Keeping Your Home Safe

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• Checklists
  • Outside
  • Inside
  • Stairs
  • Fire and Hazardous Materials
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Bedroom
  • Garage/Basement/Workroom
  • Childproofing
• Eileen's Story

Injuries can result from seemingly innocent things around your home—many of which are easily fixed or adapted after you do some detective work to track them down. The following checklists will help you inspect your home for evidence of trouble that may be waiting to happen. Every NO answer is a clue that your home may not be as safe as it could be and that you should be making the needed changes as soon as you can. Your safety depends on it!

Checklists:

Outside

	Yes	No
Do all your entrances have an outdoor light?
Do your outdoor stairs, pathways or decks have railings and provide good traction (i.e. textured surfaces)?
Are the front steps and walkways around your house in good repair and free of clutter, snow or leaves?
Do the doorways to your balcony or deck have a low sill or threshold?
Can you reach your mailbox safely and easily?
Is the number of your house clearly visible from the street and well lit at night?

Inside

	Yes	No
Are all rooms and hallways in your home well lit?
Are all throw rugs and scatter mats secured in place to keep them from slipping?
Have you removed scatter mats from the top of the stairs and high traffic areas?
Are your high traffic areas clear of obstacles?
Do you always watch that your pets are not underfoot?
If you use floor wax, do you use the non-skid kind?
Do you have a first aid kit and know where it is?
Do you have a list of emergency numbers near all phones?

 

Stairs

	Yes	No
Are your stairways well lit and do you have light switches at the top and bottom of the stairs?
Are your stairs in good repair and free of clutter?
Do the steps of your stairs have a non-skid surface?
Are there solid handrails on both sides of the stairway?
Do you remove your reading glasses when using the stairs?

 

Fire and Hazardous Materials

	Yes	No
Do you have a smoke detector on every floor of your home?
Do you test your smoke detector every six months?
Have you developed an escape route in case of fire and a fire safety plan?
Are you registered on your apartment building's fire safety plan?
Do you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home?
Are flammable and hazardous materials clearly labelled and properly stored?
If you use a space heater, is it placed well away from flammable substances and materials?
Do you use appropriate power bars to prevent overloading electrical outlets?
If you live in an older home, have you or an electrician inspected your wiring, fuse box, electrical cords and appliances for safety?

Bathroom

	Yes	No
Do you test the water temperature before you get into the bathtub or shower?
Is your hot water temperature set to the recommended 49°C (120°F)?
Do you have non-slip surfaces in the tub or shower?
Do bath mats next to the tub or shower have rubberized backing or are they secured in place to keep them from slipping?
Do you have a night light in the bathroom?
Does your bathroom door lock have an emergency release?
Do you have grab bars that have been properly placed and well anchored to the wall in the bathtub or shower?
If you have any trouble getting on and off the toilet, do you have a raised toilet seat and a grab bar that is well anchored?
If it's difficult for you to take a shower standing up, have you considered a bath seat?

Kitchen

	Yes	No
Are your pots and pans, canned goods and staple foods stored in an easy–to–reach location—between knee and shoulder heights?
Are heavy items stored in the lower cupboards and light items in the higher cupboards?
Do you have a stable step stool (with a safety rail) for reaching high places?
Are the "off" and "on" positions on the stove dials clearly marked?
Are your oven mitts within easy reach when you are cooking?
Do you make sure never to cook while wearing loose-fitting clothing or sleepwear?
Do you have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, mounted on the wall away from the stove?
Do you regularly check that your fire extinguisher is in good operating order?

Bedroom

	Yes	No
Is there a light switch near the entrance to your bedroom?
Do you have a lamp or a light switch near your bed?
Do you keep night lights or other sources of light on in case you get up in the middle of the night?
Is there a clear path from your bed to the bathroom?
Do you have a phone and a list of emergency phone numbers near your bed?

Garage/Basement/Workroom

	Yes	No
Are your workroom and laundry room well lit?
Do you have a telephone in the basement and a list of emergency phone numbers?
Do you keep floors and benches clean to reduce fire and tripping hazards?
Are all your tools and service equipment in good condition? Are the safety locks on?
Is your work area well ventilated, summer and winter?
Are heavy items on lower shelves or in bottom cupboards?
Do you use a ladder or a stable step stool (with a safety rail) for reaching high places?
Are all chemicals, such as bleach, cleaners and paint thinners, clearly identified?
Are flammable materials stored as indicated by the directions on the label and away from sources of heat and flame?
If you have a gas barbecue, is your propane tank stored outside of the house?

Childproofing

(a must, for doting grandparents)	Yes	No
Have you removed items from your lower surfaces to prevent breakage, injury and spills?
Child-resistant caps are not childproof. Are all medications and pill boxes stored out of the reach of children?
Are household products and chemicals, such as cleaning products, paint, paint thinners and alcohol, stored and locked in a cupboard that is out of the reach of children?
Are cosmetic products, such as nail polish remover, creams, mouthwash and perfumes, out of the reach of children?
Have you stored small objects out of the sight and reach of younger children to prevent choking?
Have you stored lighters, matches and candles out of the sight and reach of children?
Have you installed safety catches on your cupboards and medicine cabinet doors?
Have you purchased safety gates for stairs or unsafe rooms?
Is there a safety latch on your stove and dishwasher?
Are extension, telephone and venetian blind cords out of children's way?
Are your garage and workshop locked with deadbolts installed high on the doors?

Eileen's Story

When Eileen Shannon was taking care of her ailing mother-in-law, she decided to get grab bars installed in the bathroom. She also got a bath seat. She was pretty familiar with safety devices and she knew her mother-in-law needed the support in the bathroom. Now, several years later, Eileen is surprised to find herself using those same grab bars. Although Eileen is fairly healthy, she did have two unexpected bouts of illness. "I thought, I'm 69, I won't need those things. But when you get ill, and you come back from the hospital and you're weak, you're mighty glad to have that bar on the bathtub wall."

Eileen's house has other safety features that she installed and finds handy, such as improved lighting, night lights, and lever taps that are easy to turn. As she lives in a large house and her home is the place where everyone gathers for family get-togethers, she has also childproofed the rooms. When she looks ahead to the future, she sees herself remaining in this house safely for a long time to come.

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