How to Find Common Hazards Around Your Home

The home may seem like one of the safest possible places to be, but this fallacy can lead homeowners into a dangerous trap. Preventable accidents are not only common, but they can also be incredibly harmful to the residents of the home (or even the neighbors.) Luckily, it doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming to spot and fix common hazards. Here are a few simple things everyone can do today to identify the hot spots around their Palos Verdes home so that something can be done.

Check the Walkways

From stairs to walking paths to hallways, there are multiple ways a person can slip and fall. Some falls can't be helped, but homeowners do have the power to fix their railings or install better lighting. Homeowners can put rugs down to provide more traction on slick surfaces or more safety gates up to keep children safe. This is the time to assume the worst-case scenario, so a spare toy that's been left out in the middle of the room should look like a deadly threat during a walkthrough.

Assess the Smoke Risk

Despite the dire reminders and warnings, smoke and carbon monoxide continue to be common home hazards across the country. There are plenty of rules about how to best utilize detectors, but the simplest advice is to buy a smart smoke detector with carbon monoxide protection. For homeowners who don't have the time or the patience to run through the level of risk in each room, this solution makes it easy to kill several birds with one stone.

Watch Out for Chemicals

From medications to cleaning products, poisoning can be a major risk for pets and vulnerable members of the household. To minimize risks, it can help to put locks on cabinets so nobody has easy access to toxic substances. Homeowners should always store items such as paint, detergent, and pesticides in a safe area—far away from curious minds. Even personal products like soap and makeup can be dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands.

Identifying the hazards in a home is an exercise in common sense, but it's an exercise that not many homeowners feel they have the time to do. Safety isn't a static idea that only needs to be done once in a home's lifetime or attended to after getting a home inspection. It's a conscious, daily commitment that homeowners have to make to themselves and their family to maintain.

Posted by Greg Geilman on Monday, May 21st, 2018 at 11:01am

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