Managing Your Risk
Managing Your Own Risk
Tips to a safer home
Our Home Cover policy is there for you if you need to make claim, but there are a few steps you can take to create a healthy and safe home environment. Importantly, reducing the likelihood of making a claim helps protect your No Claim Bonus, helping to keep the cost of your insurance premium down.
Fire
- Smoke detectors are a must.
- Keep them clean, unobstructed and serviced regularly
- Test them monthly
- Replace batteries in accordance with the smoke detector user guide
- Keep a portable fire extinguisher in your home service and check it regularly
- Keep a fire blanket in the kitchen in the event of cooking fat fire
Kitchen
- Never leave cooking unattended
- Keep your cooker and grill clean
Laundry
- Keep lint filters clean to avoid igniting a fire
Bedroom
- Never smoke in bed
- Never leave your electric blanket on while sleeping
- Never leave any type of heater on when you go to bed
General
- Use candles safely. Never leave unattended
- Keep your electrical appliances in good working order
- Be appliance safe! Keep anything with heat or a flame away from flammable items
- Never overload power points
- Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach
- Never store combustibles such as newspapers or matches near an open fire place. Every year, arrange for a professional chimney inspection before using the fire place for the first time. Keep flues cleaned at all times
Outside
- Clear your gutters regularly
- Keep grass around your home short
- Clear undergrowth from fences
- Remove overhanging branches
- Store fuel and solvents responsibly and out of view
- Keep timber, vegetation and waste well away from your home
Bushfire
- Consult your local council about what should be in your fire action plan and make sure everyone in your home understands it
- Visit www.fesa.com.au for more information
Theft
- Reduce your premium and increase home safety by installing deadlocks, window locks, security screens and in installed, monitored home security alarm
- Store expensive items like jewellery out of sight and locked away
- Security data dots can be used to identify your belongings
- Get to know your neighbours. They'll be your best source to inform you of any suspicious behaviour around your home
- Outside:
- Fit a strong padlock to outbuildings or sheds. Keep valuable tools in locked containers
- Store garden equipment in a locked shed. Lock bikes to the wall of your shed with a padlock and chain
- Store ladders in a shed to avoid use in a break in
- Deter burglars by:
- Leaving a radio or lights on a timer, redirect your mail and arrange for someone to check your home if when you're away for extended periods
- Keep packaging from newly purchased valuable items out of eyesight
- Install movement sensors to outdoor lights
- After a break-in, immediately re-evaluate your existing security
Water
- Regular pool, spa and reticulation maintenance reduce the risk of defects
- An extraction fan in the bathroom reduces condensation
- Properly maintained tiles and grouting reduce the risk of moisture seepage
Storm, rain or flash flood
- Properly maintain your building to prevent water entering into it
- When renovating, cover all openings with a tarpaulin to prevent rain water damage to your contents
- Do not leave electrical or mechanical equipment in the open air unless the equipment is designed to be weatherproof
Explosion
- Properly maintain heating boilers and hot water systems to reduce the risk of explosion
Going away on holidays?
Here are some tips to keep your home and belongings safe
- Cancel regular delivery services
- Redirect or put your mail on hold
- Leave a radio or lights on a timer
- Ask someone you know to visit the property regularly
- Don’t alert people you are going away (including on social networking sites)
- Leave the car in the garage when loading luggage
- Before leaving, store all garden equipment, ladders and bikes in a locked shed
- Check your policy coverage. Call us if you will be away for 60 days or more
Make an inventory
- Make a list of your belongings. It’s like a home inventory. Not only will it make life easier if you ever need to claim, but you can also check you have the right amount of cover. Use our on-line calculators - they help you estimate the cost of replacing your home and the things inside it
- Remember to keep it up to date. Overestimating the value of your contents could mean you are paying a higher premium and under-estimating could mean you will you are left short in the event of loss or damage. Don’t forget, we have on-line sum insured calculators that can help you if you are unsure
Weather Risks
As the climate change, severe weather conditions have become more frequent
- Take preventative maintenance measures
- Keep your roof clear of branches
- Take care to avoid loose roof shingles/tiles that could blow away or cause a leak
- Listen to local news for weather updates. Check the Bureau of Meteorology online at www.bom.gov.au
- Secure your home. Store outdoor furniture and equipment in a locked, secure shed
- Keep your house water tight. Shut all windows and doors
- In an electrical storm ensure all your appliances are switched of at the socket.
- Do not leave loose items outside during windy conditions
More information
- Refer to your QBE PDS and policy wording to find out more about your cover.
- Contact your State fire service department to find out more about smoke detectors or what to do in a bushfire
- Contact your local Police service about neighbourhood watch
Disclaimer: This information is a summary of some of the general steps that can be taken to protect your home. It is intended as a guide only and you should always seek independent professional advice to suit your individual circumstances.