Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week: gas boiler services/CO2 alarms from Electric Ireland

micar

have fire and carbon monoxide alarms fitted and check regularly that they are working properly and clear of dust.

odie71

DON'T plug a bunch of stuff into one outlet or extension cord. It could damage the electrical system in your house or even cause a fire.


Plan two escape routes from each floor of your home and practice using them. Be sure you can open doors and windows from the inside without a key.


Teach your children what to do if they smell smoke or hear the smoke alarm.

Capt'n Midnight

Stairs are dangerous. Treat them with respect.

Firblog

Put all chemicals - bleach/poisions/turpentine in a locked/inaccessible press.

spireland32

Get a local/recommended registered gas installer and get a proper service done.

Lawrence1895

Make sure, you ask your landlord for a regular boiler service. Some tenants don't bother, because they think, they have to pay for the service themselves.

brettg

For a house full of nintendo DSs, the chargers can be found everywhere and it is good training for the kids to get them in the habit of unpluging these and other electrical items as they pose a potential fire hazard if they overheat while unattended at night time.:eek:

fitz0

Don't leave things on top of the microwave vent. Vents are there for a reason.

cruais

Become aware and recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

- headache
- Nausea
- dizziness
- Breathlessness
- Loss of consciousness
- Other people experiencing these symptoms at the same time as you.
- these symptoms disapeering once you leave the area, but reappearing upon your return.

Knowing these symptoms can save your life.

Joey the lips

Beaware if you share your home with an elderly family member, Trip hazzards that we avoid the elderly may not so easy. Two-thirds of those who fall will fall again within six months. Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 or over

At least one-third of all falls in the elderly involve environmental hazards in the home. The most common hazard for falls is tripping over objects on the floor. Other factors include poor lighting, loose rugs, lack of grab bars or poorly located/mounted grab bars, and unsturdy furniture

Asses your home today. more importantly... Teach your kids that the home needs to be safe from gran and gandpa.

It will be you they are protecting one day.

long_b

Tidy away protruding electric cables as much as possible.

Use power plug covers on unused sockets if you have babbies in your life.

baileye

Don't leave lit candles unattended.

*whoosh* the more you know *

Yi Harr

Never leave an unguarded fire unattended.

p15574

Don't check for gas leaks by lighting a match

happywithlife

in our house

It's to fit all cupboard/press doors with safety locks ...

this means that:

• my son is no longer able to use the lower shelf of a press as a stepping stone, (and therefore pull things from a higher shelf down on top of himself)
• detergent etc is locked away
• glass ware is locked away
• cookery equipment (e.g. blender) is locked away
• little fingers can no longer get caught in the door
  
  cheap, cheerful and effective :-)

CreepingDeath

Note where your gas cut-off switch is outside, and have the little plastic key to open the box to access it if necessary.

Although a thin nosed set of pliers should open it too,
allowing you to closed the gas cut-off switch if you smell gas or have a fire in your house.

Nulty

Never leave a glass of white spirits beside the sink.

AngryLips

Open the windows and air the house out regularly to avoid radon poisoning

Drumpot

Have a family evacuation plan in the event of an emergency . . Practise regularly . .

miralize

It's a simple one, but the amount of people I know who do it is shocking : Dont leave the house while the oven/stove/cooker/grill is on.

Raytown Rocks

You should have a smoke alarm in your attic.
Check your smoke alarms on a weekly basis.

southkilkenny

If burning timber in an open fire, ensure the fireguard is in place at all times to prevent sparks from hitting the floor. Also ensure that all areas close to ther door outside are well lit tp avoid the risk of a fall due to poor lighting

coolmoose

If renting or buying, always get electric shower units checked by an electrician before use - some are DIY jobs that are not grounded properly, and could be fatal.

emmet the rover

leave keys near doors at night in case you need to get out in a hurry in a dark smokey house

diamondgirl

always keeps medicines, tablets etc out of childrens reach.
Never leave your windows open, when leaving the house, even for a couple of minutes, it only takes 1 minute for someone to break-in !

BrookieD

install smoke alarms but wire to house electric in case the batteries die, if they do the Alarm still works. Mind you if the house leccy goes and the battery is out of juice then your really screwed.... by a canary also just remember to feed it... if it dies then there is a gas leak

lotsofthegreen

Never leave a burning candle unattended

rannerap

Put non-slip strips in the bath tub or shower place.

Mellio

Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and test regularly to ensure batteries are still working sufficiently.

jessiejam

Ensure chimenys and vents are kept clean.
Unplug all electrical appliances before you leave the house or go to bed. Ensure the batteries are working in your smoke alarms both upstairs and downstairs.
Never try to put out electrical fires, no matter how small, with water. Have your boiler serviced annually.
Keep your house keys on the hall table near the door in case of an emergency vacuation.
If there is a fire in your home get out and stay out.