How to Perform an Annual Home Safety Audit

Each home is unique, but every household has basic safety requirements. An annual home safety audit can help you remember to check your home safety protocols to see if they are functional and effective. Not sure where to start? This home safety audit guide can help.

Fire and gas safety

Fires and gas leaks are two of the most serious home safety issues. Consider these statistics:

• 66% of homes don’t have even one working smoke alarm
• Most people don’t know how or where to install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector
• Barely 3 out of 4 of homes have an operable fire extinguisher
• Only 26% of families have developed and practiced a fire safety plan.

Follow these steps to help improve protection for your home and family:

Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

If you’re asleep or unaware of a fire or gas leak, these will save your life. Determine that your alarms are clean and functional, replace the batteries annually (unless you have a lithium-ion power source), and test your alarms monthly. If you don’t have detectors, make sure to place one in each room and hallway on every level of your home.

Equip your home with fire extinguishers

Your kitchen and garage plus every floor of your home should each have an easily-accessible extinguisher. Make sure you and your family members know how to use them, and consider putting up a poster reminding them of the PASS technique (pull, aim, squeeze, sweep).

Plan your fire escape route

Every room should have two exits, including windows and fire escape ladders. Drill your family on what to do in case of a fire, and establish multiple escape routes. Routinely run through your family fire plan to help make sure everyone knows what to do.

Stair and step safety

Fall prevention is extremely important in every home with stairs, and vital in households with seniors and children. If you have a stairwell in your home, you can help lower the risk of falls by:

• Checking the stairs for loose boards, posts, and handrails
• Installing battery-operated stair lights in case of a power outage
• Laying down tape or treads on uncarpeted stairs
• Removing furniture from the stairwell landings

Emergency preparedness

Having a hurricane preparedness plan is a must for Floridians. Make sure you have a family emergency plan to regroup and stay in communication, and routes planned out for evacuation if needed. By putting together an emergency kit, you can help prevent important items or documents from being left behind or damaged by wind, rain, or floodwaters.

An annual home safety audit can help you better protect your family and home. Next week, we’ll cover six things you should never store in your garage — and six things you can keep there.