June is National Safety Month. While you may think of your home as your safe haven, this may not always be the case. Your home can be the site of potential dangers just waiting to happen. Therefore, it’s important recognize these hazards and make changes to ensure your home is a safe place for everyone.

Here are 12 ways to prevent accidents and injuries in your home:

1. Ensure all your doors and windows have working, tamper-proof locks. Install 1-inch deadbolt locks on all exterior doors.
2. Keep your garage doors closed at all times, even when you’re home, to prevent intruders from walking into your house.
3. Install smoke detectors on every floor of your home. Put them inside or near every bedroom. Test them monthly to ensure they’re working correctly. Replace the batteries once a year.
4. Install carbon monoxide detectors near bedrooms Test them monthly and replace the batteries annually.
5. Place fire extinguishers in your kitchen, bedroom area and basement. Learn how to use them safely. Check them regularly (at least once a quarter) to ensure they have enough pressure in them to operate correctly.
6. Create a fire escape plan and hold family fire drills at least twice a year. If your home has multiple floors, make sure you have escape ladders in place.
7. Keep the interior and exterior of your home well lit. Key areas include foyers, stairways, bathrooms, kitchens, sidewalks and at exterior doors.
8. Take care of all electrical problems immediately. Ensure all major appliances are grounded. Unplug appliances when they’re not in use. Don’t overload extension cords.
9. Set your water heater at or below 120°F to prevent potential burns.
10. Prevent slips and falls by keeping floors and stairs clutter free. Clean up all spills immediately.
11. Child proof your home if you have small children. Place covers on electrical outlets. Keep all cleaning supplies, medications and beauty products out of reach. Install child safety locks. Place safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
12. Install an approved safety covering on swimming pools, and/or a fence or barrier around swimming pools, and/or an alarm on doors leading to the pool. Keep all doors and windows leading to the pool locked. Make sure gate or door latches are out of reach of small children. Never leave children unsupervised near a pool. Always have a designated person watching young children around the pool.

By following these 12 tips, you can protect yourself, your family and your house guests and help prevent many accidents from occurring.

At Grandview Lending, we care about our customers. When you’re ready to purchase a new home or refinance an existing one, contact us. We can assess your goals and offer customized options that fit your needs.