Making Your Home A Safer Place

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What You Should Know

Whether you live in an apartment, mobile home or house, you want your home to be safe and secure. Many potential tragedies can be averted if you know how to identify risks and eliminate or reduce them.

When it comes to your family’s safety, be proactive. Set aside time to complete the following steps:

Evaluate

Using the information in this article as a guide, thoroughly inspect the interior and exterior of your home. List problem areas and highlight items requiring immediate attention.

Plan

Develop prevention checklists and emergency plans as appropriate for your home and family. Your prevention checklist should include items to be repaired or installed right away, as well as ongoing maintenance schedules for appliances and equipment. Emergency plans should contain escape routes, meeting places, phone numbers and instructions for each family member.

Prevent

Take care of checklist items. Follow through on repair and maintenance schedules. Be meticulous. Keep emergency plans in an easy-to-remember location, making sure each family member knows what to do in a crisis. Post emergency phone numbers next to each phone.

Improve

Review your plan several times each year. Inspect your home regularly, and address checklist items. Update repair and maintenance schedules as appropriate. As a family, discuss and practice escape routes, assembly areas and other safety measures.

Other topics covered in this section are:
Health Concerns
Home Safety
Be Prepared
Home Security
Insurance Options
Resources

  Next:  Health Concerns