How to Make a Home Safety Checklist
Prevent Fire, Electrical, and Other Accidents Around the House
Jan 7, 2009
No home is safe from the possibility of hazards, injury or worse. Even a toy left at the top of the stairs can be a hazard that can lead to severe injury. Other home hazards are not as easily seen. Checklists help a home remain safe by having a list of items to go over that keep the home in its safest possible position.
There are certain areas to cover in a home safety checklist. One of them is fire safety, and another is pool safety. Wall, furniture, and floor safety is important, as is a list of emergency numbers to call. Here is a look at the safety checklist areas that families must keep in mind for maximal safety.
Fire Safety Checklist
A home fire safety checklist addresses those items and areas of the home that can be a potential cause for a fire, and how to keep those items and areas safe. Everyone must keep aware of these potential hazards. It involves the following:
- Recognizing that an adult must always remain in the kitchen when food is on the stove or hot foods are on the counter.
- Knowing that the stovetops and countertops must remain uncluttered and clean.
- Keeping potholders in an easy-to-reach position.
- Having pot and pan handles turned away from the outside so children cannot grab them or adults can't bump them.
- Recognizing that curtains cannot be hanging over the stove.
- Establishing a "kid-free" zone around the stove when adults are cooking.
- Making sure that portable space heaters are turned off when leaving the room or when going to bed.
- Making sure space heaters are at least a foot (12 inches) from anything in the house that is flammable, such as furniture, draperies, and people.
- Installing a screen to catch sparks from a fireplace.
- Making sure the fireplace has been surfaced yearly.
- Assuring that propane tanks aren't stored within the home.
It takes some effort to put fire safety into practice. The peace of mind from taking these steps far outweighs the pending disaster ignoring these checklist items could cause.
Electrical Safety Checklist
Electrical maintenance is very important to keeping a home safe. Not only is poorly functioning electricity a fire hazard, but even properly working electricity can cause injury, such as shocks. An electrical safety checklist should include:
- Making sure electrical cords are not across doorways or under carpets.
- Checking electrical cords for fraying or cracks, and replacing ones that don't meet standards.
- Assuring an adult unplugs lamps and other appliances before checking the cords.
- Assuring that major appliances are plugged into separate outlets and not attached to an extension cord.
Faulty electrical wires in the home are responsible for an estimated 40,000 fires a year. It is suggested that every home have an electrical inspection under certain conditions, which can be found at Safe Electricity online.
Other Home Safety Checklist Items
Other items to be placed on a home safety checklist include:
- Having working batteries in smoke alarms, and testing periodically.
- Assuring that all exits are free of obstructing furniture, clutter and toys.
- Having a home fire escape plan that includes more than one exit.
- Having a safe meeting place outside of the house.
- Practicing a fire drill in the home at least every six months.
- Knowing to call 911 from a neighbor’s phone or other phone in the event of a fire.
- Applying fresh lead-free paint to walls that are cracked or where paint is peeling.
- Affixing rugs to the floor so they will not slip.
- Placing brackets to bookshelves so they won't easily fall down.
- Placing cushions around corners of furniture to prevent cuts or scratches when bumped into.
- Assuring that you've installed a finger pinch guard on all doors.
- Covering doorknobs with knob covers to keep small children from getting through doors.
- Decorating a sliding glass door with decals as a reminder that the door is there.
- Placing childproof locks on a sliding glass door.
- Placing cord clips on blind cords to prevent a child or animal from choking on the cord.
- Installing guard rails on all stairwells.
Hazards can be anywhere in the home, and families must be wary of potential hazards at all times. Safety cannot be underrated, and can prevent many accidents. A home safety checklist, posted in a prominent area of the home, can help remind families what needs to be done to keep the home a safe place to live.
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