Utah has a history of being impacted by earthquakes. Homes and their contents are vulnerable to rocking and rolling caused by earthquakes. Do a Home Hazard Hunt as a family. Search for possible hazards in the event of an earthquake such as cabinets, bookcases, or appliances not secured to walls, heavy objects above beds, unsecured water heaters, or beds close to windows. Secure potential hazards.
Have an Earthquake Plan. Practice how to respond to an earthquake with your household. Keep shoes and gloves by your bed. Know how to respond to earthquakes at home or at work or in your vehicle.
Drop, Cover and Hold. No matter where you are, take cover under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture, and hold on to it until the shaking stops. Keep your hallway clear as it is one of the safest places to be during an earthquake. Put away tripping hazards such as a vacuum, toys, shoes, or boxes.
Earthquakes can damage vital infrastructures such as roads, bridges, water and sewer pipelines, natural gas and electrical distribution systems. Fires often follow earthquakes due to gas line breaks and electrical malfunctions.
Create a Fire Escape Plan for your household. This can include: two ways out of every room and a safe meeting place outside your home. Practice your escape plan twice a year.
Cooking is the number one cause of home fires. Prevent cooking fires in your home. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Be cautious and secure hair and roll up long or drapey sleeves while cooking. Teach and model safe cooking for children.
Children are sometimes curious about fire. If you have children in your home, lock up any items that can start a fire such as matches or lighters and keep candles out of reach. Don’t leave fireplaces, grills, or firepits unattended.
Fireworks can be potentially dangerous as well. Teach, practice and model firework safety for children.
Dryer fires can happen with the buildup of lint or with a blocked duct or vent cover. Clean lint filter after every load of clothing. Vacuum out your dryer ducting and vent once a year. Don’t store combustible materials next to dryers.
Have a fire extinguisher that is visible and accessible and know how to use it in an emergency. If a fire is too big for you to handle, immediately get out of the house. Call 911 from outside. Once outside, stay outside.
Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should be tested, and batteries replaced every six months.