Walk into any garage and you’ll come face-to-face with various items. The garage is the perfect place to store tools, shelves, boxes, bikes, furniture and out-of-season belongings.
But while garages provide the perfect storage space for clutter, it’s also a good place to store essential household safety items.
Designate a shelf in your garage for the following safety items and you will be prepared to handle an emergency:
1. Work goggles: Whether you’re painting a wall or completing a home construction project, do not forget your safety goggles. Some people choose to work without goggles. But if you’re working with chemicals, glass, metal or wood, a splatter or flying debris can cause a painful eye injury.
In some cases, the damage may be permanent. These types of goggles offer total protection and they’re designed to fit comfortably over corrective eyeglasses.
2. Flashlights: If a storm, traffic accident or another incident knocks out power to your house, flashlights can provide light until your electricity returns. Do not rely on a single flashlight to illuminate your home. Keep three or four flashlights in your garage, along with a few packs of batteries.
Although some people prefer candles during a blackout, an open flame increases the risk of a fire.Flashlights are safer and easy for children to use.
3. Fire extinguisher: Every house should have at least one fire extinguisher in the event of a fire. If you cannot find a place inside your home to store the fire extinguisher, consider a shelf in your garage. If a kitchen fire occurs or if an electric heater sparks a fire, and extinguisher can put out the flame and avert a catastrophe.
Even if you call 911 at the first sight of a fire, it can take emergency response teams several minutes to reach your home. Without a fire extinguisher, your home may sustain major damage. Read the instructions and make sure everyone in your house knows how to operate the extinguisher.
4. Bag of salt: Some areas receive frequent snow and ice during the winter months. If these conditions are common in your region, keep a fewbags of salt in your garage.
Purchase these bags early in the season when supplies are plentiful. In the event of a snow or ice storm, sprinkle the salt in your driveway, on your porch and along walkways on your property. The salt functions as a de-icer to keep these paths safe.
