Scio Machine

The way in which to handle situations which could reasonably be expected to result in panic is to have a plan of action firmly fixed in your mind already, so that in the event, you only have to follow routine. This is how people are taught in the military and in rescue organizations. They have procedures and routines and they practice them until they become second nature.

This is not so simple in a domestic situation especially with regard to a house fire – you cannot realistically pretend that you have a house fire and you cannot merely set fire to bits of it either, so the next best thing is to possess a checklist to prevent fires happening and to go through the checklist on a regular basis – say, weekly.

Many house fires begin in the kitchen, so you could start there:

1] Is the oven clean? The rings and the oven need to be clean or the debris can catch fire.

2] Are the curtains so long that they can become blown onto a hot ring if the window is open? This is a frequent cause of kitchen fires, particularly if you hang new curtains in the winter or spring but do not realize that the wind can blow them into the rings until the summer while you open the windows

3] Are the flexes on your electrical devices all right? Check for fraying or wear and tear. Are any of the electrical sockets overloaded? It is not a good idea to use adapters in the kitchen – stick to the principle of one plug in one socket and a pretty good habit is to unplug anything you are not using, even the kettle or the coffee percolator

The home’s heating system is a fire risk, after all it is meant to be hot, so check it:

1] All heaters ought to be switched off while there is no one to keep an eye on them, with the exception of central heating. Turn bar fires off if you go out or go to bed and always fix a guard in front of open fires if you leave the room. ‘Fix’ a guard with clips, do not only stand one in front of the fire because a falling log or lump of coal can knock a guard over.

2] Can curtains or other fabrics blow into the fire or get heated to the purpose of combustion? Occasionally, crowd pull their seat or couch up to the fire yet fall asleep or go to bed leaving the seat to heat up.

3] Is the chimney clean? Soot can and does catch fire so have your chimney cleared or inspected regularly.

4] Similarly with the furnace, is it clean but soot-free?

5] If you use gas, are the bottles stored outside the house?

5) Has the furnace been cleaned and inspected this year?

6) Are the propane tanks but fuels stored outside the house?

Then there are general points:

1] Do you have a house fire safety evacuation drill? Do you have a muster purpose, so that everybody knows that everyone is out of the house but safe?

2] Are electric leads, cables and extension leads in good condition? Do you have any under carpets? If so, you ought to not actually, so check them for wear.

3] Are any sockets overloaded? Are all devices that are not in use unplugged?

4] Do you have smoke detectors? Do you check that they are working? Do you have a spare battery in case one fails?

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on several topics, but is now concerned with Oakley safety glasses. If you would like to know more, please visit our site at Safety Glasses Bifocal

Technorati Tags: equipment, family, fire, health, home, home improvement, other, products, recreation, rescue, safety, security, technology, Uncategorized

Security is an essential aspect of life, but then it always has been. It is normal for parents to do their best to take care of their families and it is normal and even a legal requirement for an employer to ensure the safety of his or her staff. Part of the way we carry out these duties is to secure the environment in which we live and work – our homes and our offices or other places of work.

A proper security system for our homes and businesses is usually an electronic system. Windows and doors – ie likely entry points – will be monitored by sensors. In order to maintain an operational security system, it is necessary to use a regularly changed password system. In a home the keypad will usually be numeric only, but you should change the password at least every month and possibly even every week.

For example, if you have teenage children or older, they will be bringing friends back. These friends will be able to see you child entering the password. This can be even more serious if the person is a boyfriend or girlfriend who subsequently gets dumped.

Similarly in an office or other place of work, it is a good idea to have pass cards that can be canceled if the employee leaves the firm. A lot of harm is caused every year to material goods by disgruntled ex-employees and old boy- and girlfriends.

You can assist passers-by and police by leaving some light on inside your building. Frequent passers-by, neighbours and police will get used to seeing lights on, so if a burglar switches them off, they will become suspicious.

Burglars do not like light. Similarly, do not let bushes, shrubs or trees hide possible entry points. Keep them cut back so that people can see any doubtful activity. You would be astonished how many people just sit in their windows all day watching.

Outdoor security lighting is an excellent way of deterring criminals at night. Set up a few solar garden lights that are switched on by passive infra red motion sensors and they will be cheap to run. The good thing about them is that they do not announce their presence to the would be burglar, but they will catch him or her in a floodlight when he enters your property.

Another suggestion is to nail carpet gripper just under the top edge on the inside of your garden fence. Anyone trying to haul himself up over your fence will have a very horrible shock and leave DNA for the police.

If your business or home has an open door policy in order to allow clients or your kids to walk in, install doorbells or chimes that are triggered by under carpet sensors, door sensors or PIR’s, so that employees or family can not be caught by surprise. It is very useful, because if your busy secretary doubles as a meeter of walk-in clients, it will guarantee that she does not miss anybody or keeps anybody waiting.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

Technorati Tags: alarm systems, business, consumer electronics, elderly care, family, happiness, home, home accessories, home business, interior design, other, retirement, security, Uncategorized

A swimming pool is an attempt to create a safe, handy environment in which to swim. However, they are quite costly to install and to maintain. If you live in one of the temperate zones, it is probable that you can find a river, lake or stretch of sea to swim in during the summer months. If you live in the tropics then you can swim all year round but the waters are likely to be more perilous.

So, a swimming pool is an excellent alternative. Public swimming pools are all right, but you have to pick your times carefully or the water is full of discourteous kids frolicking about or old individuals simply standing in the way of dedicated swimmers.

This can be very maddening and frustrating, which are two of the emotions you went to the pool to divest yourself of after a hard day. You can actually come out feeling more frustrated and annoyed than you went in.

The solutions are: join a private swimming club or spa; build your own pool; or marry someone who is rich. If you have the money, the best option of all is to own your own pool.

Although a swimming pool is expensive, it is not money wasted. Not just will a swimming pool encourage you to adopt a (more vigorous) fitness regime, a well-manufactured swimming pool it will also add hugely to the value of your property.

People like to move into a home with a pool, because then they do not have to put up with builders and mounds of soil and jack-hammers and dumpers and noise for weeks and weeks on end.

Even better is if the pool has been properly cultivated with trees and bushes in the right places to supply shade if required and sweetly scented flowers and bushes to provide wonderful smells wafting over on a breeze. All this should be set in a well-manicured lawn.

It is likely that you will have to have some kind of pool fence, depending on where you live, so check on that, but put the fence as far back from the pool as you can or are allowed. You do not want to feel hemmed into your swimming pool.

There are two options with pools; above and below ground. But there is no real choice if you have the space and money – it has to be below ground every time.

One of the cheapest options of underground swimming pools is to use fibreglass. It is a far cheaper way than a lot of people know. In fact, it passes most people by because they do not know about it. However, imagine all the labour it saves on butyl liners, waterproofing, tiling, grouting, etc.

The fibreglass pool is dropped into a hole and then you paint it – blue or green or turquoise, if you cannot make up your mind; tile the surround and you are done. Then it is on with your favourite swimming costume and in you go.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on several topics, but is now concerned with Plus Size Bikinis. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Swimwear for Big Busts.

Technorati Tags: alarm, family, garden, health, hobbies, insurance, other, outdoors, patio, recreation, relaxation, security, sport, swimming pool, Uncategorized

Building a swimming pool in your house or garden can be a great way to have fun for yourself and indeed your whole family. It is also a great way to keep fit. However, despite that, it can also be very dangerous to your children about. If you have the patience, you ought to wait until your children are at least five years old or more until you put a swimming pool in your garden. On the other hand, if you already have a swimming pool, there are ways that you can protect your kids.

One thing you should always remember is to never, ever, permit your children to be alone near your pool. Children tend to be attracted to water and all it takes is a slip for them to fall into the water. If you and your children are at your pool side and you have to leave the area even for a second, you should always take your children with you.

To be on the safe side, you should always make sure that you have plenty of safety gear around your pool at all times. Safety items are essential to have around, as they could save the life of a child or in fact, anyone else who can’t swim.

You ought to invest in a shepherd’s hook as well, because you can use it to pull someone out of the water. Having a telephone at your poolside is also a good investment, since you can easily ring for assistance in case of an emergency.

If you don’t already have a sturdy fence around your pool, you should look into making one right away. A fence is a great way to keep children away from your swimming pool. If you have a protective fence up, you won’t have to worry about little children falling into the water, while you are away from the pool. When you put up your fence, you should always make sure that it’s at least six feet high with a locking gate. In this way, no one can get into the pool without a key, which you should keep with you always.

You should learn artificial respiration too. Even though you hopefully will not ever need to use it. It is always great to know CPR in the event of someone falling in your pool that is unable to swim. Whenever you have people you know can’t swim at your pool, you should always stay within reach of them, so you can react instantly if they fall in. A minute can be all it takes to save someone’s life.

Always bear in mind that swimming is fun, although you should always think in terms of safety first. Once you have finished using your pool for the day, ensure that you secure the poolside well – and padlock the gate tight so no one can get in too.

If you are worried about child pool safety or Child Safety in general, just visit our website.

Technorati Tags: child safety, children, family, home, mental health, other, parenting, police, safety, school, security, sociology, sports, swimming, Uncategorized

People have always tried to protect themselves and their families, just like most animals do. In very early days, cavemen protected their caves by lighting fires outside the entrance to discourage interlopers and wild animals. Later on, man learned how to increase his security by training dogs to safeguard him and his family. Later still, houses and then doors were invented; bars and locks arrived soon after that.

However, until a few decades ago in the west, people lived in extended large families. A family could consist of six-to-ten children and the mother and the grandmother would often live there too. This made home security systems extraneous from the early 18th Century to the 1930’s, which were quite peaceful times. After the Second World War, families were not so large and new families got their own house away from their parents.

Nowadays, both parents are likely to be working and the children are probably at school. This means that many houses are left unoccupied during the day, making them easy plunder for burglars. In fact, the number of household burglaries has increased by almost 10% in the last five years according to American government figures. Furthermore, according to a survey, forty percent of home burglaries were carried out due to inappropriate locks and doors.

ANSI (American National Standard Institute) produced a standard for deadbolt locks for external doors which is very hard to beat. If you are worried about your external doors, you should seek these ANSI deadbolts out, but beware, there are many copies. However, regardless of the sort of lock, the quality of the door is just as crucial. Its thickness and composition can also be a disincentive. After all, why put an expensive deadbolt on a door made of cardboard?

There are about 14,000,000 home burglaries every year in the United States and many of them are preventable. The first stage that you should achieve in home security is well-built doors and sturdy locks. Deadbolts on exit doors is a good idea.

Once you have completed that, get some exterior security lighting that reacts to either motion or body heat. The former type are microwave and the latter passive infra red sensors. These sensors will also contain a daylight sensor so that they will only become active at night. The sensors will also save you money by activating the powerful halogen floodlights only when someone enters the scope of the sensor’s beam.

Once you have done that, you ought to think about a home security alarm system. This should consist of contact sensors on all outside doors and windows, vibration sensors on all widows to alarm you in case of breakage and PIR or microwave motion sensors in the corridors and hallways.

Then, if you want to go even further in your home security system, you can install surveillance cameras on each exposed wall of the house and maybe one in the interior too. You do not have to take all these preventive measures at once, if you are short of cash, but they should be taken in that sequence.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

Technorati Tags: alarm systems, business, consumer electronics, elderly care, family, happiness, home, home accessories, home business, interior design, other, retirement, security, Uncategorized

There are many things that families and businesses perform in order to secure their property. One measure that is often taken in the name of security is the addition of security bars to doors and windows. In spite of the inherent benefits of securing property, these bars often present risks of endangering the people inside.

One thing remains accurate, most burglars will keep moving rather than attempt entering into a home that has security bars on doors and windows. Home protection is the only security that these bars supply however for many, the risks involved in having these bars on windows is not worth the small measure of security that is provided. In other words, the good of these bars is really outweighed by the negatives.

A lot of people do not purchase new security bars but rather rely on the same bars that have covered the windows of the home or business for many years. Some of these are rusted and virtually impossible to remove. In emergency situations, every second matters and these bars can be the very things that trap people inside a burning or flooding structure.

Security bars are no longer the cheap substitute to traditional alarm systems and monitoring services that they were said to be in the past. In fact, more often than not the pose a greater risk than they are a benefit to business and homeowners. Many larger companies offer free fitting of alarm systems and alarms as well as monthly monitoring services at realistic rates. More importantly not only are these monitoring services presented for breaks-in, but also for fire and smoke as well as panic button services.

Security bars may have had a time and place, but they have been replaced by something that is much more effectual at deterring criminals as well as something that offers a greater degree of protection for the most precious assets of any home or business – the people inside. The costs concerned in monthly monitoring seem great but most will find that the value this service provides if and when it is ever called upon is well worth every penny.

Options to burglar bars that are not dreadfully expensive include planting thorny bushes below windows and keeping them trimmed back just enough that they do not block a view of the windows. Most burglars do not want a complicated entry point and they certainly do not want to be injured during the process by prickly plants. Lighting is another alternative that is essentially less expensive than it would be to fit burglar bars. Intruders do not want to be observed. If the area surrounding your home and business is well lit, it will serve as a deterrent. Investigate options such as this before resorting to security bars.

To answer the question of whether or not security bars are worth the risks for home or business protection the answer would be a loud “No!”. There are other preventative measures that can be taken in order to deter intruders that present far less risk to family members and employees. These alternatives should be implemented rather than those that pose further risks to those you are trying to look after.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

Technorati Tags: alarm systems, business, consumer electronics, elderly care, family, happiness, home, home accessories, home business, interior design, other, retirement, security, Uncategorized

In all probability, every home and every business would benefit from the protection of a panic alarm. Breaks-in are common enough, but with people living longer the chances of stroke or heart attack have risen too. If you were living alone it would be awful to be lying on the ground helpless for hours. Panic alarms are the solution. They can be placed in a handy location or worn around your neck.

These are not the kind of personal alarms that emit a high pitched whistle or siren sound. Those alarms are meant to discourage criminals on the street or to draw attention to the user. No, I mean a gadget that triggers your home security system. it does not create a noise of its own, but communicates with the main security control box by some type of radio signal.

Some of these panic alarms do not activate the main security siren, but instead send a message to a monitoring security company. These so-called silent panic alarms are most often used in banks, firearms shops and places that handle lots of ready money. However, any business could use a silent panic alarm. Household alarm systems usually activate the external siren in order to alert your neighbours that you are having problems.

Panic buttons are especially helpful to the elderly or and infirm. Sometimes, people fall and cannot get up. You could also have a heart attack or stroke and not be able to make it to the phone. A panic button on a ribbon around your neck would resolve this problem. Some of these panic buttons are monitored too and others even have a microphone and speaker so that you can speak to an operator and explain your predicament.

Some of these panic buttons have a keypad so that you can transmit codes to the operator. Other means have been built into watches and brooches in order to make them easier to carry. If you wear your panic alarm, it is much less easy to forget to take it with you when you go upstairs or into the garden.

If you can afford security, you really ought to have a system, as good as you can afford, installed into your home and business. A panic alarm is a useful extra item for home and office use too, but it is especially reassuring to the elderly. Many older people are frightened of falling when they are in the house alone and fear of burglars or worse is a constant worry. A panic alarm linked to the main home siren is also a comfort to women living alone.

If you do get a home security system with a panic button, make sure that you keep a spare battery near at hand and check that the battery in the device has not become depleted. You should also advise the neighbours you get on best with that you have a home security set-up and that they should come to your aid or phone the police, if they hear your home security siren and see the flashing light.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

Technorati Tags: alarm systems, business, consumer electronics, elderly care, family, happiness, home, home accessories, home business, interior design, other, retirement, security, Uncategorized

New computer viruses are being created, exposed and fought every day. These computer viruses are created often just to annoy us and to wreak mayhem in our computer systems. Below, I have described ten viruses currently cited as being the most widespread and being potentially able to cause the most damage. However, new viruses are being created daily, so this list is by no means complete. The only thing you can do is stay alert, keep your anti-virus software updated, and stay aware of the current computer virus threats.

Virus: Trojan.Lodear: A Trojan (from Trojan Horse) that attempts to download files from a distant source. It will introduce a .dll file into the EXPLORER.EXE process causing system instability.

Virus: W32.Beagle.CO@mm: A mass-mailing worm that lowers security settings. It can delete security-related registry sub keys and may prevent admittance to security-related websites.

Virus: Backdoor.Zagaban: A Trojan that allows the compromised computer to be operated as a covert proxy and which may degrade network performance.

Virus: W32/Netsky-P: A mass-mailing worm which propagates by emailing itself to addresses harvested from files on the local drives.

Virus: W32/Mytob-GH: A mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan for the Windows platform. Messages sent by this worm will have the subject chosen randomly from a list including titles such as: Notice of account limitation, Email Account Suspension, Security measures, Members Support, Important Notification.

Virus: W32/Mytob-EX: A mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan similar in nature to W32-Mytob-GH. W32/Mytob- EX runs continuously in the background, providing a backdoor server which allows a remote hacker to gain admittance and control over your computer via IRC channels. This virus spreads by sending itself to email attachments gleaned from your email address book.

Virus: W32/Mytob-AS, Mytob-BE, Mytob-C, and Mytob-ER: This family of worm variations possesses similar characteristics in terms of what they are able to do. They are mass-mailing worms with backdoor functionality that can be manipulated through the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network. Furthermore, they can spread themselves via email and by various operating system vulnerabilities such as the LSASS (MS04-011).

Virus: Zafi-D: A mass-mailing worm and a peer-to-peer worm which copies itself to the Windows system folder with the filename Norton Update.exe. It can then create a number of files in the Windows system folder with filenames made up of 8 random characters and a DLL extension. W32/Zafi-D replicates itself to folders with names containing words like ’share’, ‘upload’, or ‘music’ as ‘ICQ 2005a new!.exe’ or ‘winamp 5.7 new!.exe’. W32/Zafi-D will also show a fake error message box with the caption “CRC: 04F6Bh” and the text “Error in packed file!”.

Virus: W32/Netsky-D: A mass-mailing worm with IRC backdoor functionality which can also contaminate computers vulnerable to the LSASS (MS04-011) exploit.

Virus: W32/Zafi-B: A peer-to-peer (P2P) and email worm that will reproduce itself to the Windows system folder as a randomly named EXE file. This worm will test for the presence of an Internet connection by attempting to connect to google.com or microsoft.com. A bilingual, worm with an attached Hungarian political text message box which translates to ?We demand that the government accommodates the homeless, tightens up the penal code and VOTES FOR THE DEATH PENALTY to cut down the increasing crime. Jun. 2004, P?cs (SNAF Team)?

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the network antivirus software. If you have an interest in such software, please go over to our website now at Computer Antivirus Software

Technorati Tags: advice, anti-virus, computers, entertainment, family, hacking, home business, internet, kids and teens, other, recreation, security, software, study, Uncategorized

These days people are becoming more anxious about their home security, chiefly because of the increasing crime rate. Even homes that have an older security system should be checked to see whether their security system is out of date or acceptable.

It is not so much that an older system may stop working, but technology advances very quickly and your sensors may not be the best type or even the variety that suit your home the best.

The kind of security system that you should be using can change as the constituent members of your family changes. For example, if you have just had a baby, you could hook up a surveillance camera to the bedroom or put a motion sensor pointing along side a toddler’s bed so that you know if he or she gets up out of bed.

There are many varieties of security systems, including wired, wireless, monitored and Internet. The Internet wireless system is or at least can be fully automated.

That means that you can operate it through the hand set or any online device like a laptop or desktop computer. This means that you can check up on your home from your place of work or when you are away on holiday.

If surveillance cameras are part of your home security system, then you will be able to see and check up on your home on your computer monitor from anywhere in the world. If you hook up sensors to some table lamps around your house, you will even be able to turn lights on and off to make it look as if you are at home when you are in fact hundreds of miles away. Put the TV on such a sensor and you can even turn that on and off too.

If you put a surveillance camera in your children’s bedrooms and the living room, you could check up on the baby sitter or your business cash register on your WAP enabled mobile phone or PDA. This type of automated can be installed by a competent DIYer, but is intended to be fitted by professionals.

This type of automated system is very reassuring. Imagine being able to check up on your home, children or business by watching live video footage on any computer or Internet phone anywhere in the world!

An automated security system is not cheap, but is worth the peace of mind that it brings. You could get near total automated home or business security by the end of next week. Pay for it over time, if you have too, but they are not as costly as you may imagine

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

Technorati Tags: alarm systems, business, consumer electronics, elderly care, family, happiness, home, home accessories, home business, interior design, other, retirement, security, Uncategorized