Safety Tips

Home Safety Tips      

• Keep car keys next to your bed while you sleep
• Plant thorny shrubs, such as rosebushes, beneath ground-floor windows
• If you’re going away on vacation, ask a neighbor to check daily for flyers stuck in your front door
• Rather than loading up the car the night before a weekend getaway, quickly do it in the morning right before you leave
• Don’t store wood near the side of the house, as it can easily be used by intruders as a stepladder up to a window
• Worker or unknown visitor uses the bathroom, he may unlatch the window so he can gain entry later
• Choose your locksmith wisely
• Join a community-wide or neighborhood crime-prevention program
• Store valuables in your child’s sock drawer rather than in your nightstand
• If your front entrance contains decorative glass, install your security keypad in a spot that is not visible from the doorstep.

Holiday Safety Tips

• If you have to use a step ladder near a doorway, lock or barricade the door and post signs so no one will open it and knock you off the ladder
• A straight or extension ladder should be placed one foot away from the surface it rests against for every four feet of ladder height
• When putting up holiday decorations, always use the proper step stool or ladder to reach high places. Don’t stand on chairs, desks or other furniture
• When using ladders outdoors, get down immediately if high winds, rain, snow or other inclement weather begins. Winds can blow you off the ladder and rain or snow can make both the rungs and the ground slippery
• Never use lighted candles near trees, curtains/drapes, or with any potentially flammable item.
• Stand your tree away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Make sure the tree does not block foot traffic or doorways
• If you use an artificial tree, choose one that is tested and labeled as fire resistant. Artificial trees with built-in electrical systems should have the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) label
• Only use indoor lights indoors (and outdoor lights only outdoors). Look for the UL label. Check lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, and loose connections. Replace or repair any damaged light sets
• Use no more than three light sets on any one extension cord. Extension cords should be placed against the wall to avoid tripping hazards, but do not run cords under rugs, around furniture legs or across doorways
• If using a natural tree, make sure it is well watered to avoid dry branches from catching fire from the heat of light bulbs
• Be prepared for emergency situations on the road by having a winter “survival kit” in the vehicle including items such as, a working flashlight, extra batteries, reflective triangles, compass, first aid kit, exterior windshield cleaner, ice scraper, snow brush, wooden stick matches in a waterproof container, and non-perishable, high energy foods like unsalted canned nuts, dried fruits, and hard candy.