Home Safety Checklist

Fan the flames of safety

One of the most devastating disasters that can happen in a home is a fire. To start minimizing your risk of having a fire, complete these basic home-safety tasks:

Install working smoke alarms. Test them monthly, and replace the batteries twice a year, when you change your clocks.

Plan and practice a fire escape route with your family.
Fix potential fire hazards, such as frayed wires, wires under carpets, loose plugs and gas smells around pipes or appliances.
Move candles away from combustibles, such as draperies or paper.
Consider installing a sprinkler system. The National Fire Protection Association states that 90 percent of fires can be contained by the operation of just one sprinkler system. "The installation of sprinkler systems in homes saves lives and property and should be increased at every opportunity," says Julie Reynolds, director of public affairs for the NFPA in Quincy, Mass.

Be careful in the kitchen
According to the NFPA, cooking equipment is the No. 1 cause of home fires. Never leave cooking equipment unattended, and keep your cooking area clean and uncluttered. Greasy or cluttered stove tops can lead to fires. Heed these other kitchen safety suggestions.

Hot soup on the stove top can fall and burn someone. Turn pan handles in.
Don't let children touch or get near hot items.
Always supervise children in your kitchen.
Lock up cupboards and cabinets that contain detergents or other potentially harmful substances.

Don't forget the garage
Garages are usually filled with sharp tools, flammable liquids and motorized equipment. However, they're often overlooked when considering home safety. Keep these tips in mind when evaluating your garage.

Lock up power tools and chemicals inside a cabinet.
Store flammable materials, such as gasoline or oil-soaked rags, in appropriate containers.
Keep hazardous substances, like weed killers, fertilizers or grease-removing solvents, locked in cabinets or out of children's reach.
Always supervise children in your garage.
Inspect your overhead garage door regularly.
Keep the garage door down and locked at all times, even if you are inside the house or in the yard.
Test the automatic reverse mechanism monthly.
Keep the garage door remote controls away from children.
Never try to "beat the door" by entering or exiting the garage beneath a moving garage door.

Ensure safety in older homes
Replete with charm and nostalgia, older homes unfortunately come with a host of potential safety problems. The home-improvement editors at 4anything.com, an Internet site that supplies information on various topics, offer this advice for improving safety in older homes.

Visually inspect wood for rot or termite damage.
Check for cold air drafts.
Inspect all exposed plumbing for possible insulation trouble spots.

In addition, owners of older homes can inexpensively improve their safety by doing one or all of the following: Install slip-resistant materials in the shower or tub.
Add lighting where necessary.
Update electrical outlets and switches.

Reduce slips and trips

Slips and trips aren't always a product of clumsiness. Many can be prevented by keeping these simple rules in mind.

Make sure all throw rugs have non-skid padding under them.
Install handrails and slip-resistant floor coverings on staircases.
Use a bath/shower mat near the bathtub or shower.
Check outside for uneven ground. Level problem areas or mark them to prevent a fall.
Apply an ice-melt product, salt, or sand to icy driveways, sidewalks and porches.

Remove clutter
Home safety includes getting rid of extra household "stuff" and neatly storing anything that's left over. Too many improperly stored items can be hazardous. For example, the potential for fire increases with each stack of old newspapers or paper grocery bags.

Throw away what you don't need.
Store what you do need in filing cabinets, see-through plastic bins and desk and closet organizers.

Prevent a pool tragedy

From a child's perspective, swimming pools are excellent escapes on a warm day. However, from a parent's perspective, pools are potential hazards whenever a child is present. The key to pool safety lies primarily with competent adult supervision.

Erect a barrier that, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "prevents a child from getting over, under or through, and keeps the child from gaining access to the pool except when supervising adults are present."
Enforce the use of personal flotation devices.
Be sure kids don't run around a pool.
Don't allow kids to dive in shallow areas.


Remember firearm safety

Most tragedies, injuries or deaths from firearm-related incidents are preventable. The National Rifle Association suggests that adults should store guns so that they are inaccessible to children and other unauthorized users. Store guns in a safe or a locking gun cabinet, or use a device that renders the weapon unusable, such as a trigger lock.

Offer these tips to kids if they find a gun:

Stop!
Don't Touch
Leave the area.
Tell an adult.

Don't wait to fix something until after an incident occurs. Home safety should be on everyone's "to do" list. With the new year in full force, safeguard what matters most: you and your family.

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