Use the daylight savings time clock switch to help you remember important home safety checks.
November first is this year’s date to turn our clocks back. A great habit to adopt is to also use this event to check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. We would also do well to check the furnace and any space heaters we plan to use and make plans to service the fireplace.
Carbon monoxide (also known as CO) is a poisonous gas we can neither see nor smell. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 150 people in the United States die annually from non-fire-related CO due to faulty consumer products including generators, space heaters, furnaces, stoves, water heaters, and fireplaces. In addition to these fatalities, approximately 10,000 cases of carbon monoxide injury are reported annually, causing headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and seasonal depression (CPSC).
In addition to emitting carbon dioxide, faulty space heaters are also common fire starters. In fact, space heaters “are the type of heating equipment most often involved in home heating fires” (National Fire Protection Association). A whopping 86% of civilian deaths caused by faulty home heating equipment are attributed to space heaters (NFPA).
Of course, space heaters are not the only culprits when it comes to in-home fires. Over 20,000 fires each year originate in a fireplace or chimney, most of which could be prevented by annual cleaning and inspection by a certified chimney sweep (Chimney Safety Institute of America).
At Waitte’s Insurance Agency, we care about keeping our community safe because we are part of the community. Our staff is always ready to meet with you to discuss your unique insurance needs.