How do you make your guests feel safe?

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

Creating an inviting and cosy place is an important step towards hosting success, but have you thought about safety too? What are your experiences and advice to create a safer place for you and your guests?

For example, do you have a smoke detector, installed a fire extinguisher or perhaps leave a First Aid kit?

Looking forward to hearing from you. 

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Cathie19]

Got it all @Lizzie

- Carbon monoxide detector

- smoke detectors

- 2x fire blanket/s (one with the bbq)

- fire extinguisher for the space

- security screens... on doors and windows to also keep intruders and  the pesky insects out as well!

- Basic first aid kit - sneak a couple of sanitary pads next to it and I also keep extra items with me such as asthma puffer.

- safety card for 000 emergencies and the address so a guest can relay the details

- Hospital/ dr and chemist information and phone numbers

- garden water  hoses (not just for flames, but car washing)

- citronella candles and mosquito coils when needed, including insect repellant spray

- LED flickering candles for mood lighting, without the burning risk to my homestay space.

- Two chairs WAY in the BACK corner of the back yard for smokers with an external ash tray. (Banned everywhere else!)

Oh and for the littlies....

 Electrical outlet safety covers,  playpen and high chair, and a compliant safety pool fence.

- But for international visitors heading out to remote locations, I give them a run down of important websites and Apps to download. Eg: the Australian Emergency App/ the Bureau of Meteorology website + App info; along with other safety sites to assist in their travels for road closures, bushfire etc. It’s a BIG distance up here.... so people need to be safe when driving ..... they also need to not swim in waterways that haven’t got a swimming allowed sign. Those pesky saltwater crocodiles are a kill joy for holidays! LOL....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😆😆🐊🐊🐊

🙂

Cathie

[Cathie19]

Forgot to add: nothing hits you in the face, but are subtle safety measures.

- Padlock in front gates, to protect off street vehicles both personal and rental

- the CPR resuscitation chart inside the pool fence area. 

- First aid manual next to the first aid kit

- Please keep the gate closed” sign, on the pool gate.

- A small torch in each bedroom.

- sensor lights outside the front door entry area

- solar lights on the front gates and in the driveway when the car enters.

- sensor lights placed at the entry point into breezeway/ bedroom quarters and in the toilet

- If people are travelling large remote distances when they leave us, they can be advised to download the Red Cross First Aid App.

- Also advised that in Australia, if having trouble with emergency 000 number, if using a mobile, to use 112.

- suggest they have “ICE” numbers listed in their phones.

(ICE = In Case of Emergency: developed after the London bombings.)

(eg explained: I prioritise ICE 1 to 4 as spouse and children. I list myself as ICE 5, with a photo with full details, my blood group and a medical alert.)

[Alexandra316]

@Lizzie We have added quite a few things to help make guests safer:

- Fire extinguisher in the kitchen

- Carbon monoxide detector

- Smoke detectors in every space

- Our address with closest major intersection and emergency phone numbers are clearly displayed

- Driving directions to the closest hospital readily available

- A first aid kit with the basics

- Nighlights that double as flashlights

- Interior locks on sleeping spaces and the bathroom door

- Personalized key codes for each guest - no one has a physical key

- All windows lock

- Outdoor lighting that comes on automatically, including extra motion sensitive lights for when guests are arriving and departing

- The backyard is kept locked, so if they let their dogs out, they can't escape or be stolen.

- We  allow guest to bring their bikes inside the house at night to avoid theft. 

I think that's it.

[Cormac0]

@Lizzie

I think based on the CC of late, it should read  "how to make your host feel save"

[Cathie19]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Good point Cormac!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Cormac0😄 lol It is better if they don't feel safe.... when they feel safe they don't lock the doors and leave windows wide open during the night 😄 We tell them we had a recent burglary in the building, it works 🙂

[Jess78]

Exactly my thoughts @Cormac0! Host security is #1, and then guest security can follow NNaturally after that. 

[Lawrene0]

@Lizzie, 

The Toronto friends of a young woman who booked our remote location worried about her staying here alone. She might run into an axe murderer. 

My rural friends worry about me staying in Toronto alone. I might run into a mugger.

A tip for making guests feel safe might be to tell their friends to stop reading crime novels!

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

Smoke detector, Fire Extinguisher, Alarm System,  2 Nanny Camera’s

[Carol631]

Nanny cameras?? For the outside right, not indoors? 

[Letti0]

@Lizzie   I have everything @Cathie19 and @Alexandra have, plus an alarm system. I'm surprised no one mentioned a safe. Mine is big enough for 17" laptops and lots of other stuff. 

[Cathie19]

Forgot about the safes @Letti0! 

Not big like yours, but a small one in each bedroom for passports etc. 

but also looking @Ria16, no tsunami issues for us, but we have cyclone kit preparations here. But we don’t need to do a quick grab bag, rather lots of survival items.... 

[Letti0]

@Cathie19  I leave the code for the huge solid brick venue on the property for tornado's with many provisions to be safe, much safer than the Guest House or Cottage. In Texas we don't have a lot of underground shelters, I have been thinking about adding one. I'll be looking at about $35-$40K to do a 20-25' x 20-25' area. I also leave hurricane evac info. as we can get hit with that one on the odd occassion like last year's Harvey.  

[Cathie19]

Hi @Letti0. I feel your pain. Hopefully in the event of a cyclone/hurricane, I can encourage guests to leave and evacuate the city, as I do not want the responsibility of extras to look after, or having to worry about the extra food/ water supplies with power outages. They wouldn’t review well under these civil disasters, and it’s really about preserving life.

I have written a cyclone management plan which forces guests to follow my instructions to the letter, as we would commandeer one of the rooms, as it is the property’s cyclone shelter. My husband and I are listed as the Emergency Controller and Deputy Emergency Controller of the property.

(This is not discussed with guests outside of a weather event, but will certainly be if needed this upcoming Wet Season.)