Home Safety Checklist

Check for these possible fire hazards in your home.

All Rooms
  • Remove or replace any worn or frayed appliance or extension cords
  • Store matches and lighters out of reach of children
  • Remove plugs from overloaded outlets and extension cords
Living Room, Family Room, Den, Bedrooms
  • Use large ashtrays, and empty them frequently (after running under water)
  • Keep the fireplace screened and cleaned regularly
  • Do not put extension cords under rugs or carpets or looped over nails or other sharp objects
  • Allow sufficient air space (at least one foot) around TV, stereo and other electronic equipment to avoid overheating
  • Keep heating equipment at least three feet away from curtains, furniture and papers
Kitchen
  • Move any curtains or towel racks hanging close to the stove
  • Store flammable liquids (cleaning fluids, contact adhesives, etc.) or aerosols away from the range or other heat source (Remember, even a pilot light can set vapors on fire)
  • Move any tempting or frequently used items stored above the range - where someone could get burned reaching for them, especially children in search of cookies or other goodies - to a safer location
Basement, Garage, Storage Areas
  • Keep newspapers and other rubbish away from the furnace, water heater or other heat source
  • Store oily, greasy rags in labeled, sealed metal containers - Even better, clean or remove them
  • Keep flammable liquids away from work bench or pilot lights
  • Store flammable liquids in labeled, sealed metal containers (This includes varnish, paint, paint remover, paint thinner, contact adhesives and cleaning fluids)
  • Check that all fuses are the correct sizes
Dangerous Actions
Do you allow unsafe habits? Create these safe habits instead:
  • Wear close-fitting clothes while cooking (No loose sleeves, shirts, blouses or skirts that may catch fire easily)
  • Always watch cooking food - Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Never play with matches or lighters - Make sure children are not allowed to play with matches or lighters
  • Never use gasoline to start a fire - and don't add lighter fluid to an already started fire
  • Make sure no one smokes in bed, or when tired, drinking or under medication
  • Spray aerosols a safe distance from a space heater, range or other ignition source
  • Never spray aerosols while smoking
  • Clean immediately after spilling flammable liquid on your hands or clothing
  • Never reach over the stove or climb on top of the stove to get something stored above it
  • Never lean against a range for warmth or stand too close to a heater or fireplace
  • Run water over a match after blowing it out - Never let a small child blow out a match
  • Use a flashlight to illuminate a dark area, such as a closet - Never use a lighted match, lighter or candle
Safety Measures 
Do you have these safety items in your home?
  • Working smoke alarms on all levels and outside sleeping areas (each story or wing, basement, etc.)
    • Test your smoke alarms now and each month
    • Change the batteries each year (Change them now if you cannot remember when they were changed last)
  • ABC fire extinguisher in the kitchen and/or workshop
  • Emergency exit plan, with two ways out of each room and a meeting place outdoors
  • Fire exit drill in the home every six months