Safety tips by room
Bathroom
- Keep space heaters, radios and other electrical products away from bathtubs and sinks.
- Keep medications, cleaning products and other poisons away from children and pets.
- Make sure that you have ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets installed in the bathroom as well as in the kitchen, laundry room and workshop.
Kitchen
- Store all portable and small appliances and their cords out of the reach of children and always keep them a safe distance away from the sink.
- Keep all portable and countertop appliances unplugged when not in use.
- Never use or attempt to repair a damaged appliance; always consult a qualified technician.
- Every home should have working, UL Listed smoke detectors and fully charged UL Listed fire extinguishers strategically placed in the kitchen, garage and workshop.
Nursery and bedrooms
- Install UL Listed smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms outside every sleeping area and near fuel-burning appliances.
- Place halogen torchiere lamps in locations where they cannot be tipped over by children, pets, or a strong draft from an open window. Do not allow curtains or other combustible materials to come in contact with torchiere lamps at any time.
- To help prevent an infant from becoming trapped between the crib frame and mattress, choose a firm mattress that fits the crib frame snugly and securely. Also, make sure the mattress support does not easily pull away from the corner posts.
- Use a tape measure or ruler and look for strangulation hazards and areas where an infant can become trapped. There should be no more than 2 3/8 inches between crib slats. Corner posts should not extend more than 1/16 of an inch above the end panels unless the corner posts extend at least 16 inches high for a canopy, and headboards and footboards should not contain cutout areas.
Family and living room
- Use outlet plug covers to prevent children from inserting objects into outlets.
- Never run an electrical cord under a rug or carpet, or drape it over a hot surface such as that of a radiator or space heater.
- Make sure all portable lamps and fixtures are equipped with light bulbs of equal or lesser wattage than that recommended by the lamp or fixture manufacturer.
- Unplug all extension cords when not in use and never use an extension cord that is cut or damaged.
