| BLIND |
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| BLIND |
| SMOKE DETECTORS |
| Smoke
is
responsible for three out of four deaths. |
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Install
smoke detectors on every level of your
home and outside of sleeping areas. |
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Test
every detector at least once a month. [See
your instruction book for the location of the test button.] |
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Keep
smoke detectors dust free. Replace batteries
with new ones at least twice a year (Day Light Savings), or sooner if
the detector makes a chirping sound. |
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If you
have a smoke detector directly wired into
your
electrical system, be sure that the little signal light is blinking
periodically. This tells you that the alarm is active. |
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Inexpensive
smoke detectors are available for the
hearing impaired. |
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| FIRE
EXTINGUISHERS |
| They remain
your best bet if you're on the spot when a fire begins. |
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Fire
extinguishers should be mounted in the
kitchen, garage, and workshop. |
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Purchase
an ABC type extinguisher for
extinguishing all types of fires. |
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Learn how
to use your fire extinguisher before
there is an emergency. |
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Remember,
use an extinguisher on small fires
only. If
there is a large fire, get out immediately and call 911 from another
location. |
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| THINKING
AHEAD: Your Exit Plan |
| As with
other things, the best motto is, "Be Prepared." |
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Prepare a
floor plan of your home showing at
least two ways out of each room. |
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Sleep
with your bedroom door closed. In the event
of
fire, it helps to hold back heat and smoke. But if a door feels hot, do
not open it; escape through another door or window. |
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Easy-to-use
window escape ladders are available
through many catalogues and outlet stores. For instance, First Alert
sells one for around $90. |
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Agree on
a fixed location out-of-doors where
family members are to gather for a head count. |
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Stay
together away from the fire. Call 911 from
another location. Make certain that no one goes back inside the burning
building. |
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Check
corridors and stairways to make sure they
are free of obstructions and combustibles. |
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To help
cut down on the need for an emergency
exit in
the first place, clear all unnecessary items from the attic, basement,
garage, and closets. |
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| FIREPLACE |
| Remember,
you're deliberately bringing fire into your home; respect it. |
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Use a
fireplace screen to prevent sparks from
flying. |
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Don't
store newspapers, kindling, or matches near
the
fireplace or have an exposed rug or wooden floor right in front of the
fireplace. |
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Have your
chimney inspected by a professional
prior
to the start of every heating season and cleaned to remove combustible
creosote build-up if necessary. |
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Install a
chimney spark arrester to prevent roof
fires. |
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When
lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match
first, then turn on the gas. |
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| FURNACE/SPACE
HEATERS |
| Used
improperly, a space heater can be the most dangerous appliance in your
house. |
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Install
and maintain heating equipment correctly.
Have your furnace inspected by a professional prior to the start of
every heating season. |
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Don't
store newspapers, rags, or other
combustible materials near a furnace, hot water heater, space heater,
etc. |
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Don't
leave space heaters operating when you're
not in the room. |
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Keep
space heaters at least three feet away from
anything that might burn, including the wall. |
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Don't use
extension cords with electrical space
heaters. The high amount of current they require could melt the cord
and start a fire. |
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When
lighting a gas space heater, strike your
match first, then turn on the gas. |
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Never use
a gas range as a substitute for a
furnace or space heater. |
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| CLOTHES
DRYER |
| Under some
circumstances, dangerous heat can build up in a dryer.· |
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Never
leave home with the clothes dryer running. |
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Dryers
must be vented to the outside, not into a
wall or attic. |
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Clean the
lint screen frequently to keep the
airway clear. |
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Never put
in synthetic fabrics, plastic, rubber,
or foam because they retain heat. |
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| ELECTRICAL
HAZARDS |
| Electricity,
the silent servant, can become a silent assassin. |
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It is
better not to use extension cords. If you
feel
you must use one, make sure that it is not frayed or worn. Do not run
it under a rug or twist it around a nail or hook. |
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Never
overload a socket. In particular, the use
of
"octopus" outlets, outlet extensions that accommodate several plugs, is
strongly discouraged. |
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Do not
use light bulb wattage which is too high
for the
fixture. Look for the label inside each fixture which tells the maximum
wattage. |
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Check
periodically for loose wall receptacles,
loose
wires, or loose lighting fixtures. Sparking means that you've waited
too long. |
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Allow air
space around the TV to prevent
overheating.
The same applies to plug-in radios and stereo sets, and to powerful
lamps. |
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If a
circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows
frequently, immediately cut down on the number of appliances on that
line. |
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Be sure
all electrical equipment bears the
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label. |
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In many
older homes, the capacity of the wiring
system
has not kept pace with today's modern appliances. Overloaded electrical
systems invite fire. Watch for these overload signals: dimming lights
when an appliance goes on, a shrinking TV picture, slow heating
appliances, or fuses blowing frequently. Call a qualified electrician
to get expert help. |
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| KITCHEN |
| Careless
cooking is the number one cause of residential fires. Never leave
cooking unattended. |
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It's wise
to have a fire extinguisher near the
kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the exit side of the
kitchen. |
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Never
pour water on a grease fire; turn off the
stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the oven door. |
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Keep pot
handles on the stove pointing to the
back, and always watch young children in the kitchen. |
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Don't
store items on the stove top, as they could
catch fire. |
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Keep
kitchen appliances clean and in good
condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when not in use. |
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Don't
overload kitchen electrical outlets and
don't use appliances with frayed or cracked wires. |
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Wear
tight-fitting clothing when you cook. Here's
why:
An electrical coil on the stove reaches a temperature of 800 degrees. A
gas flame goes over 1,000 degrees. Your dish towel or pot holder can
catch fire at 400 degrees. So can your bathrobe, apron, or loose
sleeve. |
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Be sure
your stove is not located under a window
in which curtains are hanging. |
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Clean the
exhaust hood and duct over the stove
regularly. and wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the
stove is cool. |
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Operate
your microwave only when there is food in
it. |
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| CHILDREN
and GRANDCHILDREN |
| One-fourth
of all fire-deaths of children are from fires started by children. |
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Keep
lighters and matches out of the reach of
children. |
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Never
leave children unattended with fire or
space heaters. |
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Children
are naturally curious about fire, so
keep an
eye on them. But if a child repeatedly plays with fire or seems to have
a morbid fascination with fire, seek professional help at once. |
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If
youngsters live with you or stay overnight
occasionally, be sure that they know how to escape from every room and
are part of your emergency exit plan. [See "Thinking Ahead" above] |
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| GASOLINE
AND OTHER FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS |
| Those cans
aren't painted red just for the fun of it! |
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Flammable
liquids should be stored only in
approved
safety containers, and the containers should be kept outside the house
and garage in a separate storage shed. |
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Gas up
lawn equipment and snowthrowers outside,
away from enclosed areas and any source of sparks or heat. |
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Start the
equipment 10 feet from where you filled
it with fuel. |
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Don't
fill a hot lawn mower, snowthrower, or
other motor; let it cool first. |
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Never
clean floors or do other general cleaning
with gasoline or flammable liquids. |
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| SMOKING |
| If you
actually believe that
you're immune from cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other ills, at
least worry about burning to death. |
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Never
smoke in bed. |
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Don't
smoke when you are drinking or are
abnormally tired. |
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Use
large, deep ashtrays, and empty them
frequently. |
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Never
dump an ashtray into the trash without
wetting the butts and ashes first. |
