(NC)—Spring's the perfect time for a safety clean-up to protect our families and our property. Start by checking each room of your house for unsafe conditions, including the attic and basement.
Remove all hazards. Check for frayed or damaged appliance cords, wiring, fuses or breakers and repair or replace them. Remove and recycle those stacks of papers and magazines. Check for water leaks, especially near electrical appliances. Make sure there's proper clearance between heating appliances and combustibles. Turn off the pilot flame in gas fireplaces. Test carbon monoxide or explosive gas alarms and ensure they are ideally located for the summer season.
Properly store flammable liquids and home chemicals Make sure that gasoline and cleaning fluids are well marked and out of reach from children and pets. Securely store dangerous tools, cleaners, chemicals, adhesives and paints according to their labels. Properly dispose of any that have expired, leak or look bad by taking them to your local recycling depot.
Check fire protection and safety equipment. This is important! Check your smoke alarms. Raffi Nersesian, spokesperson for Kidde Safety, an industry leader in fire and emergency equipment for the home, recommends checking the manufacture date on the product label. "Alarms older than 10 years should be replaced. Most importantly, make sure your smoke alarms work and have new batteries installed." Check fire extinguishers for proper type and placement. Make sure all doors and windows open easily for fast escapes. Verify that your street number is posted properly and is visible. Also have a working flashlight and battery-powered radio ready for possible power failures.
Plan your escape now. Sit down with your family and make sure that everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. Ensure that you have two ways out of every room and that you have a meeting place outside the house for the whole family. Review how to use an emergency escape ladder if your home has a second or third floor.
Practice the plan! You can do a lot to protect yourself, your family and your property. A little time spent on simple common sense prevention will do a lot to make your house a safer place. For more ways that you can protect yourself all year long. Visit www.SafeAtHome.ca for more information.
- News Canada
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