Fire safety at home Replace frayed or cracked extension and appliance cords, prongs and plugs. 11/20/06 Respond to this story Email this story to a friend .. .. Is Your Home Safe? Accessibility For Emergency Personnel Make sure that: Emergency vehicles can easily identify your address from the road, day or night There are no overhanging branches or other obstructions that would prevent a fire truck from getting to your home. There are no parked cars or other equipment in the way. Be sure that emergency services have a key if you have a gated community, apartment or driveway. Identifying and Eliminating Hazards In Your Home When it comes to eliminating hazards in your home or apartment, knowing what to look for is key. There are proactive steps you can take to reduce or eliminate the chance for an electrical, chemical or fire hazard in your home. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), residential electrical fires claim the lives of 700 Americans each year and injure 3,000 more. Some fires are caused by electrical system failures and appliance defects, but many more are due to the misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring and overloaded circuits. Douglas County Emergency Services and USFA would like residents to know that there are simple steps they can take to prevent the loss of life and property resulting from electrical hazards. Examples of these include: Replace frayed or cracked extension and appliance cords, prongs and plugs. Repair or replace appliances that over heat, short out, smoke or spark. Cover exposed outlets and wiring. Make sure there is only one plug per outlet. If extension cords are used, make sure they are Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) approved. Chemically hazardous materials in your home can pose a great danger. Many household cleaning supplies and other hazardous materials do not emit odors or have particular tastes, while others are more easily identifiable because they may cause physical reactions. In any case, take an inventory of potential chemical and hazardous substances. Learn how to contain and store them properly in order to prevent them from causing physical or environmental damage. For example: Store flammable liquids such as gasoline, acetone, benzene and lacquer thinner in approved safety cans away from sources of ignition. Keep combustible liquids such as paint thinner, kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid and turpentine away from heat sources. Store oily waste and polishing rags in small covered metal cans to prevent vapor buildup. Your county may have information on annual household chemical roundups or storage and disposal of hazardous chemicals. Fire Hazard from Filling Portable Gas Cans in Pickup Trucks and Cars prevents the static charge generated by gasoline flowing into the container or other sources from grounding. The discharge of this buildup to the grounded gasoline dispenser nozzle In recent incidents reported to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), fires spontaneously ignited when people attempted to fill portable gasoline containers in the backs of pickup trucks equipped with plastic bed liners or in cars with carpeted surfaces. Serious injuries have resulted ed. These fires result from the buildup of static removing electricity. The insulating effect of the bed liner or carpet may cause a spark and ignite the gasoline. Both ungrounded metal (most hazardous) and plastic gas containers have been involved in these incidents. Fire Hazard: Filling gas can in pickup truck with plastic bed liner or car with carpeting. Safe Practice: Always place gas can on ground before refueling. Touch can with gas dispenser nozzle before can lid. Keep gas dispenser nozzle in contact with can inlet when filling. Courtesy of FEMA Rodney says, “Store oily waste and polishing rags in small covered metal cans to prevent vapor buildup."