The Urban Home & Garden
Ensure your home is safe from fire
October 2011
Ensure your home is safe from fire
October 2011
October is Fire Prevention Month. While no one wants to think about having a fire at home, thinking about it and being prepared can save lives. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, fires continue to be the third leading cause of unintentional injury and death in the home. It’s a startling fact that may have you wondering what you can do to make sure your home is safe.
While most of us understand the value of installing and maintaining home smoke detectors, many of us miss the less-obvious fire and safety hazards lurking in the rooms we sleep, eat and play in. It may be as simple as putting up child safety gates or checking that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors have working batteries, but these small steps can significantly increase the level of safety in your household.
Below are some common safe home practices you can follow.
Kitchen
• Mount a fire extinguisher in the kitchen to use on small fires. Learn how to use it before an emergency.
• Use childproof locks on all cabinet doors.
• Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back.
• Lock up all cleaning and hazardous materials.
• Hang mini-blinds instead of curtains near the stove.
• Replace the oven’s exhaust hood filter every three months.
• Install anti-scald aerators on faucets.
• Never pour water on a grease fire; instead, turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid or close the oven door.
• Always stay in the kitchen when you are cooking food.
Bathroom
• Make sure towel bars are firmly installed.
• Place nonskid strips or a mat in the bathtub.
• Keep radios, portable heaters, and hair dryers away from the bathtub or shower.
Bedroom Areas
• Place smoke detectors near hallways and sleeping areas. Change batteries on a regular basis – put a reminder on the calendar.
• Consider purchasing an easy-to-use window escape ladder.
• In children’s rooms, install prong snap-on locks on outlets.
Living and Family Rooms
• Put non-skid backing on small, loose rugs.
• Use cord shorteners for lamps and home electronics.
• Put up protective grilles in front of fireplaces.
• Never leave burning candles unattended.
• Because many homes and apartments in San Francisco are older and have poor heating systems, space heaters are extremely popular. Used improperly, a space heater can be the most dangerous appliance in the house. Follow directions and manufacturer's warnings exactly. Never place a space heater near low hanging curtains.
Home Entrance and Lawn
• Install a motion-detector outdoor light at secluded front or back entrances.
• Install covers or barriers on all window wells around the house.
• Check all locks and dead bolts.
A final step is to have an evacuation plan ready in case of fire. Make sure to share it with every household member and practice it occasionally to keep it fresh in everyone's minds. Plan your escape from the fire. Find two ways out of every room. Children and older people may need help escaping, so plan for this. Make sure windows and doors open easily. Make sure everyone can reach and open locks on doors and windows, and that stairs and doorways are never blocked. Have a home fire drill. Practice your escape plan two times a year. Practice when everyone else is asleep at least once. And be sure to have a place to meet in front of your home.
Julia Strzesieski is the marketing coordinator at Cole Hardware and can be reached at [email protected].
Below are some common safe home practices you can follow.
Kitchen
• Mount a fire extinguisher in the kitchen to use on small fires. Learn how to use it before an emergency.
• Use childproof locks on all cabinet doors.
• Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back.
• Lock up all cleaning and hazardous materials.
• Hang mini-blinds instead of curtains near the stove.
• Replace the oven’s exhaust hood filter every three months.
• Install anti-scald aerators on faucets.
• Never pour water on a grease fire; instead, turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid or close the oven door.
• Always stay in the kitchen when you are cooking food.
Bathroom
• Make sure towel bars are firmly installed.
• Place nonskid strips or a mat in the bathtub.
• Keep radios, portable heaters, and hair dryers away from the bathtub or shower.
Bedroom Areas
• Place smoke detectors near hallways and sleeping areas. Change batteries on a regular basis – put a reminder on the calendar.
• Consider purchasing an easy-to-use window escape ladder.
• In children’s rooms, install prong snap-on locks on outlets.
Living and Family Rooms
• Put non-skid backing on small, loose rugs.
• Use cord shorteners for lamps and home electronics.
• Put up protective grilles in front of fireplaces.
• Never leave burning candles unattended.
• Because many homes and apartments in San Francisco are older and have poor heating systems, space heaters are extremely popular. Used improperly, a space heater can be the most dangerous appliance in the house. Follow directions and manufacturer's warnings exactly. Never place a space heater near low hanging curtains.
Home Entrance and Lawn
• Install a motion-detector outdoor light at secluded front or back entrances.
• Install covers or barriers on all window wells around the house.
• Check all locks and dead bolts.
A final step is to have an evacuation plan ready in case of fire. Make sure to share it with every household member and practice it occasionally to keep it fresh in everyone's minds. Plan your escape from the fire. Find two ways out of every room. Children and older people may need help escaping, so plan for this. Make sure windows and doors open easily. Make sure everyone can reach and open locks on doors and windows, and that stairs and doorways are never blocked. Have a home fire drill. Practice your escape plan two times a year. Practice when everyone else is asleep at least once. And be sure to have a place to meet in front of your home.
Julia Strzesieski is the marketing coordinator at Cole Hardware and can be reached at [email protected].
