School is back and that means more traffic on the roads in the morning and late afternoon. Daylight saving time ends in November so it will get dark earlier. Depth perception, recognizing colors, and your side vision can be compromised in the dark.
Too many autumn leaves can be a hazard – leaves can be very slippery when they get wet causing slips and falls. Keep your sidewalks and driveways clear of leaves.
Check on your fire safety in your home. Make sure your heat and air conditioning are serviced regularly and working well. This is a good time to have your fireplace inspected as well.
Be very careful with space heaters as the temperature goes down. Keep 3 feet of empty space around space heaters. Never leave the room when a space heater is on.
People tend to use more candles in the fall. Be sure to blow out candles before you leave a room (when you go out – blow out) and never leave an open flame unattended. Watch where you place candles because a low coffee table is not safe when you have small children and pets.
When you change the clock, change your smoke alarm batteries. This is a good time to take a look at the underside of the alarm to look for the manufacturer’s date. If it is more than 10 years old, replace the entire alarm. The sensors that sense smoke and flames will not work very well after 10 years. After 20 years, they think they don’t work at all.
Fall is a good time for yard clean-up. Make sure that your tools are in good working order.
When seasons change, it is a good time to get rid of unnecessary clutter in your garage which tends to be one of those places we accumulate a lot of stuff! Stacks of old magazines and newspapers are fire hazards. Recycle what you can and store any others in a plastic or metal storage bin (not a cardboard box) away from heaters or heat-producing appliances. Half-empty containers of chemicals also tend to pile up in the garage. Find out how to dispose of hazardous chemicals like pesticides, fuels, and cleaning supplies. Many times there is information on the container itself.
Happy fall and enjoy this time of year. – By: Cinda Seamon