Safety Devices

No home is totally safe, but some homes are safer than others. Over time, building standards have improved and safety devices have been invented to make homes safer. Below are a few devices to look for in your home.

Circuit Interrupters

Modern building codes require a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) device anytime an outlet is within six feet of a source of water or outside. GFCI protected outlets prevent electrocution by monitoring the flow of current at each conductor. An imbalance, much smaller than your fuses or circuit breakers detect, indicates a leakage of current and the circuit is disconnected. GFCIs must be designed to operate quickly, within 25-40 milliseconds, in order to prevent death through ventricular fibrillation.

Another type of circuit interrupter is the arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI). Arc faults in the home are one of the leading causes for household fires. AFCI Devices are designed to prevent fires by detecting non-working electrical arcs and disconnecting power to the circuit before the arc starts a fire. As with GFCIs, these also are designed to act quickly.

It is a good idea to test GFCIs and AFCIs on a regular basis and have them replaced by an electrician if they fail. Additional information about both of these devices can be found on the Electrical Safety Foundation’s website.

Hand Railings and Grab Bars

There should be a handrail on at least one side of each stairway and it should be attached securely to the studs. The height should be between 36 to 39 inches and allow you to use it comfortably when your arm is slightly bent at the elbow. Athough not required by law, properly installed grab bars near toilets, bathtubs, and showers may also help prevent falls.

Outside the home, many jurisdictions require that decks and patios over 18 inches off the ground have safety railings. The height varies by location, but usually requires the railing to be 36-42 inches high and gaps between the railing balusters to be less than four inches wide to prevent a child from slipping through.

The University of Maryland reports that falls are the most common cause of injury visits to the emergency room for young children and older adults, and that 75 percent of all falls occur at home.

Smoke Detectors

The need for smoke detectors in the home is well documented. At minimum, of one smoke detector should be located on every habitable level of the home. This includes basements, lofts, and attics where there is over seven feet of headroom. Homes which are more spread out or on a single level should have multiple smoke detectors.

Most local codes require that smoke detectors are installed in, or within ten feet, of every bedroom. Smoke detectors should be installed on the ceiling, away from the wall. If the ceiling is not flat, then the detector should be installed at the highest point practical. Optical Smoke detectors should not be placed in or near bathrooms as steam may cause false alarms.

For more information on smoke detectors, visit the National Fire Prevention Association fact sheet on smoke alarms.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Carbon Monoxide detectors should also present, especially when a garage or furnace is part of the home.

Carbon Monoxide is a colorless and odorless invisible gas that may cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and may even be lethal in high concentrations. It is an unavoidable by-product of inefficient combustion and created by burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, heating oil, gasoline, wood, and kerosene. Appliances like your natural-gas dryer and furnace produce little Carbon Monoxide and are designed to vent the rest from the home. However, appliances and furnaces that do not receive proper maintenance, blocked chimneys, automobile exhaust, and improperly vented fires or space heaters could create unhealthy levels of Carbon Monoxide in the home.

Each of these detectors require power to operate. All of them require batteries as even those wired into the home’s electrical system require a backup source of power. We recommend that you test your detectors often and replace the battery promptly when necessary.

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