[Photo credit: Courtesy of Eren O.]

Friday, April 5, 2019.
It’s officially spring and time to open up the house and get outside and also do some spring cleaning and clearing out the house. Sometimes when people are cleaning up their houses in the spring time, they forget that it’s also a good time to check to make sure batteries are working and things in and around their house and their environment is safe but this is an excellent time to do so.

First off you want to check to see if there is anything dangerous and unsafe around your property and take the necessary precautions to remove or deal with them. Consider moving or removing hazards if safe to do so or get someone in the city to remove the property for you.
Check all your rooms from top to bottom, attic to basement, as well as, garages, yards, crawl spaces and tool sheds.

This is a great time to remove any yard debris and clear them off your property as well as clean off trash.

Also check for leaky roofs and water leaks especially those that are near electrical appliances or could come in contact with them including heating appliances and anything that could become flammable or combustible. Repair any frayed wires, damaged appliances and cords as well as circuit breakers and fuses.

Consider donating anything that you don’t need such as paper and magazines or books or recycling them because you don’t want anything that could be flammable or a tripping hazard. Keep them out of the way.

Also it’s a good idea to have a safe and proper storage area. You want to put items that are flammable liquids outside your house based on their specifications and label chemicals, paints and poisons. Keep these out of reach of animals and kids. Get rid of expired items or leaking containers or questionable items. Do not mix chemicals even when disposing them and don’t just flush them into your lawn or drain or trash. Contact the appropriate city or government offices or local recycling centers on how to dispose of chemicals properly.

Any items that are potentially dangerous that a kid can get caught on or cause injury or loss of life like matches, adhesives, tools should be out of reach for kids and pets.

Now before you have any type of incident it is also important to clear a pathway to have a quick easy escape route in case of fire. Debris should be removed and items put away from windows and doors for easy access. Also check outside the windows for any obstructions or pointy danger objects. Ensure no exits are blocked.

Put house numbers that are visible from the outside to make it easy for firetrucks to identify your house on mailboxes and garages etc.

Also make sure to do a semiannual battery and smoke detector inspection. Replace or service your fire extinguisher and make sure they are in a safe easy to access location. Have emergency numbers near phones.

Practice your escape routine and plan and have multiple ways out of a room as well as a meet up rally location outside.

With these tips hopefully you will have a safe spring time and can enjoy more of the important things: spending warm weather grilling out and having fun with family and friends. Oh, and as you get ready for the warmer weather don’t forget to be careful of how you handle the grill, but that’s for another time.