If you’ve just recently moved out and started living independently, then congratulations! Living alone requires the maturity to handle financial matters, interact with new people, and, most important of all, to keep yourself safe.
No one is going to look after you but yourself. Thus, you need to pay extra attention to your living environment and your daily routine as well. Here are essential pointers to prevent accidents when you’re living independently.
Save important contacts.
If you have underlying health conditions, the hotline of emergency medical services in your area, whether it’s in Bali or New York, must be saved on your phone or taped on your fridge door in case of medical emergencies or any accident.
Other essential contacts include the fire department, the police station, an electrician, and even a plumber. Ideally, you should also have an emergency contact who knows about your living conditions and resides in the same city or town.
Scrutinize your surroundings.
After moving, you may want to spend the first couple of days examining the building or going around the block if you live in an unknown neighborhood.
Check for emergency exits and fire escapes. Purchase a fire extinguisher and a carbon monoxide detector. Ensure that everything is up to code and ask your landlord or the homeowner’s association about common safety hazards in your new place or neighborhood. Also, try to memorize where the nearest police presence is.
Assemble a basic first aid kit.
Construct an emergency kit that has the following: sterile gauze dressings and plasters in different sizes, clean rubber gloves, tweezers, scissors, sanitary alcohol, and distilled water.
You can also add rash cream and antiseptic cream, paracetamol or ibuprofen, cough medicine, antihistamine cream or tablets, and of course, a first aid manual. Store the kit somewhere safe and accessible.
Unplug when unattended.
The most basic rule of electrical safety when you’re living alone is to switch off everything that you’re not currently using. There’s no one to leave them running for anymore, so shift your habits and save energy as well.
When you’re leaving for more than a couple of hours, shut off the appropriate circuits in your main power breaker. If you’re leaving for longer than that, then just switch the main breaker altogether.
Avoid domestic distractions.
Living alone, you might be obliged to juggle many things at once, which might cause you to leave some safety hazards unattended.
If you left a gas stove running to send an e-mail or left a clothes iron on to make a phone call, then you’re inadvertently increasing the threat of fires or short circuits. Just commit to one task at a time.
Don’t open up to strangers.
Living alone, you might be making yourself as the target for burglars because they deem you or your property more vulnerable. Keep an eye out for suspicious figures, and don’t let anyone in too soon. It’s best to befriend one neighbor to help look after your home when you’re at work and be updated on changes in the vicinity that you may not be aware of.
With independence comes various potential safety threats outside your field of vision, so stay vigilant. Strive to be a friendly figure in the area and engage with community affairs as much as possible to stay informed.
