Handyman Articles - Protect Your Family from Fires

• Every year there are more than 500,000 serious residential fires reported to fire departments. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) more than 90 percent of these fires occur in one and two family houses, resulting in 4,000 deaths and property losses exceeding 4 billion dollars annually. Here are the products recommended to keep your family safe in case of fire. Smoke Detectors The majority of home fire deaths happen at night and most often, it's due to smoke or poisonous gases, not the fire itself. You should install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside all sleeping areas. Detectors should be placed on the ceiling or 6-8 inches below the ceiling, and away from air vents or registers. Bedroom Escape Ladders Only 12% of people living in 2 or 3 story houses have portable escape ladders and more troubling, few actually remember where they are stored. The PEARL ladder is designed for permanent installation directly beneath the windows you'll use to escape from a fire. It is there when you need it. When installed in the wall of bedrooms on the second/third floor, there is no time lost finding and deploying the ladder.

PEARL Ladder Closed   PEARL Ladder Open   Fire Extinguishers The best choice for general home use is a multipurpose dry chemical ABC fire extinguisher. These should be mounted on the wall near exist so anyone using it can escape if the fire spreads too quickly. Pressure should be checked periodically and all adults in the home should know how to use the fire extinguisher. Fire Blankets Kitchen fires account for almost 28% of all fires with very hot oil one of the main causes. Fire blankets should be easily accessible near exit doorways. They can be used to smother a kitchen fire, cover someone on fire or worn over the head when  passing through an area on fire. They can be purchased at hardware stores. For more information, read Fire Blanket Safety in the Home. Home Fire Escape Plan Fires spread very quickly and you may have as little as 2 minutes to get your family safely out of the house so plan and practice an escape plan in advance. Identify at least 2 exits from each part of the house and a place to meet outside. Post the fire department number on every phone, know when to call, and never go into a burning building. For help with your escape plan, visit FireSavety.gov. Quarterly Safety Check Test smoke alarms and change batteries annually and alarms every 8-10 years Check the pressure guage on all fire extinguishers Review (practice twice a year) your family fire escape plan and when to call 911 Preventing Home Fires Too often we forget to address the home safety basics listed here. For a more comprehensive list of sources of home fires, along with safety assessment questions and recommendations, review the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Your Home Fire Safety Checklist. The Home Safety Council also has some great materials for the workplace, for employees and for children.

Tina Gleisner, President of My Handyman of Southern NH, publishes Handyman News and writes articles that address customer problems. Copyright © 2007 iHandyman Solutions Inc.