Make your home as safe as can be

Too many accidents occur in a home. Many of them would never have happened if the owners had followed a few inexpensive yet necessary safety features that could make a home safer.

•Probably the most efficient, useful and cost-effective items leading the home safety list would be the battery-powered smoke detectors. Even with the possibility that power to the home goes out, you still have the detectors that provide a high-pitch sound that will be with you for a few minutes. The detectors are generally mounted over bedroom doors or hallways with a few screws. Battery-powered smoke detectors can cost as little $5 or $6.

•Homeowners often keep a small fire extinguisher handy in the kitchen and fireplace area where flare-ups can occur. All big fires generally were tiny ones when they started. If a blaze does occur, get everyone out of the house if necessary and call in the professional firefighters if it needs more that a hand extinguisher.

•Lots of things can amplify the possibility of causing a fire or making a fire bigger. It’s best to store all paint, solvent and other materials with ignitable fumes in a well-ventilated area. Rags soaked with flammable material should be discarded in metal cans out-of-doors.

•Electrical and mechanical things work better and last longer when they are serviced at least once a year. Heating and air-conditioning systems need to be checked and serviced as noted in your owner’s manuals.

•Kitchen appliances can cause a lot of potential problems. Best replace damaged cords or plugs. Make sure the face plates are not broken. Outlets need to be grounded and rated for the appliances plugged into them. Too many appliances plugged into a single outlet can overload an improperly protected circuit.

•It is an excellent idea to have a home escape plan in mind. Have a family meeting to discuss the safest way to exit the home in various situations. If you have a second story it’s important to keep handy a firmly secured rope ladder — one with knots to hold onto — in case it’s needed to escape from a window.

Accidents do happen, so keep a handy list of emergency numbers near the phones. Sometimes seconds can make a difference.