time of reflection and renewed hope for millions of families in communities across the country.

Additional Resources:

• Child Safety Resources for Parents & Guardians
• NetSmartz - Help keep your children safe online.

Take 25 minutes to visit the site right now.

“Mr. Yuk” was conceived in 1971 as the mascot for the poison control center at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The original design was created by Wendy (Courtney) Brown, a grade-school student at a school near Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital.

As part of a contest held by the poison center, Wendy drew the now-familiar face, along with a stick-figure body that was not included in the finished sticker design. Her design won, and Wendy was compensated for her time and talent with a prize: a tape recorder. Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital now owns all exclusive rights to the Mr. Yuk design. It appears on small green stickers that can be affixed to any container of poisonous substance.

The Mr. Yuk stickers are bold and obvious. Mr. Yuk does not include details of the poisonous attributes of the contents. The logo itself is intended to be enough to dissuade children from ingesting the poisons.

You can request a free sheet of Mr. Yuk stickers by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to this address:

Mr. Yuk
Pittsburgh Poison Center 
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street
BIR 010701
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

http://www.chp.edu/CHP/mryuk

There are additional poison-prevention-education materials available at the Mr. Yuk web-store.

“As children spend more time at home during summer break, parents should ask themselves if they are doing everything they can to keep kids safe at home,” said Anne-Marie Rouse, with ADT Security Services. “It’s easy to get into vacation mode and forget about home dangers that put kids at risk.”

Falls are the most common home hazard, especially for seniors. Falls account for 25% of all hospital admissions, and 40% of all nursing home admissions 40% of those admitted do not return to independent living; 25% die within a year. (Source: LearnNotToFall.com)

“You can’t underestimate the danger of falls - especially for older people” says Martin Simenc, president and CEO of Home Safety Services. “A fall can be a life changing event, often preventing someone from living at home again.”

The CDC recommends that older adults can take several steps to protect their independence and reduce their risk of falling. They can:

a. Exercise regularly; exercise programs like Tai Chi that increase strength and improve balance are especially good.

b. Ask their doctor or pharmacist to review their medicines–both prescription and over-the counter–to reduce side effects and interactions.

c. Have their eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year.

d. Improve the lighting in their home.

e. Reduce hazards in their home that can lead to falls.

Expert recommend installing grab bars in the shower and bathtub, using bathing seats instead of standing in the shower, eliminating throw rugs altogether, and keeping hallways clear and well lit.

A medical alert system should be considered. More than three-quarters take place either inside or in close proximity to the home, where a medical alert system can be of immediate assistance.

Source: NotWeb Network

Every year, around 1.6% of American households embark on a key home improvement plan. Only two other loan application desires are more popular than home improvement projects requests. With the rise in home-improvement cases, accidents and injuries have also increased. In this article lets review the use of ladders as they are one of the most usable equipment in almost all the home improvement project whether commercial or residential.

Whether in use inside or outside, tools and equipment must be dependable and operated safely. Reliable gear is essential to safety management. Confidence in the equipment is critical. Many home improvement projects require the use of a ladder. When using a ladder in the project consider the following features.

The ladder should be in compliance with OSHA standards. If the ladder does not comply with OSHA, it should be eliminated as a ladder choice. With the OSHA rules in place it is possible to minimize the number of accidents that take place using the ladders.

Use a ladder prepared for the quantity of weight being applied. Never load the ladder beyond the manufacturer?s specifications for weight capacity. Verify the weight capacity before purchasing a ladder. Consider the weight of the person using the ladder as well as the load to be carried by that person…

Read the rest…

Source: The Expositor

Despite climbing unemployment and a struggling economy, there is one industry doing quite well during these troubled times.

“It’s a proven fact that burglaries go on the rise when the economy starts to go down,” said Darren McCallum, a security consultant with Security One Alarm.

While that may be true, it’s not a trend that London police are seeing locally.

“We have not seen a dramatic spike in break and enter statistics recently,” said Const. Amy Phillipo. “We have seen a slight increase so far this year, compared to last year.”

Read the rest…

Source: Home Security News Blog

In Washington County in Western Maryland, more than 1,200 residents who bought home security systems from unlicensed APX salespeople last year are eligible for refunds. This is all part of a settlement between the state’s Attorney General’s Office and Salt Lake City, Utah based APX Alarm. The government claims APX had door-to-door salespeople working and selling systems in Washington County that were not licensed.

In Maryland, alarm companies and individual salespeople must be licensed, but APX representative Nathan Wilcox told The Herald Mail that company officials didn’t realize area salespeople did not have licenses. Never the less, the AG’s office says that last summer, APX salespeople circulated throughout neighborhoods and were pushy and at times would lie about area crime statistics.

Here are some of the complaints. Sheriff Douglas Mullendore said this of APX salespeople’s actions, “kind of pushing the door and walking in uninvited.” Meanwhile, one local state politician, Christopher Shank, said on APX salesperson would not leave his property. While, a few other residents complained that salespeople came and knocked on their door at night.

Read the rest…

1. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside every sleeping area. Test them monthly. If your smoke alarms are ten years old or more, replace them. If you build or remodel your home, install fire sprinklers.

2. Develop a fire escape plan for your family: Point out two exits from each room, pick a meeting spot outside, and hold a fire drill at least twice a year.

3. Always stay in the kitchen while food is cooking on the stove.

4. Keep all stairways, paths, and walkways well lit. Use railings.

5. Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls, and use a non-slip mat or adhesive safety strips inside bathtubs and showers.

6. Post the National Poison Control Hotline number (1-800-222-1222) and other emergency numbers next to
every phone in your home.

7. Install child locks on all cabinets used to store dangerous items such as poisons, matches, and lighters. Install carbon monoxide alarms.

8. Keep your water heater setting at 120°F or less.

9. Install four-sided pool fencing with self-locking and selfclosing gates. Fencing should completely isolate the pool from the home and be at least five feet high.

10. Constantly supervise children in or near bodies of water such as pools, ponds, bathtubs, toilets, and buckets.

Source: Smart Homeowner 

Last year, Fireside completed construction on a three-level, 4,000-square-foot timber-frame home that became the first residence in Michigan to achieve Platinum-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. That’s the highest level of certification available for homes under the U.S. Green Building Council’s popular green-building rating system.

The home, dubbed Burnside’s Inn, incorporates many of the latest energy-efficient systems and green building products. It features a custom timber-frame structure designed by Marty Birkenkamp of Riverbend Timber Framing, located in nearby Blissfield, Mich., in the southeastern region of the state. Building systems such as ICFs (insulating concrete forms) and SIPs (structural insulated panels) were used to construct the home. In addition, it has a geothermal heating and cooling system, as well as a stand-alone solar energy system. The result is an energy-efficient demonstration home Burnside uses to tout the benefits of building green…

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The Bed Bunker is a 1300lb modular secure lockbox that fits under your mattress by replacing the boxspring. Available in a variety of bed sizes, the fireproof safe is secured via a tamper proof mul-t-lock locking system. $2700-$5200.

Source: CityNews.ca

…In case you haven’t heard about this latest worm making the rounds in the PC world, it’s a program which some believe could have the ability to infect as many as 15 million computers around the planet - or none, depending on who you’re listening to.

The virus is supposedly set to go off on April 1st - the day for fools - but no one seems to know exactly what its purpose might be.

Reports have warned it could allow hackers to get access to personal files, turn your machine into a spam zombie, uncontrollably sending out thousands of ads to others, or be used as part of a ‘denial of service’ attack on a big site. Those occur when thousands or even millions of computers try to reach the same site at the same time, knocking it offline…

Read the rest…

(source: Denver Post)

Sales of home security safes have multiplied as homeowners worry about an increase in crime tied to the economic downturn and as confidence in banks and financial institutions wavers.

Several Denver security companies are reporting that sales of home security safes have doubled since the recession deepened last fall.

“With the economy not doing as well, people are scared of theft and are concerned about their house getting broken into,” said Jennifer Wickhorst, an administrator with Englewood Lock and Safe. “Women want to lock up their jewelry, and people are using security safes for passports, checks and anything with personal information on it.”

Paul Rossman with the Arapahoe County Security Center said security businesses

“Anytime there’s an economy problem, crime rates go up and our business goes up. When things are bad, things are good with us,” Rossman said. “We’re really selling a lot of safes, and we have a hard time getting them in here. There’s a lot of demand and very little supply.”

The increase is mostly due to safes being purchased for homes, said Lenny Guida, who owns Master Security Center in Denver, which has doubled its safe sales in recent months.

“Usually, residential households mainly purchase gun safes, but now it’s home security safes,” Guida said. “The security safes they’re buying are typically lower end. People aren’t spending a ton, maybe $200 to $250 and up to about $400.”

Although customers are typically tight-lipped about why they need a safe, Rossman said, sales are frequently driven by low confidence in banks and safe deposit boxes.

That was the case for a Castle Rock woman, who declined to be named, who with her husband bought a $350 safe in November from Amazon.com.

Though the couple realize a major bank failure is unlikely, they’ve decided to secure a week’s worth of cash in the event of a disaster, she said.

“We initially thought about purchasing a safe to keep our birth certificates and passports somewhere safe and fireproof, but then we started to get more serious about it as we watched the economy,” she said. “Some of these big banks started to fail, and it became a reality for the first time in my life that I might not be able to get cash out of the ATM.

“It keeps you prepared for the unforeseeable, which has become a lot more foreseeable.”

(Source: Yuma Sun)

On occasion when emergency responders receive a 911 call and arrive at the residence, the person who made that call may be physically unable to answer the door, which may be locked. 

  In that case, responders must break a door or window to gain access, causing property damage that will only amount to an added expense for the person who made the call. But thanks to a new federal grant, a pilot program installing Knox boxes on certain homes may be changing all that in the near future in the Yuma area.

  “This program will allow us quick access to homes that have ‘at risk’ clients in them,” said Jill Harrison, director of the Western Arizona Council of Governments. “Because we provide various in-home services such as in-home meals to the elderly that are living alone, we have already identified those people who may be most in need of this service.”

  The Knox Box is make by the Knox Co. in Phoenix.

  Harrison stressed that none of the Knox boxes has been installed, but they soon will be ordered and then installed by local fire departments, free of charge to the client.

   “A Knox Box is a small simple lockbox that either attaches to the home or to the door,” she said, “much the same as real estate companies use. A key to the home can be left inside and only the local fire department has a key that will fit the lockboxes in their area. It is very safe and secure.”

  Currently, the Area Agency on Aging, a division of WACOG, is cooperating with six local fire districts in coordinating the ordering and installation process. Those six fire districts are the Kingman Fire Department, Bullhead City Fire Department, Northern Arizona Consolidated Fire Department, Quartzsite Fire Department, Yuma Fire Department and Yuma Rural/Metro Fire Department.

  Each department will receive 50 of the Knox Boxes to be loaned to senior citizens to increase their security.

  “One of the things we like best about this program is that we can use the same lockboxes over and over in different locations,” said Harrison. “So if someone moves, we can use that lockbox at another location.”

  According to Harrison, funding came from the Older Americans Act and the National Caregiver Support Program.

  “We’re referring to this as a pilot program, but we also recognize that we might only get funded for this program one time, so we’re trying to use the money as efficiently as possible. The Knox lockboxes cost between $150 to $160 each, depending upon whether it is the type that must be mounted on the house or simply attached to the door.”

  Harrison said there are other benefits to the program as well as the increased security for senior citizens living alone.

  “We’re building a really effective series of partnerships through this program and that can carry over into other areas in the future that we can’t even see today.”

Security system thwarts copper thief.

When someone tried to steal copper coils from Knight Security Systems’ rooftop air conditioners last fall, CopperWatcher came to the rescue.

The small device, which ties into Knight’s alarm system, detected that two power breakers had been turned off and activated a siren and strobe light. The would-be thief fled.

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports the following toys which pose higher risks of injury or death.

Top Toy Hazards

• Scooters and Ridings Toys- The chance of serious injury increases for children not wearing helmets and other safety gear.
    
• Toys with Small Parts- Most parents are aware of the danger of small parts on toys that can pose a choking hazard for smaller children. It is important to buy age appropriate toys and to make sure older children keep their toys out of reach from their younger siblings.
    
• Balloons- Do not let children under 8 play with or have access to un-inflated or broken balloons as they pose a choking hazard if swallowed.
    
• Magnets- Many popular toy manufacturers use small magnets as components of toy sets. Magnets pose a serious danger if swallowed as they can stick to each other across a bowel wall. This can lead to infection, surgery or even death. Note: Written warnings are not mandatory on toys containing magnets.
    
• Battery chargers and adapters- As it becomes harder and harder to find toys that don’t require batteries, the need for battery chargers and adapters has grown. When unsupervised by an adult children can be exposed to the risk of thermal burns.

Read the rest…

House alarm systems are available for a reason. If you have one, you are far less likely to be broken into and have all your valuables stolen.

The best house alarm systems work in a number of ways to protect your home. Some will be monitored by a company that can call the emergency services for you if necessary. Others will use heat detectors and other ways of identifying unwanted intruders when the alarm is set.

In short, house alarm systems can greatly reduce your chances of falling victim to a robbery of any kind. So make sure you are doing all you can to keep your home safe.

Read the rest…

What’s involved in a home baby-proofing project? Surprisingly enough, it’s pretty basic and most of it is common sense. Let’s do a quick room-by-room rundown, starting with the nursery or child’s room…

Baby-Proofing The Nursery :

• The Crib: Cribs must meet today’s safety standards set by the American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM). The crib mattress must fit snugly in the crib, leaving no gaps in between. If you can fit more than one finger between the mattress and the side rails, your mattress isn’t a good fit. Slats need to be 2 3/8 inches apart or less to prevent your baby from poking his head through. Finally, the crib shouldn’t have any decorative cutouts or elevated corner posts, as clothing could get caught on these. 
• Crib Bedding: While there are frequent disagreements as to whether crib bumpers should or shouldn’t be used, most pediatric organizations advise against using them altogether, citing them as a suffocation risk. To further reduce the risk of suffocation, it’s best to avoid soft bedding, pillows or excess blankets. 
• Changing Table: First and foremost, make sure that your changing table is sturdy. It should also have a safety strap and 2-inch guardrails on all sides to help prevent falls. 
• Window Cords: Don’t keep the baby’s crib near a window, especially if that window has blinds or chords of any kind as they create a significant risk for strangulation.

Read more tips here…

Risk assessment refers to the process of evaluating risks to workers safety and health from hazards at the workplace.

What is the purpose of a risk assessment?

Many laws relating to safety and health at work require an assessment of risks, but even without a legal requirement to perform an assessment, it is good practice to do so as it allows effective measures to be taken to protect workers health. The accident prevention process starts with the reduction and, where feasible, total elimination of potential risks, followed by the implementation of collective prevention measures and, in the final instance, personal protection solutions. By identifying the hazards and evaluating the risks, the employer, or person in control of the work should be able to:

» Take a decision as to the protective measures required, taking into account relevant legal requirements;

» Check whether the measures in place are adequate;

» Prioritise any further measures found to be required;

» Show that an informed judgement has been made on workers safety and health (e. g. to workers or to the regulatory authorities);

» See whether an improvement in the level of protection to workers has been achieved.

A risk assessment

A risk assessment should match the hazards, risks and potential harm. For example, a large chemicals plant is likely to have a very technical system of assessment, whereas a small enterprise carrying out low-risk activities needs a simple straightforward system.

The risk assessment should:

» Identify the hazards;

» Identify the workers potentially at risk from those hazards;

» Estimate the risks involved;

» Consider whether these risks can be eliminated, and if not;

» Make a judgement on additional measures needed (if any) to prevent or reduce the risks.

“Nutrition by Natalie” is a series of great videos by Natalie Bulter, RD, on YouTube that can really help you understand how food impacts your life. It’s presented in bite-sized bits and in an easy to understand format. We will be featuring these videos, and others like it, here at HomeSafe in the Food & Nutrition category.

If you want to watch more of Nutrition by Natalie, you can visit her website or check out the other videos available on her channel.

Now Playing: Why USA is Fat! America Diet Facts - Nutrition by Natalie