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Home Safety

Many safety hazards are obvious and can been seen, smelled or heard: that wrinkled rug you could trip on, spoiled food that could make you sick, icy pavement that could cause a nasty fall, or a weather siren announcing an impending tornado.

Electrical hazards, however, are often undetectable. While some you can see, smell or feel, (outlets that are warm to the touch or lights that constantly flicker, for example), many others you cannot.

Here are some electrical safety tips to keep in mind in and around your home:

Fire Prevention: 
Don’t Get Burned!

Electricity usually makes life easier by powering kitchen appliances, gadgets, and electronics we use for entertainment. However, that same electricity contains the potential to destroy homes and take lives. Electric fires are more destructive than any other type of fire, and they are twice as deadly.

Safe Electricity has the following information to help you keep your electric system safe.

  • Consider getting an electric inspection of your home, especially if it is an older home, or you have never had an inspection.
     
  • If an electrical fire starts in your home, do not use water to extinguish it. Water conducts electricity, and you could get an electric shock. Use an extinguisher that is approved for use on electric fires.
     
  • Flickering lights, warm, cracked, or sparking outlets all indicate electrical problems and should be examined by a professional electrician.
     
  • If circuits trip, fuses blow, someone gets a shock, your home has an electric problem. Get an electric inspection.
     
  • Do not overload outlets, use an extension cord as a permanent wiring solution, or use light bulbs that are not rated for the socket.
     
  • Contact an electrician about installing an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI). An AFCI monitors the flow of electricity in your home. If the flow of electricity is irregular and could cause a fire, the AFCI shuts off electricity. An AFCI costs around $35, plus the cost of professional installation. The cost also depends on the size of your home and how many circuit breakers you have.
     
  • Inspect electric plugs and cords annually. If they are frayed or cracked, repair or replace them. Do not place cords under rugs, or staple or nail them to the wall.

Window Safety Week, recognized every year during the first full week in April, serves as a reminder of recognizing the importance of window safety and fall prevention year-round. This week is designed to heighten the awareness of what parents and caregivers should do to help keep their homes and families safer from the risk of accidental falls or injuries through windows.

In the spring, with the arrival of warmer weather, many homeowners begin to open windows for ventilation. However, open windows can be dangerous for young children who are not properly supervised. While the number of falls from windows is generally small compared with other recorded child injuries, a fall from a window can result in serious injury or even death.

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Tips to protect children from window falls:

  • Avoid the placement of furniture near windows to prevent children from climbing
  • Do not rely on insect screens to prevent a window fall
  • Keep children’s play away from open windows and doors
  • Install building code-compliant devices designed to limit how far a window will open or window guards with release mechanisms to help prevent a fall
  • Teach your child how to safely use a window to escape during an emergency

 

Window Safety FGIA