LPG Safety Tips And Precautions For Your Home

Published on: 12 April 2021 Last Updated on: 27 December 2024

LPG is the need of every household as it is used as the primary fuel for cooking. Some people also use LPG for heating purposes.

It is a highly flammable gas, so it is essential for users to use it cautiously. Households and food businesses must take extreme care while using LPG for cooking and heating.

You can do many things to use LPG safely in your home. This post shares some best tips and precautions to use LPG in your home.

Buy from an authorized distributor:

Many people buy gas equipment from retail stores, but it is better to buy from an authorized distributor. The gas equipment available at the authorized franchisee is authorized by the gas company and compatible with the LPG cylinder of that company.

So, when you buy gas equipment from an authorized company distributor, the chances of malfunctioning are very low.

Transporting Gas Cylinders:

Many accidents happen during the transportation of gas cylinders. The most common reason for these accidents is the improper handling of cylinders. Many delivery boys put the cylinder on the ground with a jerk and roll it on the ground while carrying it from their vehicle to home.

This causes the collision of gas molecules inside the cylinder, which produces heat and can be dangerous. Therefore, LPG cylinders need to be handled very carefully.

Always Check the seal and gasket:

Sometimes, the seal or gasket of the cylinder is damaged, causing the gas to leak. Always check the company seal and gasket while taking the delivery of the cylinder. Ask the delivery boy to open the seal in front of you, and then you can put some water in the valve.

If you see bubbles rising from the water, the gasket is worn, causing leakage. In such a case, ask the delivery boy to replace the cylinder immediately.

Inspect Regularly:

As LPG can leak from every tiny hole or crack in the gas equipment or accessories, it is essential to check it regularly. Check your gas equipment every week to ensure there are no cuts or cracks in any part of the equipment, including accessories.

In case of any problem with the gas stove, call a professional for its repair. If the accessories like a gas hose or regulator are malfunctioning, replace them immediately to prevent leakage. Also, don’t use the gas until the problem is fixed by a gas engineer.

Check the expiry date of the cylinder:

All gas cylinders are required to be retested and replaced every ten years. The expiry date is usually stamped or written on the neck of the cylinder. If the stamped expiry date is passed, the cylinder cannot be refilled. If you get a cylinder with an expiry date passed, you should immediately return and get it replaced as it can be dangerous.

Ventilation is important:

LPG users should always place the gas equipment in a ventilated area. It means your kitchen should be well-ventilated to expel the gas in case of a leakage. If your kitchen is not well-ventilated, you can install an exhaust fan in your ventilator or window to expel the smoke. It also expels any gas leaked from your gas equipment.

Place the spare cylinder carefully:

Many people have a spare cylinder in their house, and they place it in a place other than the kitchen. Some homeowners place the spare cylinder in the storeroom, while others place it in any room. However, a cylinder should only be placed in the kitchen or an open area such as a patio.

Plus is one of the best LPG gas suppliers in Queensland, Australia. They claim to offer same-day delivery or next-day delivery in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, and Toowoomba. If you are located in any of these regions, you can choose them for LPG supplies.

Don’ts: Things to Avoid for LPG Safety & Precautions

Aside from following all the above-mentioned tips, remember not to forget the following tips –

Don’t Keep the Cylinder in a Horizontal Position

When you have an LPG cylinder at home, don’t keep it in a flipped position. Always keep it in an upright position to avoid accidents like gas leakage, explosion, and fire.

When you keep the cylinder laid down, gravity makes the liquid set at the bottom of the cylinder, thereby leaving no space for the vapor to form. This is something that leads to gas leakage.

Complications can also arise when the cylinder is withdrawn in a horizontal position. This makes the liquid phase evaporate inside the pipe system. It can also happen in the consumer’s equipment. This causes the pressure to increase, and start icing off the fitting, making the safety device respond to prevent overpressure.

Keep Away from Heat

Keep your LPG cylinder in a position where it doesn’t catch much heat. Also, it shouldn’t be heated under any condition. When you heat the cylinder it will cause the gas to leak at rapid speed and create a flammable vapor. This vapor is highly flammable and can catch fire at any moment.

If your LPG cylinder is constantly getting heated, it can cause the entire cylinder to weaken over time. It’s easy for a weakened cylinder to easily fail under high pressure.

Don’t Leave the Safety Valve Unchecked

All the mistakes regarding the mishandling of LPG cylinders lead to leakage and explosions. If you leave the safety valve unchecked for a long time, it’ll lead to gas leaks leading to fires, asphyxiation, and explosions. LPG gas is highly flammable, which is why you deal with all these complications if you leave the cylinder valve unchecked.

Don’t Smoke Around The Cylinder

There’s no need to point out that the cylinder has flammable gas, and there can be a leakage at any point in time. So, build a habit of not smoking close to the place where you keep the gas cylinder.

Final Words:

These are some gas safety tips for households. Using reliable gas equipment and getting supplies from an authorized distributor can enhance the safety of your house. Following the tips in this post can help homeowners to use the LPG safely and conveniently.

Also, if you notice any case of gas leakage, instantly evacuate the area. If it’s due to the cylinder knob left open, close it instantly. Also, call people who are authorized to handle such delicate situations for help.

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Soumava Goswami

A passionate writer and an avid reader, Soumava is academically inclined and loves writing on topics requiring deep research. Having 3+ years of experience, Soumava also loves writing blogs in other domains, including digital marketing, business, technology, travel, and sports.

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6 Benefits Of Microsoft 365 Security

If you’re considering investing in Microsoft 365 or need a little more convincing, read through the list of benefits below. Here, we cover details of Microsoft Office 365 security and compliance, enterprise-level mobility, and powerful solutions that help to optimize productivity – wherever your team is working. To get a clear picture of the benefits of Microsoft 365, we’ve sought the help of IT experts in the know. Microsoft Office 365 Security Features: When your employees work remotely, they carry a lot of sensitive data on their laptops and mobile devices. For business owners or managers, you want to rest assured that this data is securely stored while still being easily accessible to your workforce. 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You can customize your level of security regarding sensitive data by applying restrictions such as ‘do not copy’ or ‘do not forward to certain information. You can also remotely wipe data from lost or stolen devices. 2. Seamless Integration & Collaboration The best feature of Microsoft 365 is always its capability to help users collaborate. It breaks down the silos that different tools work in. Thanks to OneDrive integrating different apps and software under Microsoft 365, users can work together, document process in real-time, and do more. It allows users to communicate effectively through video, chat, and share files on a single platform. Thanks to this seamless integration, it’s easier for someone to streamline workflow and improve their productivity. Also, OneDrive and Sharepoint of Microsoft 365 make it easier for users to access data and work information from any device. The features of Teams make it easier for inter-team collaboration and communication. The efficient features of Outlook Mail, PowerPoint, and Excel Sheets are doubtlessly important in the professional environment. Also, the Microsoft 365 environment makes it easier for users to remember different apps under the Microsoft 365 umbrella. Every single app has a unique and memorable logo. Also, all the apps are easy to use. 3. Advanced Threat Protection: If you suffer a malware attack, it could spell the beginning of the end for your business by resulting in lost work hours, loss of income, and an undermining of public trust. With Microsoft 365, links are checked in real-time to warn you if it will take you to a malicious website. Email attachments are scanned for malware, and your devices are monitored for any suspicious strings of communication that might indicate the beginning of a ransomware attack. Also, users can secure the flow of emails and mailbox audit logging using Microsoft Defender for Office 365. All of this means that the future of your business won’t rely on your employees’ ability to spot a suspicious email or attachment before they can click on it. Office 365 has a threat and attack monitoring and prevention response. 4. Data Loss Prevention: Keeping all the sensitive information, your business holds secure is a difficult task and a constant battle that never goes away. With 365, you can apply data loss prevention policies to prevent sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands, encrypt devices to protect data if that device is stolen or lost, and manage all your company devices remotely; handy for when an employee leaves, and you need to wipe all company data from their phone and laptop. 5. Control Data Access: Identity and access management through the MFA and PIM gives Microsoft 365 users peace of mind. Its security features for control and access are unparalleled. It doesn’t assign the global admin role to everyone. Instead, Contosco creates three different Global Admin accounts using strong passwords. Microsoft Entra Authentication and PIM ( Privileged Identity Protection) are responsible for protecting the accounts. The Azure Information Protection Feature allows you to manage and control how data is accessed and shared across your business. You can require your employees and customers to sign in to sensitive information with a fingerprint or PIN and classify that information as ‘sensitive’ to restrict how it is shared both inside and outside the business. 6. Powerful Tools For Enhanced Productivity The apps and additional tools in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem are efficient and productive. Most apps come with amazing productivity features. Microsoft’s suite of apps includes the best word processors like Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and other tools with AI features. The AI-powered Designer under Powerpoint provides you with different design features. You can use Excel Insights to find out patterns in your data. The grammar assists in the writing tool and also helps to write effectively inside words. Also, the co-authoring features of Microsoft Word allow multiple users to use the same document at the same time. This enables a new gateway for seamless collaboration. Windows 10: By upgrading to Microsoft 365, you get the added bonus of standardizing your employee workstations on Windows 10. Windows 10 is the most secure Windows platform ever, coming with its own range of security innovations that significantly reduce your business’s risk profile, as well as adding cloud-based management to ensure that all your devices are properly configured. Microsoft and its suite of apps are a vast world, opening a huge world of opportunity for the professional environment. Users find more hidden tricks and techniques as they delve deep into the world of Microsoft 365. Read Also: Ways Of Protecting Your Privacy Online Top 10 Computer Security Mistakes Defending Your Modern Company Through the Use of Threat Intelligence

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Cybersecurity is one of the most sought-after academic disciplines in colleges and universities. In today’s world, since there are a lot of cyber-attacks, the importance of implementing proper cybersecurity measures has become mandatory. In this tech-driven day and age, the trend of using Public Key Infrastructure, or PKI, is on the rise. A tech person would easily understand what PKI means, but an average Joe would not know a thing about it. In this article, we are going to delve deep into knowing the basics of Public Key Infrastructure. There are many tools like Keyfactor that provide Cyber Security certifications. So, without wasting any further time, let us take a brief look at what PKI actually is. What Does The Term PKI Mean? In simple words, PKI is the term that focuses on everything that establishes and runs public key encryption. Public Key Infrastructure is one of the most common types of Internet encryption that deals with Cybersecurity. It is actually installed on all web browsers to ensure that the traffic of the website is coming from a secure place. Organizations also use PKI to secure their internal communications. The whole concept of PKI revolves around cryptography; it ensures that proper security is provided to websites. Keep in mind that these keys are not a part of the process of encryption; they just help to authenticate the true identity of the parties or devices. They are just certificate givers. What Are PKI Certificates? PKI certificates are nothing but online documents that work like digital passports. They are basically given to websites or entities that want to join the PKI-secured conversation. PKI certificates are not just random authentications, as they can contain a significant amount of data. One of the top important pieces of information that a certificate includes is the website’s or entity’s public key; the certificate is only the medium through which the key is shared. Then comes the part of authentication. Here, the certificate comes with an attestation from a reliable source that the entity or website is who they declare to be. Let us look at some of the key elements of PKI certificates to get a better understanding. 1. Registration Authority – The registration authority is the single most important element in the Public Key Certificate. It confirms the identities of those asking for digital certificates. 2. Certificate Authority – The certificate authority signs the entities with its public key and issues digital certificates. 3. Certificate Policy – This certificate policy outlines all the PKI procedures; it helps outsiders judge the authenticity of the website. 4. Certificate Database – The Database stores the metadata and certificates until the license expires. Now that you know the basis of PKI and PKI certificates, let us take a look at the uses of PKI. Different Types Of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)? Basically, PKI (public key infrastructure) includes a system consisting of technologies, policies, and procedures. With the help of PKI, you can create, manage, and use public keys and digital certificates. Generally, PKI falls under the basics of cybersecurity. Actually, it helps systems to secure communication and data transfer. Additionally, it also helps the system to establish user identity, services, and devices. The following are the ways through which PKIs help you ensure cybersecurity in your organization: 1. Digital Certificates Basically, these are electronic data structures that bind a user or any entity to their public keys. In fact, you can use digital certificates if you want to establish a secure connection between private systems and public web pages. Some examples of such systems are internal Wi-Fis, VPNs, wiki pages, etc. 2. Encryption You need a cryptographic key if you want to authenticate devices or people. 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Securing Internal Communications. Signing Documents. Giving Recovery Key for Encrypted Hard Drives. I hope by now you have understood the uses of PKI, so let us take a look at some of the risks that you may face if you do not execute PKI properly. What Are The Dangers Of Poor PKI Implementation? The thing is, having PKI does not ensure total security, but IT and Security Professionals take PKI very seriously because they are well aware of the risks. Some of the common risks that you may face due to poor PKI implementation are: More encryption increases operational costs Most business organizationslack the proper infrastructure to Implement PKI Unsecured websites undermine trust. Final Thoughts: There you have it. Above was pretty much everything that you needed to know about PKI, aka Public Key Infrastructure. Basically, you can use PKIs to manage and control public keys. Here, your goal is to encrypt these public keys to protect the network. This ensures secure data transfer and communication on the Internet. I hope you have found this article informative and educational. If you have some further queries in regard to PKI, kindly comment them down below. Read Also: Would Your Ecommerce Website Pass the Cybersecurity Test? Here are 3 Things You Could Be Doing Wrong 6 Benefits of Microsoft 365 Security Five Tips to Make Sure Your Security Software Is Actually Secure Why You Need A Secure Wifi Connection In Shared Space

E-Commerce Website Security: Top 14 Must-Have Cybersecurity Features

With the rise of digitization, there has been a rise in cybercrime. In fact, when a cyberattack happens, it harms a company directly and indirectly. Also, it affects its reputation in its potential customers’ eyes. In fact, you cannot count but estimate the loss that happens. Hence, it is important to ensure e-commerce website security. In this article, you will learn about the top fourteen ways to ensure e-commerce website security. However, before that, it is also important to understand the importance of ensuring security in e-commerce websites. Hence, to learn more, read on to the end of the article. Importance Of E-Commerce Website Security In 2024, most businesses are working in the online framework. Their revenues heavily depend on their websites. If they do not emphasize their website’s security, their customer base and reputation will become vulnerable. As an eCommerce website owner, you need to comply with certain payment guidelines. These include PCI/DSS (Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard) to ensure smooth payment transactions. Moreover, you need to install security protocols to secure your data integrity. They will not only protect your customer data from hackers but also keep the search engines satisfied. Thus, security is essential for your eCommerce website. Top 14 Ways To Ensure E-Commerce Website Security The following are some of the major cybersecurity features you must ensure on your website: 1. Implement 2-factor Authentication Does not matter how frustrating it may sound. As long as you are keeping your customer’s data secure, every security method is fine. Employing 2-factor authentication may make your customers a bit agitated. They first enter the login credentials and then enter the OTP received on their number to decrease security breaches and hacks drastically. So, employ the process and safeguard your customer accounts. 2. Get HTTPs And SSL Certification To obtain HTTPS authentication businesses need an SSL certificate to be installed on a website. Before installation, you need to buy an SSL certificate. This is because it encrypts the data communication between the server and the client. Then, it passes the data over a secure network through cryptographic functions (symmetric & asymmetric). This keeps cybercriminals from intercepting the communication. Out of all the SSL certificates, the EV SSL certificates require a user to undergo a unique validation process to verify his credibility through his name, ID, address, and more. Thus, get an EV SSL to secure your Ecommerce website and obtain the highest validation level. 3. Comply With PCI-DSS Guidelines For A Secure Payment Gateway System PCI-DSS or Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard is a body that governs a website’s right to maintain an online payment transaction system. If you are a website that sees over six million transactions every year, you must be level 1 compliant. However, if your transactions range from 20,000 per year, you are safe as a level 4 client of PCI-DSS. The compliance helps you to secure your payment gateway system. Also, it allows you to use a third-party app to accept payments and make refunds on your behalf. 4. Use A VPN As A Night Watchman When you use public networks such as Wi-Fis to access the site, it is better to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to watch your back and restrict other connections to manipulate the ongoing connection between the server and the client. Without a VPN, hackers can easily manipulate the payment transaction and hack credit and debit card details. VPN will secure your customers’ payment transactions even on Wi-Fi and keep their sensitive data as safe as houses. 5. Restrict Malicious Bots Using reCAPTCHA The reCAPTCHA method is extremely effective in keeping hackers at bay. Basically, ReCAPTCHA generates random questions that a bot cannot answer. There are plenty of malicious bots lurking around the internet in hopes of finding an ideal prey for cybercriminals. When they get access to your account, malicious bots can steal information, leak it, or even bring your site down. ReCAPTCHA adds an extensive layer of security that is impenetrable for a code or a bot. It restricts bad guys’ entrance by protecting login pages, signup pages, contact form pages, form submission pages, payment gateway pages, etc. 6. Start Using A Reliable Content Management System (CMS) Choosing the right CMS is important for businesses to determine whether an eCommerce website will stay safe. Mediocre CMSs are a big risk to have. They might help you save a few bucks, but you will always be vulnerable to theft. But, CMSs like WordPress and Joomla have renounced entities having customer bases in millions. Moreover, they are regular in updating security patches and always stay a step ahead of the bad guys. The only thing you need to do is keep them updated. 7. Do Not Use Unsolicited Extensions And Plugins Plugins and extensions are necessary to enhance your website’s reach. They allow you access to multiple tools and features on the internet. However, not all plugins are safe to install. These days, due to rising cybercrimes, you must be aware of what you’re installing or adding. Cybercriminals can engrave malicious codes in the plugins, and when a user installs it, they get access to his site. Before installing any plugin, make sure that its source is known. Check for its reviews and ratings across the internet. Also, check its performance reports and badges for further inquiry and self-satisfaction. 8. Perform Audits For Site Security Site security auditing does not interest a lot of merchants, but it is essential for their survival. Site security auditing includes checking whether the anti-virus is working appropriately and whether security protocols are repelling attacks or not. As a merchant, you must initiate site auditing from time to time. It will help you prevent attacks and fix bugs and technical glitches. If detected early, some security issues can be repelled; otherwise, they may harm the website if they stay for longer periods. So, keep auditing your website at regular intervals of time. 9. Install A Firewall In Your Web Application If you own a web application, the firewall can benefit you immensely. Web Application Firewall or WAF protects the website or web app by analyzing the traffic between the application and the internet. A firewall protects the user data of the application from XSS (cross-site scripting), SQL injection, cross-site request forgery, etc. A firewall is the need of the hour to suffice the mounting cyberattacks and help sustain the business. 10. Perform Data-Backup Regularly In today’s tech world, data is more important than cash in your wallet. Here, you can earn cash again. However, once you lose data, you cannot retrieve them in the same proportion. For businesses, data is their lifeline. They thrive on data and channel their operations accordingly. Since it is immensely important, protecting it is quite a task for businesses as cybercriminals are always on the lookout for data. The best way to protect your data is by creating a copy of it and saving it on the cloud. Cloud allows you to access your data anywhere at any time, making it extremely reliable. 11. Regular Software Updates Regular software updates are crucial for e-commerce website security since they come with patches that deal with vulnerabilities. Additionally, since developers always research and improve cybersecurity, new updates let you access the latest features. In fact, they protect your website from new threats like ransomware. Also, it offers protection against data breach attempts. Moreover, software updates also let your website meet the compliance requirements of the e-commerce industry. Furthermore, it also helps in improving the overall performance of your e-commerce website. 12. Strong Password Policies Firstly, if there is a strong password policy, cyber criminals will not gain unauthorized access to the website. As a result, you can also prevent financial losses that may happen to your business. Moreover, you can also save your business from reputational damage. Generally, cybercriminals and hackers use weak passwords to penetrate networks. Thereby, they stop your business’s critical processes. Hence, with a strong password policy, you can ensure e-commerce website security. 13. Use A Secure Hosting Environment A secure hosting environment protects your e-commerce website from various security threats. These include hacking, data breaches, malware, etc. Apart from that, it also helps to maintain your site’s integrity. Also, it helps you to protect sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers. Additionally, it also offers protection against DDoS attacks Moreover, site downtime negatively affects your search engine ranking. Here, a secure hosting environment can help you a lot. 14. Focus On User Education And Training If you invest in user education and training, you can help them respond to cybersecurity threats. Basically, your users will learn to identify and respond to threats such as phishing, social engineering, and malicious attachments. Thereby, you can reduce the likelihood of cyberattacks that can compromise your e-commerce website security. As a result, you will gain more trust from your users and customers. Final Thoughts eCommerce is booming every day. New ways of marketing, selling, and attracting are in place to make life convenient for customers. On the hind side, hackers also build new ways to capture as much data as possible. Basically, they employ bots and bugs to do the dirty work. Bots can enter your website and steal customer data, whereas bugs can get attached to plugins and gain access once you install them. Keeping track of what you are installing, where you are visiting, and who you are allowing access to is of paramount importance. However, everything can get simple if you follow these fourteen steps. This way, you can frame a robust website security system. Do you have more recommendations on how to ensure e-commerce website security? Please share your ideas and opinions in the comments section below. Read Also: Everything You Need To Know About PKI In Cybersecurity Five Tips to Make Sure Your Security Software Is Actually Secure Why DRM Is the New Standard for Document Security Top 10 Computer Security Mistakes