Natural Gas Safety

Carbon Monoxide Safety
Carbon Monoxide Facts

Christmas Trees

Candles - Use Care and Caution

Holiday Decorating

Holiday Lights

• Prepare a floor plan of your home showing at least two ways out of each room.
• Sleep with your bedroom door closed. In the event of fire, it helps to hold back heat and smoke. But if a door feels hot, do not open it; escape through another door or window.
• Easy-to-use window escape ladders are available through many catalogues and outlet stores. For instance, First Alert sells one for around $90.
• Agree on a fixed location out-of-doors where family members are to gather for a head count.
• Stay together away from the fire. Call 911 from another location. Make certain that no one goes back inside the burning building.
• Check corridors and stairways to make sure they are free of obstructions and combustibles.
• To help cut down on the need for an emergency exit in the first place, clear all unnecessary items from the attic, basement, garage, and closets.

• Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying.
• Don't store newspapers, kindling, or matches near the fireplace or have an exposed rug or wooden floor right in front of the fireplace.
• Have your chimney inspected by a professional prior to the start of every heating season and cleaned to remove combustible creosote build-up if necessary.
• Install a chimney spark arrester to prevent roof fires.
• When lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match first, then turn on the gas.

• It is better not to use extension cords. If you feel you must use one, make sure that it is not frayed or worn. Do not run it under a rug or twist it around a nail or hook.
• Never overload a socket. In particular, the use of "octopus" outlets, outlet extensions that accommodate several plugs, is strongly discouraged.
• Do not use light bulb wattage which is too high for the fixture. Look for the label inside each fixture which tells the maximum wattage.
• Check periodically for loose wall receptacles, loose wires, or loose lighting fixtures. Sparking means that you've waited too long.
• Allow air space around the TV to prevent overheating. The same applies to plug-in radios and stereo sets, and to powerful lamps.
• If a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows frequently, immediately cut down on the number of appliances on that line.
• Be sure all electrical equipment bears the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label.
• In many older homes, the capacity of the wiring system has not kept pace with today's modern appliances. Overloaded electrical systems invite fire. Watch for these overload signals: dimming lights when an appliance goes on, a shrinking TV picture, slow heating appliances, or fuses blowing frequently. Call a qualified electrician to get expert help.

• It's wise to have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the exit side of the kitchen.
• Never pour water on a grease fire; turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the oven door.
• Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back, and always watch young children in the kitchen.
• Don't store items on the stove top, as they could catch fire.
• Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when not in use.
• Don't overload kitchen electrical outlets and don't use appliances with frayed or cracked wires.
• Wear tight-fitting clothing when you cook. Here's why: An electrical coil on the stove reaches a temperature of 800 degrees. A gas flame goes over 1,000 degrees. Your dish towel or pot holder can catch fire at 400 degrees. So can your bathrobe, apron, or loose sleeve.
• Be sure your stove is not located under a window in which curtains are hanging.
• Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly. and wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is cool.
• Operate your microwave only when there is food in it.