Home safety checklist - flyer

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HOME safety cheklist Check the basic safety features of your own and your family members’ homes

You should go through the checklist once every year or every time your living conditions or health change.

Check the basic safety features of your own and your family members’ homes or that of a home care

customer.

Use the attached checklist. The safety

checklist incles the most commonplace shortcomings in home safety and the actions needed to correct them. The checklist will help you to find the flaws, correct them and make your home safer. You will have improved fire safety and fewer domestic accidents.

The

checklist is suitable for every home. It is especially recommended for older people and people with memory disorders, their family members, family caregivers as well as home care professionals.

TThe

checklist is available in hard-

copy and online. It can be freely used, copied and distributed without limitations.

Top Tip! Adopt the habit of going thr ough one checklist item while you’re having your morning coffee. Within a mo nth you will have covered all of the item s and your home will be safe.

Checking your own home or that of a family member Go through the checklist one item at

a time. This should be done together with the occupant and their family members, or with the family caregiver or home care professional.

and make a note of it on the checklist.

The shortcoming can be fixed by a family member or the property’s maintenance service.

Corrective

note that checking means both inspecting the item and also correcting any flaws! If the item on the checklist is OK, cross it out and move on to the next one.

action can also mean ordering a repairman or an electrician, buying supplies or safety equipment, etc. In such a case one must also think about repair costs. If necessary, the social services must be contacted.

If

Please

you detect a safety shortcoming, take immediate corrective action. If this cannot be done on the spot, assign the responsibility appropriately

Carry out the necessary corrective actions as soon as possible either by yourselves or have someone else to do it for you.

Obligation to notify If the authorities or, for example, home

care professionals detect an obvious fire hazard or some other clear accident risk in an occupant’s home, it must be dealt with and the risk corrected. If, for some reason, the situation cannot be handled, it must be reported to the social emergency service or to the rescue authority.

The obligation to notify is provided by the Social Welfare Act (1301/2014, section 35) and the Act on Supporting the Functional Capacity of the Older Population (980/2012, section 5). The obligation to notify the rescue department is based on the Rescue Act (379/2011, section 42).

When needed, the social and rescue services must cooperate to solve any problems in home safety.

The obligation to notify applies to all authorities regardless of any confidentiality provisions. Notification can be made by any person who detects a safety hazard to an occupant.

When the situation is urgent, the best

way to report a problem is by telephone. You can always ask for additional information from your regional rescue department or the social emergency service.

Safety is created through collective effort!

When needed, a joint effort can include the occupant, the family members, the

home care service, the property’s maintenance service, the social services and diaconal work. Everyone can improve their safety skills, identify and recognise risks and, for their part and in collaboration, prevent hazards and accidents from happening.

For identifying risks, it pays to use the list.

Your local social services and rescue department will provide you with more information about home and everyday safety.

www.spek.fi For additional information about the safety of living and safety instruction: Everyday and home safety information for special groups: www.spek.fi/OTE Accessibility evaluations: www.esteeton.fi Home safety guide: www.kodinturvaopas.fi Repair guidance: http://www.vtkl.fi/fin/toimimme/korjausneuvonta/mita_korjausneuvonta_on/ Information about domestic accidents, their prevention as well as checklists: http://www.kotitapaturma.fi/ Safety in plain language: https://selko.fi/aihe/turvallisuus/