Your "Home Safety Month" Checklist
June is home safety month, and many people can take advantage of this by making sure that their home is safe and that you as a family have plans in place in case of emergencies. Here are some basic safety concerns that you can work on during this month – and every June – to be sure that you are practicing home safety all year long.
Hazardous Materials
One of the top injuries that occur at home is poisoning. To avoid illness due to poisoning in your home here are some basic safety tips: Be aware by knowing all of the products that are in your home and what are potentially dangerous. Keep any of these products in an inaccessible area from children and be sure they are labeled correctly. Also, have the number of a poison control center and your doctor on your refrigerator or another easy to find place in case of emergency.
Fall-related Hazards
Another common home-related injury is a fall. Falls often occur in young children and older adults, but they can happen to anyone. For small children, be sure to child-proof your home with hardware-installed baby gates, secure window guards and balcony guards. For older adults, make sure to install hand-rails on all stairways and in bathrooms. In addition, try to keep your home clutter-free and well-maintained to avoid falls from obstacles or maintenance issues.
Firearm/Dangerous Item Safety
Home Safety month is a great time to evaluate any items in you home that might be deadly in the wrong hands. This especially includes guns but also other weapons such as knives and pepper spray. These items should have a secure place to be stored such as a gun safe. Large gun safes are ideal for rifles, shotguns or collections of firearms, but you can also invest in a wall safe or drawer safe that locks. Any kind of safe can work – as long as you can make it inaccessible to children or others that shouldn’t handle these dangerous items.
Fire and Emergency Safety
When getting prepared for a fire or other emergency, it’s very important to have a plan implemented. When you talk to you family about a fire plan, you will want to make sure everyone knows where all potential exits are, and where to meet outside the home. Young children should know how to dial “911″ and have their address memorized. Other emergency plans could include what to do in a flood, tornado or other potential disaster. Write your plan down and review it at least every six months to make sure everyone remembers.
Other things you can do is to check your fire and carbon monoxide detectors, update emergency phone numbers, and talk to family members and baby-sitters about your home safety as well.