Fire hazards are normally associated with winter when people use space heaters and fireplaces. But many summer fires happen, too, so be especially attentive when grilling or barbecuing.
• You should never leave any kind of fire or cooking unit unattended, and keep lighter fluids and matches out of the reach of children.
• Storage of old paints, varnishes, stains, and household cleaning products can also ignite a fire. Don’t keep those kinds of items or pressurized aerosols in a hot shed, for example, because as the mercury rises so does the chance for spontaneous combustion.
• Summertime means using gas powered weed-whackers and lawn mowers, too, so take extra care when using and storing gasoline and other fuels. Even a small amount of gasoline left in a can has the potential to create a fire or explosion, and if fuel is spilled on a hot engine or other hot surface that can also cause it to burst into flames.
Don’t’ forget and leave gas cans or other combustible items in the car too long, either, or they might combust. Even a laptop computer left to bake in the sun has the potential to start a fire because of the chemicals in the battery, so use extra caution all summer long.
Accidental Poisoning:
Extra summer yard work also means more fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and other chemicals around the house. Many of these are engineered as potent lethal poisons, so don’t let them create an accidental illness or death.
• Never remove labels from these kinds of items, and always be sure to keep the safety warnings and first aid information intact.
• When working with hazardous chemicals it is a good idea not to do it while small children can observe you. They may interpret the activity as play and then when you are not around they might try to help out by spraying plants on their own – with catastrophic unintended consequences.
• Many plant chemicals as well as those used to suppress rodent and insect populations take time to get absorbed. Read labels carefully. Usually it is best to make sure that no humans or pets are in the area until well past the recommended time to safely reenter the zone.
• Weather conditions also affect toxic chemicals. If you use a poison ivy killer when the wind is blowing, for example, it could harm your vegetable plants or accidentally wind up in Fido’s water dish.
Once you are finished with a chemical be sure to dispose of it in an environmentally conscious way too, otherwise those toxic elements could wind up in the soil or your own drinking water supply.
We all want to feel safe inside our own homes but it is an unfortunate fact of life that there is always the potential for accidents and mishaps. Stay alert, follow sensible procedures, and then you can really and truly relax and enjoy yourself all summer long knowing that you’ve done what’s necessary to ensure protection and safety for your home and family.