Most of us feel safest in our own home, but the fact is, accidental injuries in the home are extremely common and result in nearly 21 million medical visits on average each year.
Accidents in the home account for approximately one-third of all injuries and homes are also the second most common location of unintentional fatal injuries in the United States.
That is why, each June, the National Safety Council celebrates National Safety Month as a time to bring attention to key safety issues.
The statistics for electrical related injuries alone are staggering. According to the National Fire Protection Association, electrical failures or malfunctions were factors in an estimated 46,500 home fires in 2010, causing 420 deaths, 1,520 injuries, and $1.5 billion in property damage.
AFCIs are designed to trip if an arc — a spark flowing through the air from one piece of metal to another — is detected anywhere in the circuit. Arcing can cause carbon build up and eventually create enough heat to cause a fire. For homes built before 2008, upgrading to AFCI circuit breakers can be a lifesaving home improvement.
Top Ten Home Safety Tips
1. Replace and change smoke alarm batteries. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. No home should be without a smoke detector. But don’t just install one and forget about it. Dead or missing batteries are the leading causes of malfunction in smoke alarms. Change the batteries at least once a year and replace models that are more than 10 years old.
Beware of faulty electrical wiring. Bad wires can short out and start a fire or cause frequent blown fuses, flickering lights, or even electrical shock you when you touch a switch or appliance. Replace old circuit breakers with arc-fault circuit interrupters, which cut the electricity when they sense danger and consider replacing wiring that's more than 40 years old.
1. Hidden fire hazard in your dryer. Lint builds up inside the dryer cabinet where the heating element is housed, creating a fire hazard. Brush or vacuum out buildup around the lint filter every few months.
2. Test your home for radon. You can't see it, smell it or taste it, but radon may be a problem in your home. What exactly is radon? Radon is radiation — and there are no safe levels of radiation. Radon is estimated to cause tens of thousands of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year and can be found anywhere. You and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time, but thankfully, radon testing
is inexpensive and takes very little time.
3. Install a carbon monoxide detector. Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. During 2006-2010, an estimated 72,000 non-fire carbon monoxide incidents were reported to U.S. fire departments each year. In addition to making your home safer, in some cases a carbon monoxide detector is also required by law with the State of New Jersey requiring carbon monoxide detectors in single and two-family homes upon initial occupancy or change of occupancy. For more information on proper installation and placement of a CO2 detector, click here.
4. Backyard grilling safety. Most grilling accidents occur in the months of June and July, with propane gas hose leaks or breaks as the leading contributing factors. Before using your grill for the first time each year, inspect for damage and be sure you read your grill's safety instructions. Many people don’t even know to wait 15 minutes before relighting a propane grill if the flame goes out. Click here for more grilling safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association.
5. System overload. Overloaded outlets cause an estimated 5,300 fires annually in American households. Don’t overload outlets and have no more than one high-wattage appliance plugged into a single outlet. You should also be careful not to go over the suggested maximum wattage of lamp bulbs.
6. Clean sweep your chimney. Creosote buildup is the leading cause of chimney fires. The National Fire Protection Association recommends having your chimney serviced annually. The warmer seasons of Spring and Summer are the perfect time to get your chimney cleaned and inspected.
7. Check for mold. Mold doesn’t require a lot to grow in your home and can easily cause various allergy, neurological and upper respiratory problems. Many of you have probably heard of the infamous black mold (stachybotrys chartarum) but other lesser known molds like acremonium and memnoniella can also pose serious health risks. Because it grows in places you can’t see — behind drywall, under carpets, in air vents — it can be difficult to diagnose a mold problem. But with a professional mold inspection you can be assured that the air quality in your home is safe and free of mold toxins.
8. Give falls the slip. Slip and fall injuries account for a large percentage of home accidents for both young and old. Help avoid accidental falls in your home by making sure your stairwells and pathways are well lit, well maintained, clutter-free and that stairways have railings.
Accidents will still happen, but you, and others you love, have a better chance of avoiding injury by following these simple tips. If you would like information on any of our services or want to schedule an inspection of your home, please give us a call at 973-255-0369 or visit us online at njhomeinspector4u.com.