Originally Posted By: dfrend
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
That’s right Jeff.
Summer is coming up. The leading cause of drownings? One of them is swimming pools. Another is ponds. The others like bathtubs and sinks, are not usually something home inspectors would have much influence over. But we can help reduce the deaths in injuries in many of the categories by simple steps.
1. Falls - are railings in place, secure, and balusters close enough? Windows proper height or have safeguards?
2. Poisoning - I will wait till someone guesses the extra credit to discuss this.
3. Fire - Encourage smoke alarms, point them to educational material, ask them to prepare a fire safety escape plan, show them how to and encourage monthly smoke alarm testing, encourage them to add a fire sprinkler system in their house under construction.
4. Not much with Home Inspectors I can think of off the top of my head. Just pointing them to educational resources can help though
5. Drowning - are their fences around pools, spas, ponds? Are their alert devices if small children present? Are there other safety features in place?
My goal is just to make you all aware of the problem. Remember we reach people in what is considered a prime learning moment for them. They are paying us for information on their home. The fact that they payed for our opinions will make them more likely to pay attention, even if we are giving them safety advice they may have heard a thousand times.
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Daniel R Frend
www.nachifoundation.org
The Home Inspector Store
www.homeinspectorstore.com