Safety Tips: PREVENTING A DISASTER
- Turn off the water supply valves to the washing machine when it is not in use.
- Disconnect all outside hoses before the first frost.
- Maintain and test smoke detectors twice a year, replacing the batteries when the time changes in Spring and Fall. Have a planned escape route for all members of the family or business and practice, practice, practice.
- Never leave cooking unattended; keep a fire extinguisher (1A 10BC rating) in the kitchen, next to an exit door.
- Before starting a wood or gas fire, be sure the damper is open.
- Service your furnace and un-vented gas logs annually.
- Clean the chimney of a wood burning stove or fireplace regularly.
- Place burning candles on only nonflammable surfaces far from flammable objects.
- Never leave a candle burning unattended.
- Trim candle wicks to ¼ inch before lighting to reduce the quantity of soot emitted.
- If you are gone from home more than a few days, have someone visit periodically.
- Don’t smoke indoors, and never smoke in bed.
- Know your emergency contact phone numbers, i.e.: 911 where appropriate.
- Even in the most careful of households, disasters happen. When they do, it is important to avoid health risks, accident risks and the potential of additional damage by contacting a restoration professional immediately.
