Fire SafetyLadder Safety

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that approximately 80 percent of all fire deaths in the United States and Canada occur in the home. Roughly 11 people die in home fires in the U.S. and Canada every day.

Many lives can be saved if people react immediately when a fire alarm sounds. Once a fire starts, there's no time to develop a plan. The NFPA urges everyone to "Know when to go!" in advance.

• Replace smoke detector batteries, or, if hard-wired, test smoke detection system regularly.
• Plan your escape and practice it. Create at least two different escape routes and make sure each member of the family knows what they are.
• Children are at double the risk of dying in a home fire because they often become confused about what to do. Teach them that a smoke alarm signals a fire, and make sure they know the escape routes and have practiced them.
• After alerting the family, get out. Don't wait for anything. Call the fire department from a neighbor's home.
• If you encounter smoke on your way out of a fire, use your second route instead.
• If you must escape through smoke, crawl low under the smoke to your exit.
• If your clothes catch on fire, stop where you are, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands and roll over and over to smother the flames.
• Once outside, have a designated spot where family members will meet.
• Never go back into a burning house or building, not for anything.

Ladder SafetyFire Safety

The UL (Underwriters Laboratories) recommend that homeowners observe these few basic, safety precautions to help prevent accidents involving ladders:

• Always look for the UL Listing Mark before purchacing a ladder. The UL Listing Mark on a product means that representative samples of that product have been tested to nationally recognized safety standards with regard to safety hazards.
• Always use a ladder that is long enough for the job at hand. A great number of ladder accidents are a result of using ladders that are too short.
• Don't carry equipment while climbing a ladder. Invest in a tool belt or have someone hand the equipment to you.
• Face the ladder when climbing up and down; keep your body centered between the side rails.
• While up on the ladder, don't overextend your reach.
• Never move the ladder while standing on it. Always make sure people and equipment are off the ladder before moving or closing it.
• Never stand on a ladder's bucket shelf. Read and follow all warning stickers for the highest standing levels.