This is all quite new to me, so I'm very open to meeting some new friends who wouldn't mind helping educate me on safety and how to start incorporating kink into my life safely.
What's "safe" depends a lot on what kind of risks you're willing to take. Anything you do involves accepting risks: riding a bus involves other risks as taking a plane. Nobody can tell you which risks you are willing to take and you shouldn't ever let anybody else define that for you.
Starting a bdsm life is experimenting a lot! Most of the time, basic safety rules can just be applied to any bdsm relationship you start. That said, some things bdsm require certain safety measures - which any Dom(me) should know about. That said, it's good when submissives know about those as well - since any mistakes will have a bigger impact on the submissives life.
First of all: always prepare a safety exit, especially when you go on your own. The best safety exit is another person next to you, but if you play online this tends to be difficult. So when you use rope to bind yourself, have safe scissors within reach. If you use handcuffs, have the keys in reach. Always assume that you will not have the same mobility once you lock yourself up - especially when you get tired after a longer session. Always (and I mean always) have a backup release, be it a second key or whatever. If you can, invite somebody to your home for a time which you plan your session to have ended. (Like if you play for 2 hours starting at 6pm, then invide somebody for 9pm.) If you can't free yourself, that person might help you - embarassing, but that's better then being dead. And - especially when starting your experience - when using a gag or using restraints on your neck, be extra cautious.
As a beginner, plan your whole setup beforehand while you can still think clearly. Once you are horny, mistakes happen. Stories are told about those mistakes, and many had a bad ending. Like those of persons who changed their bondage and then realized they can no longer reach the key.
If you keep sane, it's a pretty safe hobby. But if you stop being sane...