Take a safety inventory of your home

By Kent Steinriede
Gannett News Service

When choosing a fire extinguisher, bigger is always better. Larger ones give you more time to fight the fire and get to safety. Newswire Photo Service

Sometimes it's blind neglect. It could take weeks to replace a dead battery in a smoke detector, although you walk by it several times a day.

Also, everyday tasks like cooking or changing a light bulb can cause an accident when you try to do them in a rush. And these days, who isn't in a rush?

All types of injuries take place in the home. Many of these can be avoided if you slow down, look around the house and use common sense.

Here are a handful of precautions to take around the house.

Childproofing

Follow a small child around the house and you'll immediately notice many safety hazards you have never thought of. The best way to childproof your home is to look at the world through a child's eyes. Get down on their level and see what the hazards are.

Poisonous cleaning and gardening supplies should be locked up or stored up high; electric outlets should be covered and fragile bric-a-brac that may break into sharp pieces should be moved up high or stored.

Low windows should be opened from the top, not the bottom where small children can fall through.

Kids can also create safety hazards, especially by leaving toys on the steps or in dark hallways. If you have an older deck, the railings may have horizontal, rather than vertical, barriers. These should be replaced. To a child, the horizontal boards may look like a ladder.

Falls

Falling is one of the most common causes of injuries around the house. Think before you climb. If it feels dangerous, it probably is. Don't stand on a trash can to change a light bulb. Even when you're using a ladder, take a second to look at the ground to make sure you have a safe surface.

Outdoors, repair cracks in the concrete with caulk. Any crack that juts up more than three-fourths inch should be smoothed over, or the concrete should be redone.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

Most important, change the batteries in these devices regularly. When firefighters arrive at a house fire, it's common to find that the smoke detectors have dead — or no — batteries.

Each room should have a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. Hard-wired systems, in which all the detectors ring when one detects smoke, are best and required in some jurisdictions.

Electricity

Make certain your home has GFI (ground-fault interrupter) outlets throughout the kitchen and anywhere that there is concrete or water. Outdoor outlets should be GFI also.

Just as important, make sure that the GFI outlets are working properly. To do this, try the "night-light test." Press the "test" button on the outlet and then plug in a night light. Switch it on. The night light should not light up. If it does, the GFI outlet may not have been installed correctly or may be broken.

Avoid creating an "octopus" at a wall outlet. Instead, use a power strip with a circuit breaker. Invest in a quality power strip that is more likely to safely cut the power when it becomes overloaded.

Don't run electric extension cords under rugs or carpet. They can get hot and the plastic casing may chafe away from people walking over them.

Kitchen caution

Cuts, burns and fires happen every day in kitchens. To avoid cuts, keep your collection of knives organized and know the proper way to use them.

When cutting, protect your fingers by curling them while holding whatever you are cutting. Always keep your eyes on what you're cutting. If someone talks to you, stop cutting.

When cooking on the stove top, turn pot handles to a 45-degree angle from the front of the stove so that passersby are less likely to knock into them. Never leave the kitchen when a pot is boiling. Finally, have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

Fire extinguishers

There are different types of fire extinguishers: Class A for general fires, such as wood, paper and cloth; Class B for grease and other flammable liquids, and Class C for electrical fires. Make sure that you have the proper extinguisher for an area. For example, Class B is best in the kitchen.

Check to make sure your extinguisher is fully charged. If not, have it charged or replace it.

Many hazards are built into your house and should be replaced. Low windows, less than 18 inches above the ground, should have tempered glass, as should bathrooms.