An Ounce of Prevention
The proverb, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” still holds true; it's so much easier to spend a little time forestalling disasters than it is to deal with them. Take a look at your home, assess any safety issues and unsafe habits, and determine potential hazards. Think about what you can do to correct those danger areas, and take necessary safety and prevention measures.
Toxins
Some products may harm the skin and gain entry through damaged skin. Others are absorbed even if they don't do any skin damage, so wearing protective gloves and clothing is important when working with potentially hazardous products and anything that has a warning label. Many chemical products are particularly damaging to the eyes and require protective goggles (even if you wear glasses) during use. You can buy goggles at many drugstores and home stores.
Alert!
The word “nontoxic” only indicates that a substance may cause little to no adverse reactions if you eat it or inhale it. It does not guarantee that the product is harmless. For illness and allergic reactions, consider that the source may be any product you've used that contains chemicals.
Reading labels and directions will help you determine if it is a product you really want in your home and will instruct you how to use it and what to do in case of emergency ingestion or contact with eyes. Try to avoid products labeled with the words “Caution,” “Poison,” “Danger,” or “Warning.”
Anything circulating in the air will enter the bloodstream via your lungs, so good ventilation is essential, along with the use of fans and open windows when using any sort of aerosol or volatile toxin. If you can smell it, then your ventilation is not adequate. Some toxic products don't have odors, so it's a good idea to wear a mask for your own protection.
Essential
Remember to never mix products unless the manufacturer's directions say that it's safe to do so. Mixing products may cause toxic or explosive chemical reactions.
After you read the directions, follow them! Keep all lids tightly closed and follow the manufacturer's storage recommendations. If you are able to, work outdoors or take ample fresh-air breaks. Take a break, go outside, or even stop working altogether if you become dizzy, nauseated, or develop a headache.
For pests, baits and traps are the safest pesticides because they do not cause the entire area that you are treating to become toxic, and are designed so that the pest enters the container containing the pesticide and then takes it back to the colony or nest.
Alternatives to insecticides are diatomaceous earth (don't use the swimming-pool variety), B.T. (a microbial insecticide), insecticidal soaps, beneficial nematodes (good bugs that clean up the pesty ones), neem oil (a natural insecticide), and frequent vacuuming. For pet flea control, try alternatives such as enzyme shampoos and using a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and water sprayed on the pet, weekly washing of pet bedding, and frequent vacuuming.
Store products in their original container with the original label attached, and store flammable products away from corrosive products. After using rags with any flammable products, such as furniture stripper or paint remover, store them in a sealed and labeled, preferably metal, container away from heat or sparks that could ignite them.
Fact
If you are pregnant, try to avoid toxic chemical exposure, because many toxic products have either never been tested for potential harmful effects to an unborn fetus or have been manufactured, sold, and then later found to be toxic and taken off the market.
Fire Safety
The U.S. Fire Administration recommends having working smoke detectors installed in all bedrooms, in rooms outside the bedroom areas, and at least one detector on each story of your house. They also recommend that you test your smoke detectors monthly, replace the batteries once a year, and replace the detectors after ten years of use. Because fires commonly travel along the stairway, you should have escape ladders to help you get out of the second story of a house and practice using them when you practice your escape plan. Never try to put an out-of-control fire out, just leave quickly and call for help. But do keep an ABC or ABCD fire extinguisher in the kitchen, garage, and/or workshop and know how to use it for small, manageable fires.
Essential
Smoke detectors will give you the chance to escape a fire situation, but you also need to prepare and practice your emergency-exit plan with two ways out from each room. Also be sure to plan a location where the family will meet together outside after escaping.
Keep fireplaces screened and cleaned. Chimneys and stovepipes should be professionally cleaned yearly for creosote, a substance that can ignite and cause a house fire.
Kitchen Safety
The most common kitchen fire is the dry-cooking fire, where the liquid or substance in a pot cooks out and what is left begins to smoke. Grease fires happen when something oily ignites while cooking, causing open flames that can become a disastrous fire. Take the following steps to prevent or control kitchen fires:
Turn off the stove if you are able to.
If a pan is on fire and you are able to cover it with a lid, do so.
Don't ever try to splash water on a grease fire or carry a burning pan outside or to the sink.
Keep a fire blanket in your kitchen so that you can cover your hands with it and throw it gently over a fire.
Use timers to remind you of food cooking, even if you think you will remember.
Keep all flammable items like dish towels and bags away from the stove top.
Always use potholders or oven mitts, and never dish towels, to handle your hot pots, pans, and baking trays.
Fact
Electrical outlets that are close to water sources in the kitchen, bathroom, and garage should be protected by Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs). GFCIs monitor the flow of electricity and automatically cut off the flow of electricity with any variation in the current, thus preventing injury.
