Your home should be the one place where you and your children will be protected from harm. Young children can spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, so a healthy home environment is critical—and yet many hazards aren’t obvious. Experts advise that despite taking precaution and various safety and security tips, families should consider purchasing a Home Owners Insurance cover. Accidents occur often at home even with safety tips in place and in most cases these are accidents we don’t expect. It is in such scenarios that a homeowner’s insurance cover becomes of importance. This insurance solution enables you as a homeowner or tenant to enjoy the benefits of several policies in a single package.
It is offered only on buildings that are occupied solely as private dwelling houses and is usually subject to terms and conditions. Some of the benefits of having Homeowner Insurance include:
1. Coverage for the building against loss resulting from – Fire, Lightning, Earthquake, Storm, Flood, Accidental impact to the building, Bursting or overflowing of water tanks, Escape of water from storage facilities, Falling trees, Riot and strike, Explosion from domestic gas cylinders and Impact from aircrafts or other aerial devices
2. The cover also provides insurance against loss or damage to furniture, electronics, cutlery, crockery and all other contents of all description against losses resulting from the peril in buildings.
3. It also covers for personal items i.e loss or damage to the following specified personal effects against all risks, unless those personal effects are specifically excluded: camera, mobile phones, laptops, jewelry, ipads, L.E.D and plasma TVs, Electrical installations e.g. DSTV, alarm systems e.t.c
4. The above mentioned are just but the major benefits of purchasing the Home Owners Insurance Cover. Apart from that, it is important to take pre-caution and input various safety tips for a safe home. Examples of these safety tips include:
5. Keep medicines, vitamins, cleaning supplies, and other poisons in locked cabinets. Children can’t tell the difference between medicine and candy.
6. If your child swallows something he or she shouldn’t, call a poison control center right away. Keep the telephone number by your phone.
7. Houseplants should be placed out of your child’s reach. Some houseplants are poisonous. Call your local poison control center to find out if your plants are poisonous.
8. Use toddler gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Do not use gates with big spaces between the slats – children can get trapped in the openings.
9. Place door knob covers on doors that lead to the garage, basement, attic, or outdoors. This will help prevent your child from going where he or she shouldn’t go.
10. Keep children away from windows to prevent falls. Screens are made to keep bugs out – not to keep children in. Use window guards to keep children from falling. Keep chairs and other furniture away from windows so children can’t climb up. If possible, open windows from the top, not the bottom.
11. Anchor furniture to walls. This will prevent it from tipping over if your child climbs on it. All large furniture, such as bookcases, dressers, and TVs not mounted on the wall, should be anchored. Visit your local hardware store for safety-strap kits. If you purchase new furniture that comes with safety straps, install them right away.
Other helpful tips:
- Use plastic inserts to cover electric outlet openings that are not being used.
- Keep guns and other firearms out of the house. If guns are in the house, unload them, put them in a locked place, and keep the keys out of your child’s reach. Store the gun in a separate place from the bullets.
- When your baby is placed on anything above the ground, like a changing table, always stand close with your hand on your baby.
