Written by: Mitchell Panter • March 13, 2018• Legally Speaking

5 Home Safety Tips to Consider this Spring

[dropcap type=”background”]S[/dropcap]pring is a time for renewal and the perfect time to reevaluate our homes and belongings and shed old items that are no long of use, or may even be dangerous to our families and us. At Panter, Panter, and Sampedro, our community is our family, so it’s important to us that we help others in our community work toward being safer. Here we offer a few safety tips for you to consider as you work on making your house safe and clean this spring.

Fire Safety
It’s a best practice to replace your smoke detector battery every year, but you should also be checking your detectors monthly. If you hear a “chirping” sound at any time coming from your detectors, you should change the batteries immediately.

Check each bedroom to ensure that there is a detector in place, and make sure that there is one in every common area on each floor of your home. In the event of a fire, a smoke detector could alert sleeping family members and save a life. You can also choose to add fire exit door signs to help when guests are at your home if you are so inclined.

Additionally, you should have a fire extinguisher on each floor of the house in a location that is easily accessible. Make sure there is one in the kitchen and other rooms where there is a potential for a house fire. Check the expiration date on the extinguishers and replace them if necessary. Having a fire extinguisher in an accessible place in your home could be the difference between needing to contact somewhere like ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba, (https://www.servicemasterbyzaba.com/fire-restoration/) to repair and start with the cleaning-up of damage that your house could have endured from the fire. A fire extinguisher could limit this damage, and may make your home more salvagable. They could be a lifesaver.

Medication Safety
Go through all of your medicine cabinets and discard old and expired medication. Take any unwanted or expired prescriptions to a prescription drop box, and make sure they do not end up in the hands of your children.

Review Family Emergency Plan
All families should have an emergency plan in place. This plan outlines what should happen in the event of an emergency, such as a hurricane or house fire. Each family member should be aware of their role and the contact information for everyone else. Your emergency plan should also designate a meeting space in a safe location away from the house if communication pathways are disrupted. Review this plan regularly, and update it if information has changed.

Secure the Home
If you have an active security system, test it out this spring. Check windows and doors to make sure locks and latches are working properly. If you do not have a security system in place, now is a good time to call around to different companies and find the right system that works for you. For example, you may find that a home security alarm is the perfect piece of equipment to ensure that both your family and property are free from harm during this season, and throughout the year. Whatever you decide to do though, make sure that it is working efficiently, so that you don’t run into any problems further down the line.

Outdoor Safety
Pools are a common place for fun in South Florida, but they can also be hazards. Check to make sure that your fencing or barrier around your pool is secure to prevent drowning accidents and review pool safety with your kids. If you have a swing set or other outdoor items for your family, make sure that parts are properly bolted in place to prevent an accident and injury due to equipment breaking.

Also, make sure that dangerous items in your garage, such as power tools, saws, car oil, etc., are properly stored and cleaned to prevent items ending up in the wrong hands or slip-and-fall accidents in areas where people walk.

Safety should always be a priority for you and your family. At Panter, Panter, and Sampedro, we want to make sure our community is safe for all of us, and we are here to help with safety reminders for you and your family throughout the year.

Mitchell J. Panter is Board Certified as a Civil Trial Lawyer by the Florida Bar and National Board of Trial Advocacy, primarily practicing in the areas of Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Product Liability, Sexual Assault, Food Contamination and Premises Liability Cases. You can reach Mitchell at mpanter@panterlaw.com or 305 662-6178. You can also visit the office at 6950 N Kendall Dr., Miami, FL 33156.

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Last modified: March 13, 2018