Facts that Can Save Your Life Someday

We all have nightmares about being in sudden peril, but would you be equipped to survive if your worst fears became reality? Don’t panic, because there are loads of handy tips out there to keep you safe, and here are some facts that could literally save your life someday.

Surviving a Tornado

When a tornado hits, you need to think fast about the safest place to hide to avoid being hit by a cow flying at 200mph. If you’re looking out the window and the tornado doesn’t seem like it’s moving, it’s probably headed right for you. Try focussing your vision on a stationary upright object like an electrical tower, and if the tornado isn’t veering left or right it’s time to take action.

If you can’t reach a secure concrete shelter or basement then your next best bet is to head to the bathroom, and not just because your nerves have got the better of you. Some bathrooms are windowless, which makes them more robust, and most have strong framing and pipework in the walls which can hold together better.

Research shows that bathtubs and toilets are some of the only surviving household objects after a tornado because they’re anchored to the ground – so hop into the tub, and don’t forget to cover yourself with a couch cushion to protect yourself from falling debris.

Escaping Kidnap

Nothing could prepare you for a sudden abduction, but there are some crucial tips out there to improve your chances of making it out alive. The most important thing to remember is to draw as much attention to yourself as possible. That means shouting, screaming, fighting back and being frantic enough that you can’t be easily picked up.

If capture seems inevitable, deliberately drop as many personal items as possible, except for your phone, as this could provide vital evidence. Chances of survival drop by 50% once you’re in a vehicle, and even more after you reach the destination, so it’s important not to give up hope of escape.

If you can reach a window, try breaking it by focusing on the edges and corners where the glass is weakest, or remove a headrest and use the strong metal rods. Escaping from the trunk is also possible: pull back the carpet, find the brake lights and kick them out, then stick your hand through the hole and wave like crazy to passing vehicles.

If all else fails, try to establish a friendly rapport with your captor so they start to view you as a real person rather than an object, and you might just stay alive long enough to be rescued.

Extinguishing an Oil Fire

Generally speaking, cooking isn’t too life-threatening, unless you get seriously rogue with some sharp knives. But do you know what to do if your cooking oil suddenly goes up in flames?

Your instant reaction might be to extinguish it with water, but this would only make things a whole lot worse as water particles at the bottom of the pan evaporate, causing the flames to intensify and grow in size.

The correct course of action according to firefighters is to turn off the heat and cover the burning pan with something like a metal lid or damp cloth, which will cut off the fire’s supply of oxygen.

If the fire is small enough, you can also try dumping salt or baking soda on it as this causes carbon dioxide to reproduce and kill the flames, but it’s gonna take a significant amount to put it out completely.

Scuba Diving Sickness

Plenty of people experience sea sickness thanks to the rocking motion of a boat in choppy waters, but what happens when nausea strikes while scuba diving? Sickness while diving underwater isn’t impossible and can be caused by uneven waves, vertigo resulting from incomplete ear equalization or plain old digestive problems, but it’s important to think things through before you throw up your lunch.

Instinct will probably tell you to remove any gear from your mouth first, but because our body's natural reaction to vomiting is to gasp suddenly, any sharp intake of water could be potentially fatal.

Instead, experts suggest you should vomit directly into your gear – which is equipped to handle it thanks to a one-way valve system which will force it out of the regulator the same as your exhaled breath. It might not seem too appealing, but the best thing to do is hold onto your gear and spew away.

Spotting a Tsunami

Tsunamis are some of the most devastating natural disasters the world can face, but a massive wall of water looming toward you isn’t the first sign that you should probably run for your life.

These gigantic waves are caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide or volcanic eruption with enough force to suddenly disrupt whole bodies of water, and it’s worth knowing how to recognise early changes in your surroundings. Witnesses have reported that an approaching tsunami is sometimes preceded by an unexpected fall in water levels as the ocean is sucked back from the beach to feed the impending wave.

This means that the tide will be so far out that a much larger stretch of sand is visible than usual. Before the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami – the most damaging on record – people were reportedly collecting newly-exposed shells and fish on the shore when the wave hit.

On two other beaches nearby, though, 10-year-old English tourist Tilly Smith and biology teacher John Chroston were able to spot this simple sign and alert other beachgoers, saving thousands of lives.

Toxic Potatoes

You probably don’t know it, but the humble potato could actually cause you some serious damage if you’re not careful. Not every potato is the same –and bumps or inconsistencies are generally harmless – but those with an unusually green hue are probably best avoided.

Exposure to sunlight encourages the production of chlorophyll in potatoes which aids photosynthesis and is harmless to humans, but excess chlorophyll, which causes greening, could signal something far more dangerous. Green potatoes could contain a toxic compound called solanine which is created to protect vegetables from insects, bacteria and animals.

This toxin, which damages cell membranes and breaks down certain neurotransmitters, can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting and, in extreme cases, neurological disorders and even paralysis when consumed in large quantities. Peeling green potatoes can reduce solanine levels by about 30%, but it’s best to steer clear completely. If it looks odd and tastes bitter, throw it away.

Spotting an Electrical Fire

Nowadays a home can go up in flames in just three minutes, and electrical faults or malfunctions rank as the second leading contributing factor in house fires behind unattended equipment. With this in mind, it’s important to know what signs to look out for before it’s too late.

The most obvious signal is an unusual fishy smell wafting around the house, which others have also likened to the strong scent of urine. Your first call might be to check the fridge or blame the cat, but 9 times out of 10 this unpleasant odor is actually a clear sign that an electrical component (like electrical shielding, wires and other plastic components) is burning.

This is because these items are made with heat-resistant chemicals which release the strangely fishy smell when they can no longer withstand extreme temperatures. Try to locate the source of the smell, keeping an eye out for anything that looks melted or burnt, and switch off the power in that area, then call a qualified electrician right away.

Stuck on the Tracks

Picture this: you’re crossing a railroad when your car suddenly conks out in the middle of the tracks, and there’s a speeding train heading your way. What do you do?

At this point, you’d usually wake up in cold sweats, but let’s imagine this isn’t a nightmare: first and foremost, you need to abandon the vehicle and get as far away as possible. Freight trains can take nearly a mile to slow to a standstill, so don’t assume it’s going to stop in time.

Once you’re out, run as fast as you can in the right direction: the recommended course of action is to run at a 45-degree angle to the path of the oncoming train. It might seem counterintuitive, but by running towards the train you avoid being hit by flying debris from your recently obliterated car at the collision site.

If you get stuck and can’t see a train yet, leave your car and locate the railroad's emergency number (which is usually on the crossing arms) as this can stop train traffic and alert someone to your exact location.

Bleach and Ammonia

Giving the house a good deep clean can seem like a total chore, but if you don’t take proper care throughout then you could end up in a hospital, or worse. Two of the most popular cleaning products, bleach and ammonia, which are found in many household products like window cleaners, could produce chlorine gas, which has been used as a chemical weapon.

The chemical reactions involved in mixing bleach and ammonia create dangerous chloramine vapor, which is a well-known respiratory irritant. Even worse, this can then form a toxic compound known as hydrazine, which can cause edema, headaches, nausea and fatal seizures.

To avoid accidentally poisoning yourself while giving the bathroom a good scrub-down, just remember that mixing cleaning products of any sort is generally a pretty bad idea.

Practicing CPR

In critical situations, it's usually the case that unskilled CPR can be better than none when it comes to saving lives, so it’s worth knowing the basic steps in case you ever truly need it. To perform the procedure correctly: kneel beside the person and place your dominant hand on top of your other in the center of their chest with interlocked fingers.

With straight arms and locked shoulders, use the heel of your hand and your whole upper body strength to give 30 chest compressions followed by two mouth-to-mouth ‘rescue breaths’ and repeat this process until professional help arrives.

When it comes to timing, remember that there are three well-known songs with perfect rhythm to help you out: ‘Nelly the Elephant’, ‘Stayin’ Alive’ and ‘Another One Bite’s the Dust’… although you might not want to sing that last one out loud.

Regaining your Bearings

In any survival situation, it’s important to keep a record of your whereabouts by remembering your standard bearings, but sometimes we just can’t tell which way is which.

After unexpectedly falling into water or being knocked under by a huge wave and rocked around a bit, it can be difficult to tell which way is up, and those moments of confusion could be imperative to your survival. You need to swim up fast to avoid drowning, so try blowing out a few bubbles which will always travel straight to the surface and follow them in that direction.

A similar trick can work in the event of an avalanche if you find yourself trapped under snow or debris with no eye on the sky. Just spit and try to monitor the direction the saliva falls in – once you’re sure you know which way is up you can then start planning your escape.

Express Elevator

If you’re in an emergency situation and your best method of escape is an elevator you might find yourself slowed down by constant stopping at other floors, but it turns out there’s a sure-fire way to bypass the system and get out in a flash.

To create your own express elevator, you should first press and hold the ‘close doors’ button even after they close and then press and hold your desired floor until the elevator starts moving, and this should make your journey direct.

This little-known trick is used by emergency services when they need to get somewhere fast, and it works on elevators of most universal makes. This ‘express elevator’ mode could come in seriously handy, but don’t go testing it out too selfishly or it might not be around anymore when you really need it.

Life Jacket Safety

Whether you’re a nervous flyer or not, it’s important to pay attention to the in-flight safety instructions before take-off, but there’s one more little-known fact which could save your life.

Your life jacket might seem like the most important thing in the event of a crash but inflating it could also be the cause of your downfall. This is because if the aircraft has landed in water, immediately inflating your life jacket could cause you to float to the top of the plane and become trapped in the fuselage.

After Ethiopian Airlines flight 961 was hijacked and crashed into the ocean in November 1996, 125 of 175 people died when those with inflated lifejackets were trapped by the rising water.

The best course of action in this worst-case scenario is to put your life jacket on, then take a deep breath and swim out of the aircraft via an emergency exit before pulling the inflating cord when you’re safely out of the plane.

I hope you found these facts that can save your life someday useful. Thanks for reading!