Personal and Home Safety
FoundationSpot the dangers at home — electricity, fire and falls — remember the 999 emergency number and how to call for help, guard personal details against strangers, and stay calm when an accident happens.
- Home dangers hide in kitchen flames, slippery floors and sockets; build safe habits.
- In a fire, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel, bend low along the wall, and take the stairs, never the lift.
- Dial 999 and clearly say what happened, where, and who is hurt.
文體小知識：安全教育說明文列出家居和日常的危險情況，記住每項守則，遇到事故時就能保護自己。
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1Home is warm, but it hides many dangers. In the kitchen, open flames and boiling water can cause burns and scalds; the bathroom floor is slippery and easy to fall on; damaged wires and overloaded sockets may cause electric shock or fire. Build safe habits: never leave a lit stove alone, wipe the floor dry after bathing, never plug too many appliances into one socket, and tell an adult to replace any damaged wire at once.
2If a fire starts, stay calm, call an adult immediately and dial 999, clearly stating the address and the situation. If the fire spreads, leave as fast as you can, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel, keep close to the wall and bend low as you move, because smoke rises and the air near the floor is cleaner. Take the stairs, never the lift, and wait for the firefighters once you are safe.
3Stay alert with strangers: never open the door for a stranger, never eat food a stranger gives, never accept a stranger's invitation, and never tell a stranger your name, address, phone number or school. If you are home alone and the doorbell rings, look through the peephole first; if someone asks to come in, you may say the adults are busy and ask them to come back later.
4Learning to call for help is very important. When dialling 999, clearly say what has happened, where, and how many people are hurt. Memorise your parents' phone numbers and your own address. In trouble in the community, turn to the police, firefighters or ambulance crews. Agree with your family on a meeting place and an emergency contact plan, so that no one panics if an accident happens.
1Summary 重點摘要
Spot the dangers at home — electricity, fire and falls — remember the 999 emergency number and how to call for help, guard personal details against strangers, and stay calm when an accident happens.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The 999 number to call in a fire, an accident or a medical emergency.
Injury caused by current passing through the body, often from damaged appliances or touching sockets with wet hands.
Too many appliances on one socket, overheating the wiring and possibly causing fire.
The way out during a fire or other emergency; know the exits beforehand.
Details such as your name, address, phone number and school; never share them with strangers.
The small lens in a door for looking outside.
Skin damage from fire or hot liquid; rinse the hurt part under running cool water at once.
The place agreed with your family to gather in an emergency.
The first help given to an injured person before professionals arrive.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Find the danger spots at homeSome places at home hide dangers, such as the stove and boiling water in the kitchen, the slippery bathroom floor, a damaged wire in the living room, and boxes blocking the bedroom corridor. We can check every room with our family, write down the dangers we find and fix them at once — clearing the boxes, asking an adult to replace a broken wire, laying a non-slip mat in the bathroom. Check every few months, and finding and fixing danger spots early greatly reduces the chance of accidents.
- Step 2: Build safe electricity habitsThe most important rules for using electricity are never to overload the sockets and never to let electricity touch water. A TV, a fan and a heater on one extension socket is an overload, so spread them over different sockets; never touch switches or plugs with wet hands, and ask an adult to repair broken appliances or damaged wires — never do it yourself. These habits help us avoid electric shocks and fires, and let us use electricity with peace of mind.
- Step 3: Remember the fire escape stepsWhen a fire breaks out we must stay calm and remember the correct escape steps. When the fire alarm sounds, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel, bend low along the wall and follow the escape route down the stairs — never take the lift, for it may stop in a power cut and trap you — and call 999 only once you reach the open ground below. Learn your building's escape routes and exits in advance, and take fire drills seriously, so you will not panic in a real emergency.
- Step 4: Call the emergency number correctlyThe emergency number in Hong Kong is 999, and we must stay calm and give the details clearly when calling. The operator asks what happened, where, and whether anyone is hurt; answer each question clearly, for example: a fire on the fifth floor of a building on such a street in Kwun Tong, with one person trapped. Do not hang up in a hurry — let the operator confirm the details first, then wait for help in a safe place and follow the instructions given.
- Step 5: Keep the three refusals with strangersWhen facing a stranger, keep the three rules: refuse the food, refuse to go along, and refuse to share personal details. For example, if a stranger offers to take you to your mother and gives you sweets, refuse them one by one, move at once to a crowded, well-lit place and tell a trusted adult. When home alone, never open the door for a stranger. Remember, an adult who truly needs help asks other adults, never children.
- Step 6: Make an emergency plan with your familyAgreeing on an emergency plan in advance stops us from panicking when an accident happens. The whole family can agree to meet at the estate gate in an emergency, and we should memorise our parents' phone numbers or keep them on a card in our pocket. Also remember the dangerous places to avoid and the neighbours or security guards we can turn to for help; rehearse the plan as a family from time to time so it stays fresh, and everyone knows what to do if an accident comes.
- Step 7: Learn basic first responsesKnowing the correct first responses reduces the harm when accidents happen. Cool a minor scald under running water for about ten minutes to lower the skin temperature — never with toothpaste or soy sauce, which can infect the wound; for a nosebleed, lean forward slightly and press the nostrils, never tilt the head back, or blood runs the wrong way. After the first response, always tell an adult, and see a doctor at once if the injury is serious or the bleeding will not stop.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Wah is home alone doing homework when he smells strong smoke and sees thick smoke coming from outside his neighbour's door. In what order should he act?
- Stay calm and leave the flat at once to tell an adult; if no adult is there, take the keys and escape by the stairs, never the lift.
- Cover his mouth and nose with a wet towel, bend low and keep close to the wall, because smoke gathers above and the air near the floor is cleaner.
- Once safe, dial 999 and clearly give the address, the location of the fire and the situation on the spot.
- Wait at the agreed meeting point, never go back for belongings, and follow the firefighters' instructions.
- Answer: Wah should stay calm, cover his mouth and nose, escape by the stairs to a safe place, then dial 999, wait for the adults at the meeting point, never re-enter the smoky flat, and follow the firefighters' instructions in everything.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What is Hong Kong's emergency number?
Q2Why should we bend low when escaping a fire?
Q3Why must one socket not carry too many appliances?
Q4A stranger offers sweets and says he will take you to your mother. What should you do?
Q5What is the first response to a minor scald?
8Recap Recap
- Home dangers hide in kitchen flames, slippery floors and sockets; build safe habits.
- In a fire, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel, bend low along the wall, and take the stairs, never the lift.
- Dial 999 and clearly say what happened, where, and who is hurt.
- With strangers: refuse food, refuse to go along, and share no personal data.
- Agree a family meeting point and emergency contacts, and stay calm in an emergency.