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This winter, the national nonprofit Home Safety Council (HSC) is urging families to create a healthy and safe home environment, which includes taking steps to prevent home fire and CO hazards.
“With the right tools and a little advance planning, families can prevent a real tragedy,” said HSC President Meri-K Appy. “Taking a few simple actions can make a big difference in keeping your family safe and healthy throughout the year.”
The Home Safety Council has released new national survey results revealing that only 37 percent of respondents have taken any actions at home to prevent fires and burns.
To prevent fires and burns throughout the home during the winter season and all year-round, follows these tips:
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including near every bedroom, and be sure to change the batteries at least once a year.
Test your smoke alarms and replace those that are more than 10 years old.
Keep fire extinguishers easily accessible and know how to operate them.
If you’re building a new home or remodeling, consider installing a home fire sprinkler system – a great deterrent to spreading fires.
Every family should create a fire escape plan with two exits out of every room and an outside meeting place, and hold a family fire drill at least twice each year. In multistory homes sometimes the only second exit available is a window.
You can always be ready for emergencies with a permanently installed fire escape ladder that is easy to access and deploy, and provides the escape route to get your family to safety in 30 seconds or less.
Carbon monoxide is a potentially deadly gas that is produced by fuel-burning heating equipment, such as furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces and kerosene heaters. It is commonly known as “the silent killer” because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless.
Follow these CO safety tips to improve the health of your home:
Install at least one carbon monoxide alarm near sleeping areas.
Your home’s central heating system, fireplaces, wood stoves, and gas appliances should be professionally inspected annually, and cleaned or repaired as needed.
Never use an oven or range to heat your home, or cook on a gas or charcoal grill inside your home or in a closed garage.
Use portable electric generators outside only. Using them in a confined area can allow carbon monoxide to collect.
The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to be safer in and around their homes.
For additional information to keep your friends and family safe in and around the home during the winter and year-round, visit http://www.nfpa.org/index.asp?cookie_test=1 or http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/index.shtm.
