Home Safety Tips You Cannot Afford To Ignore – Fire Prevention
Your Home. It’s the place where you expect to feel safe. Reliable statistics show that more fire deaths and injuries occur in the home than in any other place. So don’t underestimate the danger of home fire.
Common fire hazards around your home:
- Smoking/lit cigarettes
- Open flames from a stove top burner
- Candles left unattended around children and/or pets
- Unemptied dryer lint traps
- Especially dry brush or leaves
- Old, worn, or frayed electrical cords
- Overfilled electrical outlets and power strips
- Unsafe fire places or stoves
Follow these home fire safety tips and make sure your family is in the know when it comes to house fire dangers.
- Routinely check your electrical appliances to make sure cords have not been damaged. Replace old or damaged cords immediately.
- Do not overload your circuits or extension cords. Remember that you should use extension cords only on a temporary basis. Consult an electrician to install additional outlet, if necessary.
- Unplug electrical appliances when not in use, especially if you will be away from home for an extended period of time.
- Never try to fit a three-prong plug into a two-slot outlet.
- Stay alert while cooking. Make sure you turn kitchen appliances off once you are done cooking.
- Keep stove surfaces free of clutter and built-up grease.
- Always have a lid or some type of non-combustible flat surface to put over a pan fire so it can be smothered.
- Keep electric or portable space heaters at least 3-feet from everything, including you!
- Prevent fires with proper dryer duct installation. The dryer duct should vent directly outdoors – never to a room inside the house. Venting a gas dryer inside is especially dangerous. The air discharge can contain a combination of combustible gases.
- Never leave burning candles unattended. Always have them in or on a non-combustible surface away from combustible surfaces.
Make sure you have these important fire safety tools in your home:
Smoke detectors
Be sure to have smoke detectors in all sleeping areas and on every level of your home including the basement. Have a smoke detector either in each bedroom or in the hall adjacent to the bedroom.
Test the batteries monthly, and replace them when you turn your clocks forward or back for daylight saving time.
Fire extinguishers
Install at least one fire extinguisher in plain view above the reach of children. Position it near escape routes and away from stoves or heating appliances.
Make sure all family members know how to use an extinguisher, and get it inspected and serviced as per the manufacturer’s requirements.
Family escape plan
You must have a family escape plan known to all your family members. Practice this plan annually.
Designate a meeting spot outside the house.
Always call 911 first if you have a fire.
Your safety in the home should be a major concern. To discuss this and other home related topics fill in this form, visit one of our offices, or call 604-913-1000.