Publication date: 12/15/2007

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Plan now to make things safe for all your guests

If friends or relatives are coming to spend a few days, it is often such a happy event that we let our guard down.

Without the proper safeguards, you could be taking your loved ones to the hospital over the holidays. A little bit of easy-to-overlook preventative care can go a long way toward making certain your loved ones will be safe.

This week's You Can Do It! column (Page 11H) will help you make the house child-safe. This column will tackle the things you can do to make certain that all your guests, young and old, will have a safe stay.

Spending the night means that your guests will be in your house when all the lights are off. Map out a path from every room in which people will be sleeping to the nearest bathroom and to the kitchen. Count all the electric outlets between the bedrooms and bath and kitchen areas.

1. If anyone is sleeping upstairs, you need nightlights at the top and bottom of the stairs and at all landings.

Go to your local hardware store or home store and get enough nightlights so that you can mark these pathways clearly.

Install the nightlights right away so that you can turn off all the lights and check that the pathways are clearly marked before your guests come.

2. Walk around the house and test all the smoke detectors.

3. If certain rooms are going to be off limits to small fry, make them child safe, then lock the doors.

4. Bathroom doorknobs have a central opening so they can be opened from the hall if anyone gets trapped. Check to see if you have an outside emergency key. If you don't, call your local locksmith and get one.

5. If you keep your hot water heater set for more than 120 degrees, turn it down to 120 degrees the day before your guests arrive.

6. Way too many people are going to be trying to help you in the kitchen. Buy some extra, heavy-duty hot pads and pile them near the stove.

7. Make a list of emergency numbers and put it near the phone. We can use 911 for fire and police. The number for Detroit Area Poison Control is (313) 745-5711.

8. Nothing is going to go wrong and you are going to have a wonderful time. Unfortunately fires can start when you are busy and thinking about other things. Make a fire escape plan right now. When your guests arrive and have settled down, review the plan with them and make certain everyone knows where to go and what to do.

9. Every night that you have guests, walk around the house to make certain that everything is safe before you go to bed.

Check that the oven and all burners are turned off.

Fireplaces, even natural gas fireplaces, should be off before lights out. If you have a wood fireplace, be sure the fire is banked.

Bathroom doors should be open wide before lights go out. Put a towel over the top of bathroom doors so that a small child cannot close the door and accidentally lock himself in.

Pleasant dreams. Have a great holiday.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

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