Skip to main content

Residential Safety Checklist

May contain: first aid and text

RESIDENTIAL SAFETY CHECKLIST

The list below was compiled by our Fire Prevention Community Education team.  It is intended to help families ensure that their home is safe.

Exterior

  • House number visible from the street.
  • Trees and brush are kept away from electrical wiring.
  • 15-feet of clearance between your home and dead/dry plants, log piles, and un-trimmed trees.

Smoke Detectors / Carbon Monoxide Alarms

  • There is one Smoke Detector near each sleeping area and on every floor.
  • Smoke Detectors are tested regularly, and batteries changed yearly.
  • Smoke alarms are less than 10 years old.
  • Carbon Monoxide alarms are used in homes with fuel burning appliances

Kitchen / Cooking

  • Stoves are not used to heat the home.
  • Cooking is not left unattended.
  • You know not to put water on grease fires, it is best to put a lid on it.
  • There are no combustible materials near the stove.

Heating / Fireplace

  • Do not use kerosene or flammable liquids to start fire.
  • Portable Heaters are kept at least 3 feet away from combustible materials.
  • Portable heaters are turned off AND unplugged before going to bed or when leaving the room.
  • Fireplaces are equipped with a spark screen and ashes are placed in a metal container.

Electrical

  • Electrical wiring is not exposed or damaged.
  • Fused Electric Panels are equipped with proper fuses and receptacles are not overloaded.
  • Extension cords are not used as a substitute for permanent power.
  • Extension cords are not secured on walls or run under carpet or through doorways.
  • Extension cords are equipped with a built-in circuit breaker.

Housekeeping

  • Candles are used away from combustible materials and never left unattended.
  • Oily rags/mops are destroyed or placed in covered metal cans.
  • Hazardous materials/chemicals are labeled and kept out of reach of children
  • Hazardous chemicals are properly stored in limited amounts and are kept away from heat sources.
  • Lint is cleared from behind clothes dryer.

Smoking

  • Do not smoke while lying down or using oxygen.
  • Lighters/ matches are kept away from children.
  • Use an appropriate ash tray.