Home Safety Checklist

Your home is not only one of your most value possession, it is also where the people you love spend their time. Since September is national preparedness month, we thought it was an appropriate time to cover the subject. It’s important to protect your house for the sake of your house, but it’s even more important to eliminate whatever hazards may be present for the sake of your family and yourself. Other than a few onetime purchases or updates, this list is relatively inexpensive and quick to maintain. It could make all the difference in the event of a fire, burglary, or carbon monoxide scare.

Electric and Heating

When checking your home for safety, one of the most important things to check is your electric and heating systems. Check for frayed wires, over-reliance of extension cords, or anything that could be dangerous to small children. Place plastic covers over outlets as small children have a propensity to curiosity. Inspect heating units such as wall heaters, water heaters, and hearths on a regular basis to make sure there are no problems such as leaks or signs of damage.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Make sure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. You should consider testing these once a month or at the very least, once every few months. Make sure your family knows each alarm and how they should respond in case they go off. (Many fire departments have a line dedicated to carbon monoxide).

Fire and Escape

Make sure there is at least one fire extinguisher in your kitchen (that you know how to use) and another one on each floor. Sit down with your family and create and escape route with them. Make sure there are at least two options for exiting each floor, and consider buying a rescue ladder if you have a second story.

Burglarproofing

There are a number of things you can do to protect your home from burglary. First, check all the locks on your home. Make sure windows all have proper locks. Make sure your doors have a solid deadbolt, not just the lock built into the door knob. Install discouraging things like alarms (advertise if possible) and motion sensing lights. If you are out of town a few days, try to keep the house looking lived in. In addition, forget the spare key under the fake rock: thieves are familiar with these devices. Instead give a spare key to a good friend or family member who you can call if you get locked out.

Small Children

While this is a little different category in that it won’t protect your house, it may help protect your child from themselves. Start by locking up anything which could be dangerous such as utensils or hazardous materials such as cleaning materials.

Once you have gone over these very practical steps to protecting your home and family, you should consider what will happen if your house was to get damaged. The next step to making sure your home is protected, is to make sure you have proper insurance coverage. If you would like to review your coverage or have any questions, contact the H&K Insurance Agency. Our team of experienced agents will help you find the right type of insurance for your home, and address any concerns you have. Learn more about our home insurance policies here.