Fire Safety Checklist to Protect Your Home and Family
Spraggins Home Inspections would like to share ways to help prevent disastrous fires in your home. We encourage you to take a few minutes to go through your residence to ensure your home is safe for the coming year.
Fire Safety Checklist
Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Smoke alarms should be found on every floor in your home, especially near bedrooms. Check batteries on a regular basis, if not hard-wired. It is recommended you change batteries when you move the clocks forward and back in the spring and fall. Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed near any fuel-burning appliances or fireplaces. Both of these types of detectors need to be replaced every 10 years, on average.
Fire Extinguishers: Should be visible and found on every floor of your home, especially kitchens, garages, and basements.
Dryer Exhaust Vent: Check to see if your dryer exhaust vent is clean. Poor or inappropriate dryer exhaust venting can lead to a buildup of lint. It is important to clean the lint out of the filter every time before you start a new load, be aware of how clean your dryer vent is, and be aware of the type of exhaust vent materials being used. Proper materials are smooth metal, taped at the seams. Screws or ridged ducting serve to catch lint and create obstructions.
Baseboard Heaters: Eliminate anything that may come into contact with baseboard heaters (curtains, toys, dropped clothing/bedding, electrical cables, etc.).
Flammable Liquids: Store in approved containers and away from all heat sources.
Electrical Service Panels: Make sure the fuses and circuit breakers in your electrical service panel are the correct amperage and not hot. Never replace a fuse or breaker that blows with a higher-amperage.
Clear Home Exterior: Clear away combustibles on the exterior of your home (dead branches, grass, shrubbery, fire wood, etc.).
Garden Hose: Have a reliable hose ready in case of a fire threat nearby. Make sure it is nearby a frost-free hose bibb.
Evacuation Plan: Prepare an evacuation plan for your home and hold practice fire drills until every family member instinctively knows what to do in the event of an emergency, including where to meet once outside (arrange a spot at a safe distance away).
Keep matches and lighters in a safe place, out of the reach of children. Never leave candles or fires burning unattended. Have wood and gas stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, furnaces and boilers checked at least once a year by a professional, or more frequently, depending on usage.
Education: Make sure occupants are educated about basic risk factors before using a fireplace and ensure additional safety measures are adhered to, in a shared or rented home.
This checklist entails just some of the things you can do to help keep your family safe. If you need help to determine if safe conditions exist in your home, contact us at Spraggins Home Inspections! (828)482-7239
