Safety Checklist for Heading Off Household HazardsUse this search feature to quickly find the information you’re looking for.
1 Emergencies1 Buy or assemble a first-aid kit.2 Prepare a family disaster survival kit. 3 Keep emergency numbers in everyone's cell phone; and by the home phone (if you have one). 2 Accident Prevention1 Make sure entrances are well lit.2 Keep walkways, stairs, and halls clear. 3 Place nonslip stickers or a mat on the bottom of the tub. 4 Turn down the hot water heater to 120 Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius). 5 Place a flashlight in the guest room. 3 Fire Safety
1 Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, workshop, garage, and near bedrooms.2 Install smoke detectors in all bedrooms, outside their doors, and in hallways leading to them; at tops of stairs; in basement den or office. Test monthly; replace batteries yearly. 4 Environmental Hazards1 Asbestos: Give it a wide berth if it's intact; call an expert if it crumbles.2 Carbon monoxide: Install detectors and make sure batteries are fresh. 3 Lead paint: Test old painted surfaces for lead; if they contain it, paint or wallpaper over them. 4 Radon gas: Test for it and have it eliminated if necessary. 5 Security Against Intruders
1 Trim back bushes and trees near windows and doors.2 Remove ladders, trash cans, and garden tools from the yard. 3 Coat metal drainpipe up to the second floor with petroleum jelly to keep burglars from climbing the pipes. 4 Install motion-sensor lights outside. 5 Add locks to first- and second-story windows. (In bedrooms, leave one window lock-free to serve as an emergency exit.) 6 Put a broom handle or metal bar in tracks of sliding-glass doors (unless door is an emergency exit). 7 Replace hollow-core front doors with metal or solid wood. 8 Install a high-quality dead-bolt lock on the front door. 9 Add timers to indoor lights, TVs, and music systems and set them to go on and off at different times of the day.
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