{"id":840,"date":"2017-10-09T16:12:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T16:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/?p=840"},"modified":"2017-10-09T16:12:16","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T16:12:16","slug":"fire-electrical-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/2017\/10\/09\/fire-electrical-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Caregiver Safety:\u00a0Fire and electrical safety"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fire and electricity hazards, if not properly addressed, could lead to electrical shocks and burns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Dont-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"466\" height=\"483\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Dont-9.png 658w, https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Dont-9-289x300.png 289w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Do-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"432\" height=\"448\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Do-9.png 656w, https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Do-9-290x300.png 290w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" \/><b>Tools<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have these things available or installed to make the job safer:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Smoke alarms on each floor (Check batteries at least once a year.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fire extinguisher\u2014Know where it is and make sure it has been serviced regularly. Get training on how to use it. If there is no extinguisher, ask the client or apartment manager about it, if appropriate. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Tips<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">General fire safety:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Plan and practice evacuation <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">in case of a fire. Know where the exits (including windows) are.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Write down emergency numbers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and in case of emergency dial 911 to reach the fire department, police, or emergency medical services.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t use water to put out a cooking fire<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Use an extinguisher, or smother the fire instead.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make sure the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">stove is turned off <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">when not in use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Place space heaters away from pathways<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">so they won\u2019t be knocked down. Keep them away from fabric, clothing, and items that can burn.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Remove lint from the dryer <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">before doing another load. It could catch fire.<\/span><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Tip-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"415\" height=\"362\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-843\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Tip-9.png 541w, https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Tip-9-300x261.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 415px) 100vw, 415px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Cigarette smoking is the most frequent cause of fires in the home.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make sure <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">lit cigarettes are never near flammable items <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">such as oxygen tanks, paper, drapes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If the client smokes and takes medication that causes drowsiness or forgetfulness, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">pay extra attention <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to prevent a fire.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Put water on cigarettes <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">before throwing them in the trash.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Advise the client <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">not to smoke in bed<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Make sure that ashtrays are located away from mattresses and bedding.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Oxygen<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keep all flames away from oxygen equipment<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Flame sources include lit cigarettes, candles, matches, stoves.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Store oxygen tanks in well-ventilated areas<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Do not put them in closets or other small spaces.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Tip-2-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"387\" height=\"278\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Tip-2-9.png 532w, https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2017\/10\/Tip-2-9-300x215.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 387px) 100vw, 387px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Electrical safety<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">putting too much of a load on extension cords. (Check the rating tag on the cord.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">missing outlet covers <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and frayed cords <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">replaced<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">appliances <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">like lamps, hair dryers, coffee makers, mixers, microwaves, and toaster ovens are <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">in good condition <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">with intact cords and plugs. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you get even a small shock from an appliance, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">stop using it immediately <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">until it\u2019s fixed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Never use <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a hair dryer, radio, TV, or other <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">electric appliance near water<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A light switch or electric outlet hot to the touch can indicate <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">unsafe wiring<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">get help!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do not place <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">electrical cords under rugs <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">or carpets.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Talk it over<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You could say this: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cSmoke alarms and fire extinguishers will make your home safer and help protect us both. What can I do to help you get them?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Please check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/2017\/10\/02\/caregiver-client-talk-safety\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How Caregiver and Client Should Talk to Each Other About Safety<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">for related tips for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">effectively communicating your concerns to each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Find help<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">hardware<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">home supply<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, or <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">general merchandise stores <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">carry smoke alarms and CO detectors. Call your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">local fire department <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(on a nonemergency telephone number) for suggestions. Some fire departments may also provide seniors and low-income individuals with smoke detectors and help install them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If the client lives in an apartment building or senior residence, get permission from the client to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ask the building manager <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">for a smoke alarm.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">local hardware stores <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">sell fire extinguishers. Get an all-purpose type (called ABC dry chemical 10 lb. extinguisher). <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>To do list<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Supplies needed:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Smoke alarms<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fire extinguisher <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Other: __________________________________________<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Safety tips you will follow\/New ways to do the tasks:<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Issues you need to discuss:<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">People or organizations to contact for help, tools, or information:<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">_____________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building on the above \u00a0to do list, you can combine them with other to do lists from the other tips in this series \u00a0to create your own combined \u00a0<\/span><b><i>action plan for safety <\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and keep it on hand to remind you both about staying safe. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Reference: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others\u201d <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0by <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Center for Disease Control\u2019s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">\u00a0*\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0*\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0*\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0*\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0*<\/h3>\n<p><span>Is caring your calling?\u00a0<\/span><span>We&#8217;re hiring qualified\u00a0<\/span><span>people committed to\u00a0<\/span><span><span style=\"color: #444444\">helping others.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span>We serve clients in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, mainly in Danville, Blackhawk, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Hayward, Livermore, and communities along the 680 Corridor\u00a0<\/span><span>of the East Bay.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #444444\">Learn more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/careers\/\">here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span style=\"color: #444444\">You may submit an application <a href=\"https:\/\/my.peoplematter.com\/mja\/flhcamericanrivercaresolutions\/jobapp\/GetStarted?sourceCode=website&amp;jobOpenings=0c195747-9761-4edc-8c2f-a80b0100effb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/2017\/09\/29\/caring-carers-caregiver-client-safety-home\/\">\u2190 Back to Caregiver Safety Overview<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/care-library\/\"><span>Go to Care Library\u00a0\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fire and electricity hazards, if not properly addressed, could lead to electrical shocks and burns. Tools Have these things available or installed to make the job safer: Smoke alarms on each floor (Check batteries at least once a year.) Fire extinguisher\u2014Know where it is and make sure it has been&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-san-ramon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}