Home Safety

Many Injuries occur in the home.

While these often involve children, adults are also often injured in accidents related to what appear to be benign aspects in and around the house. A review of safety related items should be an annual exercise to maximize safety in your home.

From time to time, it's worth revisiting those issues that are most important to ensuring safety in and around your home.

The following is a check list of some of the more important safety issues. This should not be considered all-inclusive but certainly highlights many areas that are frequent sites of accidents in the home.

Stairs And Railings

Do all interior stairs have a railing on at least one side?

Do all exterior stairs (even those few steps going from one level of your lawn to another) have a railing on at least one side?

Do all stairs wider than 36 inches have railings on both sides?

Are the railings sound and securely mounted?

Do all balconies, decks and porches have railings around the perimeter? Do all your railings have intermediate grillage or balusters to prevent a child from getting through the railing?

Most national building codes now require that a railing shall be constructed such that no space in the railing is larger than 4 inches. This is to prevent children from getting through the railing.

Do any deck railings have integrated benches? If so, the bench should be eliminated. It easily encourages people to sit on the top rail where they could fall. bi;

Is the height of your railings appropriate? Most building codes require stair railings to be 36 inches from the leading edge of the step and 42 inches above balconies, decks or other horizontal platforms.

Are there stairways that descent directly toward doors? If so, a glass storm door can be a hazard to a child running down the stairs.

Glass And Windows

Is all glass that's close to the floor, or otherwise vulnerable to impact rated as safety glass? You should see a small, etched label, usually in the lower right hand corner.

Check the sill height of your windows. If it's less than 18 inches above the floor, most national building codes require that the glass be safety glass. As a practical matter, it it's less than 2 feet above the floor, it's relatively easy for a child to crawl up on the windowsill and fall out of the window. Screens should not be considered adequate to prevent a child from falling out of a window.

Fire Safety

Is the clearance between any wood or coal stoves and adjacent combustible materials at least 36 inches? There are some exceptions based on the type of stove but 36 inches is a good conservative rule of thumb.

Do you have hard-wired smoke alarms in all sleeping areas and near any combustion equipment?

Do you have carbon monoxide detectors in sleeping areas?

Do you have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen area?

Do you have a fire extinguisher in the garage/workshop area?

If you have an attached garage, is it properly separated from any adjacent living area by appropriate fire-resistant materials? A check with your local fire marshall will clarify any questions about this point.

Are all flammable materials stored outside or in a well-ventilated area?

If you have gas appliances and a municipal gas system, have you had all the gas connections and fittings checked by a properly qualified technician within the last twelve months? If not, you should.

If you use bottled gas in your house, have you had all of the fittings, connections, tubing, and appliances checked by a technician from your gas company in the last twelvemonths? If not, you should.

If you have a gas water heater in or near your garage, is it at least 18 inches off the floor? Most codes required that protection to prevent an explosion.

Swimming Pools

Is there a fence at least 42 inches high around the entire swimming pool?

Are any gates through that fence equipped with childproof latches?

If the swimming pool/patio area can be accessed directly from the house, are doors from the house controlled by childproof latches?

Is the pool itself equipped with an alarm to alert you if a child falls into the pool?

Miscellaneous

Does your garage door opener have both an automatic reverse and a photo cell to detect people who might otherwise be impacted by the door closing?

If you have a laundry chute, is access controlled by a childproof latch?

Are electric devices child safe?

Are children protected from hazardous and poisonous materials?

If you have a hot air heating system, gas- or oil-fired, have you had the heat exchanger tested for leaks in the last three years? As the heat exchanger in a hot air furnace deteriorates, it can allow contamination of the heated air. This can lead to a dangerous condition where carbon monoxide can migrate int the home. Regular checking of this equipment is important.

Are there any retaining walls on the property? If so, there should be railings at the top of those walls if they are more than about 2 feet high.

Are there any steep embankments on the property? If so, you may want to consider some fencing or shrubbery to prevent children from falling down the embankment, especially if there is a roadway, walkway, or hard surface at the bottom.

Does the driveway slope toward the street? If so, some control of children on skateboards, roller blades, bicycles, etc., may be needed to minimize the risks of a child losing control and rolling into traffic.

Are there upper-floor windows that allow access to roof areas? If so, these windows should be equipped with childproof latches.

Safety in the home is your responsibility. A regular check will prevent avoidable accidents.

How Safe Is Your Home?