Safety Tips
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- Bicycle Safety
- Burn Prevention
- Candle Safety
- Carbon Monoxide Safety
- Dryer Safety
- Flood Safety
- Exercise Safety
Bicycle Safety Tips
- Wear a bike helmet at all times.
- Keep your bike in good shape.
- Always let cars and people go first.
- Slow down and check traffic at all corners.
- Keep both hands on the handle bars except when doing turn signals.
- Stay off busy streets. If on a busy street, walk bicycle across the street.
- Don't stunt, ride double, hitch rides, go in and out of traffic, or go between parked cars.
Burn Prevention Tips
- Set your water heater at a temperature of 120 degrees or below.
- Test bath water before placing a child in a tub.
- Keep small appliances unplugged and away from water.
- Turn pot handles in when cooking
- Keep children out of cooking areas.
- Wear snug-fitting sleeves and clothing.
- Do not store frequently-used items above or near the stove.
- Use care with microwaves, as they heat unevenly.
- Follow the manufacturer's directions for candles or potpourri pots.
- Store cleaning fluids and other chemicals according to package directions.
- Power equipment and space heaters should be turned off and allowed to cool before refueling.
- Avoid hot beverages or foods when near children.
- Cover unused electrical outlets with childproof safety plugs.
- Keep electrical cords out of reach.
- Use a cool mist (rather than steam) vaporizer.
- Store all toxic substances in a locked cabinet.
- Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
- Do not allow fireworks of any kind in your home.
- Never leave children unattended near fireplaces, wood stoves, space heaters, or grills.
Candle Safety Tips
- Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep.
- Never leave a candle unattended.
- Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire.
- Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
- Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over.
- Trim candle wicks to 1/4 inch each time before burning.
- Always use a candle holder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy, and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
- Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches, and debris at all times.
- Do not burn a candle for longer than the manufacturer recommends.
- Do not burn candles near drafts, vents, and air currents.
- Burn candles in a well-ventilated room.
- Extinguish the flame if it comes too close to the holder or container.
- Never touch or move a candle when the wax is liquid.
- Extinguish pillar candles if the wax pool approaches the outer edge.
- Candles should be placed at least three inches apart from one another.
- Use the candle snuffer to extinguish candles. This helps prevent hot wax from spattering.
- Do not use water to extinguish candles.
- It is safer to use flashlights and other battery-operated lights during a power failure.
- Never use a candle for light when fueling equipment such as a lantern or kerosene heater.
Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips
- Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas.
- Common sources:
- Automobile exhaust
- Gas appliances
- Gasoline-powered equipment
- Generators
- Fireplaces
- Leaking chimneys and fireplaces
- Unvented kerosene / gas space heaters
- Wood stoves
- Can cause flu-like symptoms:
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Impaired vision and coordination
- Nausea
- Have gas appliances inspected.
- Have heating system inspected, cleaned, and tuned-up.
- Do not idle car inside garage.
- Purchase vented kerosene / gas heaters.
- Install and use vented exhaust fans over stove.
- Install at least one audible carbon monoxide alarm near the sleeping area.
- If your carbon monoxide alarm goes off, call 9-1-1.
Dryer Safety Tips
- Do not operate the dryer without a lint filter. Clean lint filters before or after each use and remove accumulated lint from around the drum.
- Make sure that the dryer is plugged into an outlet suitable for its electrical needs as overloaded electrical outlets can result in blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers.
- Turn the dryer off when leaving the home.
- Keep the dryer area clean of combustibles (i.e., boxes or clothing).
- Dryers should be installed and serviced by a professional.
- Have gas-powered dryers inspected by a professional regularly to ensure that the gas line and connection are intact.
Flood Safety Tips
If a flood watch or warning is issued and time permits:
- Move your furniture and valuables to higher floors of your home.
- Fill your car's gas tank, in case an evacuation notice is issued.
- Move to higher ground away from rivers, streams, creeks, and storm drains.
- Do not drive around barricades - they are there for your safety.
- If your car stalls in rapidly-rising waters, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground.
Preventative Measures
- If you live in a frequently-flooded area, take preventative measures and stockpile emergency building materials:
- Hammer
- Lumber
- Nails
- Plastic sheeting
- Plywood
- Pry bar
- Saw
- Shovels
- Sandbags
- Have check valves installed in building sewer traps to prevent flood waters from backing up in sewer drains.
- As a last resort, use large corks or stoppers to plug showers, tubs, or basins.
- Develop an emergency communication plan.
- In case family members are separated from one another during floods or flash floods, have a plan for getting back together.
- Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.
- Make sure that all family members know how to respond after a flood or flash flood.
- Teach all family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
- Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police and fire department, and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
- Be prepared to evacuate.
Once the Flood Arrives
- Don't drive through a flooded area. If you come upon a flooded road, turn around and go another way.
- If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground.
- Don't walk through flooded areas. As little as six inches of moving water can knock you to your feet.
- Stay away from downed power lines and electrical wires.
- Look out for animals - especially snakes. Animals lose their homes in floods, too. They may seek shelter in yours.
- If the waters start to rise inside your house before you have evacuated, retreat to the second floor, the attic, and if necessary, the roof.
- Take dry clothing, a flashlight, and a portable radio with you. Then, wait for help.
- Don't try to swim to safety. Wait for rescuers to come to you.
- If outdoors, climb to high ground and stay there.
After the Flood
- Flood dangers do not end when the water begins to recede. Listen to the radio or television and don't return home until authorities indicate it is safe to do so.
- Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance - infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
- If your home, apartment, business has suffered damage, call the insurance company or agent who handles your flood insurance policy right away to file a claim.
- Before entering a building, inspect foundations for cracks or other damage. Don't go in if there is any chance of the building collapsing.
- Upon entering the building, don't use matches, cigarette lighters, or any other open flames, since gas may be trapped inside. Instead, use a flashlight to light your way.
- Keep power off until an electrician has inspected your system for safety.
- Floodwaters pick up sewage and chemicals from roads, farms, and factories. If your home has been flooded, protect your family's health by cleaning up your house right away. Throw out foods and medicines that may have met floodwater.
- Until local authorities proclaim your water supply to be safe, boil water for drinking and food preparation vigorously for five minutes before using.
- Be careful walking around. After a flood, steps and floors are often slippery with mud and covered with debris, including nails and broken glass.
Exercise Safety Tips
- Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program.
- Choose a program suitable to you.
- Wear appropriate clothing and shoes.
- Always warm up and cool down.
- Begin slowly and gradually build up.
- Drink water before, during, and after exercising.
- Stop immediately if you feel chest, neck, or arm pain, or extreme tiredness and breathlessness.
- Give your body a day or two off after strenuous exercise.
Click on each tab to read the topic
- Extension Cord Safety
- Flood Safety
- Holiday Safety
- Ice Safety
- Kitchen Fire Safety
- Pool Safety
- School Bus Safety
Extension Cord Safety Tips
- Extension cords are a temporary wiring solution.
- Grasp the plug when removing cords from outlets.
- Avoid overheating by using extension cords of the proper size for the load they will carry.
- Use an extension cord as short as practical.
- Regularly check cords for damage, never repair by splicing, discard old or worn cords. Cords should never be placed under rugs or covered, this may cause overheating.
- Do not roll or loop cords, this may also cause overheating.
- Avoid using "octopus plugs" which allow many cords to be plugged into a single receptacle.
Flood Safety Tips
If a flood watch or warning is issued and time permits:
- Move your furniture and valuables to higher floors of your home.
- Fill your car's gas tank, in case an evacuation notice is issued.
- Move to higher ground away from rivers, streams, creeks, and storm drains.
- Do not drive around barricades - they are there for your safety.
- If your car stalls in rapidly-rising waters, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground.
Preventative Measures
- If you live in a frequently-flooded area, take preventative measures and stockpile emergency building materials:
- Hammer
- Lumber
- Nails
- Plastic sheeting
- Plywood
- Pry bar
- Saw
- Shovels
- Sandbags
- Have check valves installed in building sewer traps to prevent flood waters from backing up in sewer drains.
- As a last resort, use large corks or stoppers to plug showers, tubs, or basins.
- Develop an emergency communication plan.
- In case family members are separated from one another during floods or flash floods, have a plan for getting back together.
- Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.
- Make sure that all family members know how to respond after a flood or flash flood.
- Teach all family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
- Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police and fire department, and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
- Be prepared to evacuate.
Once the Flood Arrives
- Don't drive through a flooded area. If you come upon a flooded road, turn around and go another way.
- If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground.
- Don't walk through flooded areas. As little as six inches of moving water can knock you to your feet.
- Stay away from downed power lines and electrical wires.
- Look out for animals - especially snakes. Animals lose their homes in floods, too. They may seek shelter in yours.
- If the waters start to rise inside your house before you have evacuated, retreat to the second floor, the attic, and if necessary, the roof.
- Take dry clothing, a flashlight, and a portable radio with you. Then, wait for help.
- Don't try to swim to safety. Wait for rescuers to come to you.
- If outdoors, climb to high ground and stay there.
After the Flood
- Flood dangers do not end when the water begins to recede. Listen to the radio or television and don't return home until authorities indicate it is safe to do so.
- Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance - infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
- If your home, apartment, business has suffered damage, call the insurance company or agent who handles your flood insurance policy right away to file a claim.
- Before entering a building, inspect foundations for cracks or other damage. Don't go in if there is any chance of the building collapsing.
- Upon entering the building, don't use matches, cigarette lighters, or any other open flames, since gas may be trapped inside. Instead, use a flashlight to light your way.
- Keep power off until an electrician has inspected your system for safety.
- Floodwaters pick up sewage and chemicals from roads, farms, and factories. If your home has been flooded, protect your family's health by cleaning up your house right away. Throw out foods and medicines that may have met floodwater.
- Until local authorities proclaim your water supply to be safe, boil water for drinking and food preparation vigorously for five minutes before using.
- Be careful walking around. After a flood, steps and floors are often slippery with mud and covered with debris, including nails and broken glass.Flood Safety
Holiday Safety Tips
- Make sure to select a fresh tree. Needles should be green and hard to pull back from the branch, and trunk should be sticky to the touch.
- Do not place tree near heat source, heat will dry out the tree.
- Keep tree well-watered.
- Dispose of tree at community recycle center or community pick-up service.
- Maintain lights. Check for:
- Bare spots
- Broken or cracked sockets
- Excessive kinking
- Frayed wires
- Use only lighting tested by an approved testing laboratory.
- Do not overload electrical outlets. Do not link more than three strands. Periodically check wires, they should not be warm to the touch.
- Use non-flammable decorations.
- Make sure artificial trees are flame retardant.
- Do not use lit candles on a tree.
- Make sure candles are in a stable holder. Place them where they cannot be easily knocked down.
- Do not leave the house with candles lit.
Ice Safety Tips
- Any time you go out onto the ice you take a risk.
- Never go out onto the ice alone.
- Ice generally should be clear and needs to be four to six inches thick to support one person.
- Ice thickness is not consistent. Water currents can cause inconsistent ice thickness.
- Don't judge ice strictly by appearance.
- When ice fishing, drill test holes as you progress onto the lake to help judge the thickness and character of the ice.
- The following areas should always be suspect of thin ice:
- Bridges Inlets and outlets
- Cracks
- Narrow spots
- Seams
- Partially submerged objects such as trees, logs, brush, embankments, or dam structures
- Pressure ridges
- Slushy and darker areas
- Beware of snow-covered ice. Snow serves as insulation. Other times, it has the opposite effect by insulating the surface from free
Kitchen Safety Tips
- Don't wear loose-fitting clothing around open flames.
- Keep long hair pulled back.
- Never leave anything cooking on your stove unattended.
- Unplug portables when unattended. Keep cords away from hot surfaces, water, and near sinks.
- Keep combustibles away from hot surfaces.
- Turn pot handles toward the side of the range.
- Do not use metal or plastic products in microwaves. Use only approved utensils and ware.
- Keep burners and electrical equipment clean.
- Know the location and how to use your fire extinguisher.
- If a fire breaks out in a pan, put a lid on it.
- If a fire breaks out in an oven or a microwave, turn off the appliance and close the door.
- Replace any frayed cords, and discard / repair damaged appliances.
- Use extra caution when deep-frying.
- Do not use your range or stove to heat your home.
- Call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Pool Safety Tips
- Never leave your children alone in or near the pool, even for a moment.
- You must put up a fence to separate your house from the pool. Most young children who drown in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool. Install a fence at least four feet high around all four sides of the pool. Use gates that self-close and self-latch, with latches higher than your children's reach.
- A power safety cover that meets the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) adds to the protection of your children but should not be used in place of a fence between your house and the pool.
- Keep rescue equipment (such as a shepherd's hook or life preserver) and a telephone by the pool.
- Do not let your child use air-filled "swimming aids" because they are not a substitute for approved life vests and can be dangerous.
- Anyone watching young children around a pool should learn CPR and be able to rescue a child if needed. Stay within an arm's length of your child.
- Remove all toys from the pool after use.
- After the children are done swimming, secure the pool so they can't get back into it.
- Learn to swim - this includes adults and children. To enroll in a course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.
- Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby so that you can call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
- Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.
- Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the fence.
- Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use.
- Never swim alone, or while under the influence of alcohol or medications.
- Never swim when thunder or lightning is present.
- To learn more about pool safety, you can purchase the video "It Only Takes a Minute" from your local Red Cross chapter.
- If a child is missing, check the pool first.
School Bus Safety Tips
- Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street
- Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter
- When being dropped off:
- Exit the bus and walk ten giant steps away from the bus
- Keep a safe distance between you and the bus
- Remember that the bus driver can see you when you are back away from the bus
- Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus
- Be aware of the street traffic around you
- Protect yourself and watch out
Snow Shoveling Safety
- If you are inactive and have a history of heart trouble, talk to your doctor before you take on the task of shoveling snow.
- Avoid caffeine or nicotine before beginning. These are stimulants and can place extra stress on the heart.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Dress in several layers so you can remove a layer as needed.
- Warm up your muscles before shoveling.
- Use a shovel with a small blade.
- Begin shoveling slowly, pace yourself, and take breaks as needed.
- Push snow rather than lifting and throwing.
- If you do lift snow protect your back from injury by lifting correctly:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart for balance.
- Keep the shovel close to your body.
- Bend from the knees (not the back) and tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow.
- Avoid twisting movements.
- Most importantly - listen to your body. Stop if you feel pain.