National Safe at Home Week

Most of us feel the safest and most secure when we are in our homes, but have you ever thought about the potential dangers your home possesses? The National Safety Council estimates that approximately 245 people die of unintentional injuries at or near thier own home everyday! August 26-30, 2015 is National Safe at Home Week. The purpose of this week is to raise the awareness and importance of safety in the home. Take a look at this checklist and see how your home measures up to potential danger.

Install smoke detectors on every floor of your home as well as carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas. Be sure to test them and change the batteries regularly.
Check your outlets! Make sure extension cords and power strips are not running above recommended wattage. Ensure all extension cords are being used safely. Extension cords should not run under rugs or large furniture.
Check all bookcases, dressers, and other large pieces of furniture for stability. Most bookcases and other top heavy furniture should be bracketed to the wall to prevent tipping.
Keep all purpose fire extinguishers available. Learn how to use them properly and check expiration dates regularly.
Unplug appliances when they are not in use and store them out of reach. All major appliances should be grounded. Check your ground fault circuit interrupters regularly.
Set your water heater below 120 degrees to avoid potential burns and also save energy.
Childproofing your home is very important when you have small children. Do your research and figure out which systems or strategies work best for your family. Some particular areas of importance include appliances, electronics, outlets, stairs, and windows.
Talk to your children about the importance of safety. Create a fire escape plan and practice it with the whole family. You should identify two exits for every room in the home. You can even draw it out so each family member has a copy, or post it in your kid’s bedrooms. Here is an example:

Now that you have completed the safety checklist, do you feel like your home is safe? This is just a basic checklist that covers some major areas of potential danger, but every house is different and there are many other factors that play a role in safety. Use National Safe at Home Week as a reason to give your home a serious safety evaluation. Even with all the preparation, sometimes disasters can be unavoidable. Just remember, in the event of a disaster in your home ServiceMaster by Bailey has you covered. We are available 24/7/365 to assist in disaster recovery. You keep your family safe and we will handle the mess from those unavoidable events.