House fires in Australia are all too common – on average there are 3000 house fires every year in Victoria alone. If you have children, you must educate them on the risk of house fires, and practise your escape plan so they’ll know what to do if they are ever caught in a fire. Here’s some tips to help you get your family fire ready.

Every home should have a written fire escape plan, and you should share and practise it with your kids. As a minimum, your escape plan should include at least two exit points from every room and a safe meeting place outside. It should also include measures for anyone with mobility limitations like babies, the elderly and those with a disability. Get your kids involved in making your plan, as this will help them remember what to do.

Smoke alarms save lives by giving you and your family an early warning if a fire starts in your home. In fact, in the event of a house fire you’re four times more likely to die if your home doesn’t have a working smoke alarm. That’s why it’s essential that you not only have smoke alarms installed in your home, but that you also keep them in good working order. By performing some simple checks and keeping up regular maintenance, you’ll make sure they’re working effectively and are ready to spring into action if they’re ever needed,

2017 Daylight Saving

DST Start (Clock Forward) Sunday, October 1, 2:00am (First Sunday of the month)
Daylight saving is not observed in Queensland, the Northern Territory or Western  Australia           

Emergencies can happen any time – and when your children sleep over at a friend or relative’s house, as a parent you need to know that the home they are staying in is safe. With an average of 3000 house fires each year in Victoria, it’s essential that every home has basic fire safety measures in place. Before you agree to your child sleeping over, you need to know that if a fire was to happen overnight, the parents in charge have a well-drilled escape plan to help get your kids out safely. So how can you be sure? Here we provide some tips and a handy fire safe sleepover checklist of questions to ask, that will give you peace of mind that your kids are staying in a safe place.

Cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) is also a common result of severe carbon monoxide poisoning. This life threatening condition entails the destruction of brain cells by compressing them into themselves within the cranial compartment. Drugs that are normally used for the treatment of cerebral edema, like Dexamethasone and Mannitol, do not seem to be of assistance in the treatment of CO induced cerebral edema. Studies have shown that cerebral edema caused by CO poisoning can cause delayed neurological problems that involve the "higher" or cognitive functions, and may cause a Parkinsonian-like brain syndrome.