We would do anything to keep ourselves and our families safe while out and about, but how much do you know about the dangerous hazards in your home? The truth is that many home hazards are easily ignored because if everything is in good working order, there seems to be no reason to intervene. Here are some common home hazards to pay attention to before they become a serious risk.
Electricals
Most electricals in your home will be safe, however, others may be damaged or poorly maintained, posing a serious health and safety risk. Electrical malfunctions and failures were the second leading cause of house fires in the US between 2012 and 2016, suggesting that people have been putting themselves at serious risk, although they are becoming better aware. So, what should you look out for to prevent any risks from occurring?
Attend to broken or splitting cables and replace worn or frayed ones, try not to overload plug points, leave a gap between the wall and large electrical appliances, use the correct fuses in plugs, and ensure that wiring is checked by a professional.
Alarms
Having a smoke alarm in your home is essential since it could save you precious time to get out in the event of a fire. By having an alarm that doesn’t work or failing to have one at all, you are putting yourself and your family at serious risk. Therefore, you should check your fire alarm on a regular basis, ensure you have the right model for the location it will be placed in, and, at minimum, get one if you have none. If you are concerned about fire hazards in the home, then request a quote from a company such as APFE Corp to protect your home from fire.
Another alarm that can’t be ignored is a carbon monoxide alarm that will detect unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in the air. As with smoke alarms, faulty or old carbon monoxide detectors will fail to signal you when unsafe levels in the air are reached, therefore, it is essential that you test your carbon monoxide detector and do not ignore low-battery or end-of-life warnings.
Boiler
Old or malfunctioning boilers can lead to serious consequences if not attended to because carbon monoxide can build up and get released into the air in your home. Look out for lazy yellow flames coming from your boiler, they should be blue and crisp. Also, don’t ignore any unusual stains or discoloration on or around your boiler, as this could be a sign that something isn’t working properly. If you do recognize any of these signs, then always contact a professional to come and look, besides, if a problem is caught early on, then you will have peace of mind that you and your family are safe and avoid the expense of having to replace your boiler.
By paying better attention to these three areas in your home, you are protecting yourself and your family from any serious risks that could have potentially occurred so make sure you act now and stay on top of home hazards.
