Winter Time Home Safety
Listed below are some Winter safety tips you should follow.
For Christmas:
- Buy a fresh tree (The needles are firmly attached)
- Keep plenty of water around the base
- Do not use lights with worn insulation, broken plugs or loose sockets.
- Turn lights off, both inside and out before going to bed.
- Hang stockings by the fireplace with extreme care.
- Remove the tree very soon after Christmas.
Heaters:
- Keep heaters away from curtains, bedspreads, and furniture.
- Inform children that they can get burned if they get to close.
- Be sure the heater has an emergency shut off in case the heater is tipped over.
- Ensure there is proper ventilation to prevent Carbon Monoxide buildup.
- Use only the fuel recommended by the heater manufacturer.
- Never fill the heater when it is operating.
- Refuel outside the home.
- Never use a range or an oven as a supplemental heating device.
- Avoid using electric space heaters in bathrooms or other areas where water is present.
Fireplaces and Wood Stoves:
- Be sure the opening is covered with a sturdy metal screen or heat tempered glass doors.
- Make sure Wood Stoves are installed properly.
- Wood Stoves should have at least 36 inches clearance from combustibles.
- Have you chimney inspected annually and cleaned if necessary.
- Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate any fire.
- Never burn charcoal indoors.
- To prevent chimney fires, do not build roaring fires.
- Make sure the fire is out before you go to sleep.
- Never close the damper with hot ashes in the fireplace.
- Never discard hot ashes inside or near the home.
Furnace:
- Have your furnace inspected annually by a trained professional.
- Make sure all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs are in proper working condition.
- Inspect flue pipes and chimneys regularly.
- Keep trash and other combustibles away from the heating system.
Miscellaneous:
- Never use a blowtorch to thaw frozen water pipes.
- Keep fire hydrants near your home clear of snow.
Any Questions? E-Mail: ehvfc12@hotmail.com
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Last updated March 16, 2006