There are small checks that we often forget to do, that can be the difference between life or death. Not to sound too dramatic, but when you consider the importance of things like fire alarms or health insurance, there’s no denying that these are things we rarely think about but could make all the difference in time of need. We understand that life is busy and things are easily forgotten, so we’ve made a list of quick checks you can make to ensure you and your family are safe and healthy.

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Check Your Fire Alarms

Fire alarms are something we don’t think about until we really needed them, or until they start beeping, telling us that their batteries are flat. Sometimes we rely so much on these signals that we forgot to check them ourselves. I’ve read too many terrible news stories about families who didn’t have fire alarms, or had fire alarms installed that were faulty and the result was a tragic loss of life. Don’t let this happen to you or the people you care about. Take a moment now to check where your fire alarms are, that the batteries are functioning and ensure that you have fire alarms in places where fires commonly start – including in the kitchen and near any heaters or fires. This will allow the smoke to be detected as soon as possible, offering your family precious extra moments to get to safety.

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Check Your EHIC Card

If you’re originally from an EEA country (or Switzerland) and find yourself living in another country within Europe or the UK that participates in the EHIC program, then you need to make sure your card is up to date and that you have it somewhere handy like your wallet. An out of date card is useless, and you will not be able to receive nor claim the special benefits that this card provides. As such, take a moment now to check the validity of your and your family’s cards to ensure that your coverage is valid. This is especially important if you’re living in another country or planning to go on holiday in on any time soon. If you need a new EHIC Card apply here.

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Check Your Family’s Emergency Exit Plan

Say your smoke alarms are blasting and you’ve got to get out of your house or apartment, does everyone living there know the safest and easiest way to get out? I think it’s important to make strategies, especially if you have children, for various situations. What if there’s a fire in their bedroom, the kitchen, the living area and so on – how does that affect how they’ll get out. Make sure you talk this through with any younger family members and also stress to them in case of a fire to get low, and get out. Encourage them not to worry about possessions as trying to grab valuables could result in a loss of life.

In addition, make sure your children have memorised your phone number when they’re of age, so if there’s ever an emergency they can contact you. Likewise having them learn their own address as soon as possible is also a wise decision. Some careful planning now can prevent anything worse from happening.

These tips can help ensure your family is safe should anything go wrong. Please double check everything I’ve mentioned on the list.