December Safety Ideas - Winter Months Can Be Dangerous!

Safety is Important All Times -
But Especially During the Holidays

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Schedule a Fireplace Cleaning

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    Hold on a second!
Don't scroll by if you have a gas fireplace and think this doesn't apply to you.

  Even gas fireplaces, with less maintenance and cleaning than wood 

burning ones, should receive an annual inspection.  

Debris such as leaves or bird nests need to be removed, and 

the chimney itself should be checked.  

With a wood burning stove or fireplace, you'll know if the chimney is open

 because of smoke in the house. 

But with a gas fireplace, carbon monoxide can't be seen or smelled.  

Take Care With Christmas Lights

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Use proper Christmas lights for the occasion - keep the indoor ones in and 

the ones rated for outdoor use outside. 
Check for frayed wired or broken sockets and recycle instead

of throwing in the garbage.  Linn County Solid Waste Agency

accepts Christmas lights to recycle for free at the County Home Road location.

When buying new lights, look for the UL seal, which means the lights meet

the national industry standards of the American National Standards Institute.

Also, use the correct extension cords. Don't use indoor cords outside.
Junctions of light strands should be kept off the ground or use a protector,

which can be purchased or fashion a DIY version from plastic containers.

Candle Caution

As a candle lover who has one burning most days, regardless of the season,

I know how important it is to be vigilant.

Guess what days are reported to have the most candle fires?

Christmas day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Be sure they aren't left unattended.

Winter months are the leading time of year for house fires.

Extra cooking and baking for the holidays, candles burning, and

Christmas decorations all contribute.

Always have a working fire extinguisher handy in your home.

Carbon Monoxide Detection

If you don't have a carbon monoxide detector, invest in one.
And if you already own one, check it to be sure it's working properly.

Winter months and cold temperatures mean more heating devices are being used.

There are  basic plug-in units that run approximately $20.

Smart units are also available, such as 

Nest Protect Battery Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector 
(Approx $112 and up)

"Carbon monoxide is an odourless and colourless poisonous gas found in fumes from vehicle exhaust, fireplaces, furnaces or any other appliances that burn solids such as wood, liquids such as oil or gasoline and fuels such as propane or natural gas. As indicated by the Office of the Fire Commissioner, “no fuel burns 100 percent. It is the incomplete burning of fuels that produces carbon monoxide”.'
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We're all spending more time than ever in our homes and the winter months will only mean even more time spent indoors. 

Make an effort to keep your home and loved ones safe.