Get rid of it: Indoor Safety Concerns

Keep your home as safe as possible by staying on top of these concerns:

• Fire alarms: Make sure all alarms (smoke and carbon monoxide) are in good working condition and placed in the right areas of your home. There should be one on each floor. Choose a month (February – no time like the present) and replace batteries annually, or more often if necessary.
• Hob fires: Review emergency procedures if there’s a fire on the hob. Never use water to put out grease fires. Instead, you should do one of the following:

1. Smother the fire with a wet towel or put a lid on it and turnoff the element.
2. Throw baking soda or table salt over the fire.
3. Use a fire extinguisher (test it annually to make sure it still works).

• Cuts: Dull knives are far more dangerous than sharp ones (a dull knife is more likely to slip when you are trying to cut) – so ensure that all your knives are sharp. Buy a manual knife sharpener or take knives to a retailer that provide sharpening.
• Slips and falls: Wood floors are a popular flooring choice in homes today and while they’re beautiful, they can also be slippery. Make sure that everyone wears slippers with non-slip bottoms, and provide a few spare pairs at the front door for guests.  Keeping floors vacuumed regularly will help too, as dust can make hardwood more slippery.
• Mould: Moisture and insufficient ventilation can cause mould to develop in the bathroom. Get rid of it right away by removing it with hot water with soap and baking soda, or a commercial cleaner that contains bleach (be careful when handling bleach). If mould is on the shower curtain, take it down and wash it in the washing machine, then hang it to dry.

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