Home Safety

9/26/2018 (Permalink)

Electrical Safety

In the United States, electrical fires are responsible for one in seven of all home fires. On an average, there are 53,000 home electrical fires every year according to the National Fire Protection Association. Electrical fires result in approximately 500 deaths, 1,400 injuries, and $1.5 billion in property damage.

You can prevent most electrical fires by:

• Making sure outlets are not overloaded
• Covering unused outlets and safety plugs
• Checking cords for frays and warmth
• Placing light bulbs away from flammable objects such as curtains clothes, bedding, and other fabrics.

Child Safety

Small dangers can be hidden all over your home, especially for families with small children. Children are very active, making them more prone to accidents. You can take several steps to make your home a kid-safe environment:

• Install child locks on cabinets so dangerous items such as medicine, cleaners, and matches are kept out of reach.
• Make sure your home’s pool and hot tub is surrounded by fencing with self-locking and self-closing gates.
• Install hardware-mounted safety gates at the top and bottom of every stairway in your home.
• To prevent children from falling, install window guards that also have a quick release mechanism in case of fire.

Preparing for Potential Emergencies

Being prepared for a potential disaster saves time and lives. Simple steps can be taken to prepare your family for an emergency situation:

• Develop and discuss an evacuation plan with your family in case of a fire or other emergency.
• All phones should be accessible to every member in the household and pre-programmed with emergency contact numbers such as 9-1-1 so children and the elderly can call for help.
• Create an emergency contact sheet so family members know who to contact during the event of an emergency.

In the event your home faces serious damage due to flooding, a fire, or mold, be sure to call SERVPRO of The Attleboros at (508) 223-0505. We will clean up the damages in your home and make them, "Like it never even happened."