November 15, 2011 08:00 ET
Five Tips for Mastering Holiday Security
Master Lock® Shares a Holiday Safety Checklist to Keep You and Yours Safe This Season
MILWAUKEE, WI–(Marketwire – Nov 15, 2011) – While the holidays are known for good food, quality time with family and friends and festive fun, the season can also be one of the busiest and most hectic of the year. To avoid any pitfalls that come with the eventful season, Master Lock® is encouraging consumers to take the proper precautions to ensure safety and security remain top-of-mind.
“The holidays are a fun but busy time, and the flurry of activity can often cause important considerations, such as safety and security, to go overlooked,” said Rebecca Smith, vice president, marketing for Master Lock. “By taking a few precautions, you’ll rise above the chaos and ensure your holiday season is spent enjoying time with friends and family.”
To help keep your family and home safe and secure during this festive time of the year, Master Lock has developed a checklist of the top five holiday safety tips:
1. Travel Safely. Whether you’re planning a road trip or flight, be sure to take all the proper safety precautions. If driving to your destination, check tire pressure beforehand for optimal handling and traction and consider having your car winterized by your mechanic for added safety. Stock your car with a safety kit in case you were to get stuck. Check weather forecasts and road conditions before heading out for safe driving conditions.
If you’re flying to your destination, remember to secure your luggage with TSA-accepted locks, such as the Master Lock 4689T Luggage Lock, so your bags stay safe while in transit — whether they’re checked or carried on. If you’re flying with holiday gifts, keep them unwrapped to avoid security checkpoint delays.
2. Secure Your Home. During the holiday season, you’re likely to have guests coming and going from your home for a number of get-togethers. Be sure all entry points, including doors, windows and sliding glass doors, are locked before and after guests depart to help keep your family, home and valuables safe.
If you’re traveling out of town, enlist a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you’re away. Store a spare key in a key safe, such as the Master Lock 5400D, for easy access by authorized visitors. Stop your mail and newspaper delivery, and consider setting some interior and exterior lights on timers.
3. Shop Smart. To stay safe while enjoying a fun holiday shopping trip to the local mall or shopping center, be aware of your surroundings. Park in well-lit areas, avoiding spaces next to large vehicles that can block the line of sight to your car if possible, make sure you aren’t followed when exiting the mall and lock your doors immediately upon re-entering your vehicle. Keep purchased gifts out of sight — in the trunk of your car or under a blanket — to prevent theft.
When ordering gifts online, create more secure user names and passwords for all of your on-line accounts using varying combinations of letters and numbers for each to avoid a security breach. Store all your confidential data for convenient access via web browser, smart phone, or tablet app in the Master Lock Vault™. Have your online orders shipped to your office so the delivery driver won’t have to leave them out in the open on your front porch.
When storing gifts at home, be sure to think strategically about your hiding spot to keep curious family members from getting a sneak peek at their presents and spoiling their surprises.
4. Decorate Strategically. When decorating the home to reflect your festive mood, check lights for frayed wires and loose or broken plugs. Check manufacturers’ instructions for the maximum number of light strands that can be safety strung together, and don’t exceed that maximum to minimize risk of a short circuit or electrical fire. Keep any trees or indoor plants away from fireplaces and candles. If you have pets, take time to strategically place any decorations out of their reach, preventing them from trying to eat them or causing damage to the house.
5. Don’t Play with Fire. While it’s easy to get distracted when you’re hosting friends and family, never leave your stove unattended while you have food cooking. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. If you plan to light a fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers and decorations from your fireplace and make sure that the damper is open. Never burn wrapping paper in a fireplace. It ignites suddenly and burns intensely and can cause a flash fire.
For more information about these on-the-go and other security solutions, please visit the Master Lock website at www.masterlock.com or the Master Lock Facebook page at www.facebook.com/masterlock. Visit www.masterlockvault.com to utilize the free, secure online data storage application and download a smart phone app for easy access on the go — an ideal place to keep important passwords and other information.
About Master Lock
Master Lock is the world’s largest manufacturer of padlocks and related security products providing innovative security solutions for home, automotive, campus, power sports, bike and storage security needs for consumers and contractors alike. Master Lock Company is an operating unit of Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc.
Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. (NYSE : FBHS), headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., creates products and services that help fulfill the dreams of homeowners and help people feel more secure. The company’s trusted brands include Master Lock®, MasterBrand Cabinets™, Moen® faucets, Simonton Windows® and Therma-Tru® entry door systems. FBHS holds market leadership positions in all of its segments. The company’s 16,000 associates generated more than $3.2 billion in net sales in 2010. FBHS is part of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. For more information, please visit www.fbhs.com.
Recently, I had the opportunity to review MasterLock Select Access Key Safe, model #5400D.
Product Features:
- Portable key safe
- Holds up to 5 keys for house or car in a convenient location for regular use
- Portable, over the door knob mount for convenience
- Set-your-own 4-digit combination for keyless convenience and increased security
- 3-1/4″ (83mm) wide durable metal construction
- Shutter door protects combination dials from weather, dirt and grime
- Molded body and vinyl coated shackle prevent scratching
Best Used For:
- Key Safes
The package contains instructions and the key safe that has the shutter door closed in this picture.
With a simple motion to pull down, the shutter door is opened to reveal the dial. It comes preset with a combination that can be easily changed.
The reset button to set a new combination is built inside the front door. You just have to push the lever down and left, rotate the dials to select your new combination. Push the reset up and right, putting it back to its original position. Close the door, scramble the combination dials to lock the door and conceal your combination. Lastly, closing the shutter door.
The MasterLock Key Safe can be hung from a doorknob or other object. When the compartment door is open, you just have to push a shackle release lever and pull the shackle up and out of the lock. Place around object and close shackle and door to lock.
The Key Safe can hold up to five keys. I have a keychain with one key, a remote for keyless start and a key tag in it for the picture and there was still room for probably a few more individual keys.
The MasterLock Key Safe may look small (body of unit fits into a wide grasp with my hands), but it does have a nicely sized storage compartment. It seems durable and to be well equipped for handling the weather outdoors. You want to make sure the shutter door is closed to make it more weather-proof. The MasterLock Key Safe seems user friendly too.
MasterLock Select Access Key Safe has a list price of $38.11. You can learn more about this product here.
Disclosure: I received a MasterLock Key Safe for this review. No other compensation was received. The feelings and thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
Onto the giveaway for the MasterLock Luggage Lock…
No. 4689TProduct Features:
- Allows TSA screeners to inspect and relock baggage, without damaging the lock
- Keyed alike – same key opens both locks
- Convenient front access keyway
- Bright colors simply baggage identification
- 1″ (25mm) wide durable metal body
- Each package contains two locks
Best Used For:
- Luggage & Travel
- Backpacks, Duffel Bags & Sports Bags
- Briefcases & Computer Bags
- Jewelry & Curio Cabinets
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One tip my father taught me – always keep your head up and look like you know where you are & where you are going even if you are lost. STAY OFF THE PHONE and pay attention to your surroundings! Thanks! Happy New Year!
GFC follower irishluck1114. Thanks.
Oh my dad would really appreciate this! He’s always been the one to padlock all the doors in our house. Since I was little he’s always told me to leave a light on in the house, esp when we’re going on an errand trip. Not sure if a professional burglar would be deterred just by this but we’ve never had our house broken into in all the years I’ve lived in it!
~Christina
I would love to have as it seems to be of a high quality. When we go on a trip I can sure use it.