Most of us are aware of basic home safety tips like locking our doors and windows before leaving the house, not putting aluminum in the microwave etc. but there are some things that many of us may not have realized could be potentially hazardous.
For instance:
Electric Hazards
There are over 10, 000 electrical related fires every year. Old, damaged wiring is one of the more insidious causes of fires in the home. The older your wiring the more susceptible it is to deterioration. One of the most dangerous electrical conditions is arc-faulting. An arc-fault occurs when loose or corroded connections make intermittent contact and causes sparking or arcing between the connections. This translates into heat, which will break down the insulation of the wire and can be the trigger for an electrical fire. It could be a nail impinging on the wires or even furniture. To suppress arc-faults, is to get an arc-fault circuit interrupter. It detects non-working electrical arc and disconnect the power before the arc starts a fire.
Falls
Some people have to wear a medical alert Canada bracelet when they have difficulty walking or are at a high risk of falling. But they aren’t the only ones who face this potential danger. We could fall down stairs, slip on rugs, fall off chairs, and slip on wet tiles. These are actually responsible for 7000 deaths each year, according to the Coalition for Consumer Health and Safety. You could apply double-faced adhesive tape to the back of rugs to keep them in place. Put non-spil mats in bathtubs.
Clogged dryer exhaust ducts
Dryer lint will catch fire very easily, which is why regular vacuuming of the dryer’s exhaust system is a must.
Air freshners
NRDC recently tested 14 different air fresheners and found that 12 contained chemicals called phthalates (pronounced thal-ates), chemicals that can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems. Even air fresheners marketed as “all-natural” or “unscented” contained the hazardous chemicals. The best way to prevents these risks is to open your windows to get rid of odours.
Boiling water in the microwave
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Heating water in the microwave may cause it to superheat (reach a temperature beyond the natural boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius) and potentially explode. Leave a non-metallic object in the cup or bowl when you microwave water, and be conservative about how long you heat the water up and which settings you use.
Squirrels
Squirrels running around your attic could be very dangerous as they seem to love the taste of electrical insulation. This puts your home in risk of fire. To prevent squirrels from entering your attic you should repair open areas with a steel mesh.
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