Reduce hazards in your home
During earthquakes and other disasters, injuries and property damage often occur as a result of things around the home falling, breaking, moving, or starting a fire.
You can reduce the risk by taking some time now to identify these possible hazards around your home, and fixing them.
Quick tips for identifying potential hazards around your home
Steps you can take to make the inside of your home safer include:
- Anchor or secure appliances and heavy items so they can't topple over
- Move beds away from windows
- Move or anchor mirrors or heavy pictures over beds, couches, or chairs
- Place heavy and breakable items on lower shelves
- Secure electronics with velcro strips or non-slip pads
- Store toxic materials in non-breakable containers, away from heat sources
Hazards outside your home
Be aware of outside hazards and plan for how you will handle them if you have to evacuate, including:
- Trees and power lines that could fall
- Stream banks that could become unstable
Your home's foundation
To reduce the risk of damage to your home:
- Consider reinforcing your home if it is on loose or clay soil. Stiff soil or bedrock is ideal.
- Brace slender posts and anchor them to solid ground
- Ensure the house or garage is securely fastened to the foundation, particularly if it was built before 1950
Take a closer look
Are you ready to start eliminating hazards in your home? Use these resources to get started.