Home safety
Fire, CO and the hazards that are easy to miss.
14 steps · about 6.5 hr in all
Start this plan in Haven
- Test every smoke and CO alarmAn alarm only protects you if it actually sounds, and pressing its test button is the only way to know.10 min · Easy · Monthly
- Put a smoke alarm in every bedroom and on every levelSmoke alarms belong inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level including the basement, ideally interconnected so when one sounds they all do.30 min · Easy · One time
- Check the age of your smoke and CO alarmsAlarms wear out: replace smoke alarms 10 years after the manufacture date printed on them, and CO alarms on the schedule on their label.15 min · Easy · One time
- Make sure you have CO alarms on every levelGas, oil and wood-burning equipment and attached garages can produce carbon monoxide, so put a CO alarm on every level and outside sleeping areas.30 min · Easy · One time
- Make and practice a home fire escape planKnowing two ways out of every room and an outside meeting spot, and practicing twice a year, means everyone knows what to do when an alarm sounds.30 min · Easy · Every 6 months
- Get a multipurpose (ABC) fire extinguisherA multipurpose extinguisher can stop a small fire while everyone gets out; for a pan fire, slide a lid on and turn off the burner instead.30 min · Easy · One time
- Check your fire extinguisherMake sure it’s where you can grab it, undamaged, and, if it has a gauge, that the needle is in the green.5 min · Easy · Monthly
- Wash the dryer lint filterLint is highly flammable: empty the screen every load, and wash it every six months so air still flows through it.10 min · Easy · Every 6 months
- Clear the dryer vent ductLint that gets past the filter collects in the duct, restricts airflow, and can overheat the dryer; long or rooftop runs are a job for a vent-cleaning service.1 hr · Moderate · Yearly · Doesn’t usually apply to apartments
- Replace foil or plastic dryer duct with metalFoil and plastic accordion ducts trap lint and kink or crush easily, which is why fire-safety agencies call for rigid or semi-rigid metal duct.45 min · Moderate · One time · Doesn’t usually apply to apartments
- Test your GFCI outletsGFCI outlets, the ones with TEST and RESET buttons in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and outdoors, cut power in a split second to prevent a serious shock.10 min · Easy · Monthly
- Anchor TVs, dressers and bookcases to the wallKids climb furniture and pull on TVs, and a wall anchor stops a dresser, bookcase or TV from tipping onto them; if you can’t anchor a TV, put it on a sturdy, low base.1 hr · Easy · One time
- Test your home for radonRadon is an invisible, odorless gas that seeps up from the soil into any kind of home, and EPA recommends testing every home below the third floor.20 min · Easy · One time · Doesn’t usually apply to apartments
- Make your house number easy to see from the streetResponders look for your number from the road, so use numbers at least 4 inches tall in a color that contrasts with the wall, lit or reflective, and not hidden by plants.30 min · Easy · One time · Doesn’t usually apply to apartments
Keep this plan for your own home.
Haven fits the steps to your house, reminds you when each one is due, and Clark walks you through any of them.