Home Safety Checklist

Home fire safety checklist

Keep your home safe from fire by taking a few simple precautions. Here’s a list of potential fire hazards:

  •  unnecessary or excessive storage of rubbish and trash, both inside or outside
  •  storage of flammable liquids (gasoline) and flammable gases (propane)
  •  improper storage of paint materials, oily rags, etc.

Electrical

  •  items such as toasters and irons not unplugged when not in use
  •  electrical circuits overloaded or improperly fused
  •  electrical cords cracked, damaged, or deteriorated
  •  electrical cords located under rugs or areas where they can be damaged
  •  electrical panels and equipment not kept clear

Heating

  •  heating equipment, flue pipes, or chimneys in poor condition or not serviced yearly
  •  items (especially combustibles) kept too close to heating equipment
  •  ashes not stored in metal container or kept outside
  •  wood heat appliances not inspected by a certified inspector
  •  oil tank not protected (painted and serviced)

General safety issues

  •  no ABC-type fire extinguisher
  •  no smoke alarms (required under By-law F-100)
  •  smoke alarm not working
  •  no fire escape plan
  •  exit doors which require keys to open inside (should be thumb turns)
  •  no civic number displayed on the house
  •  bedrooms have no alternate escape route to the outdoors (exterior door or openable windows)
  •  bedrooms in buildings without sprinklers having no exterior door must have windows that meet the requirements of the National Building Code of Canada.