Avoid accidents in your home As a homeowner, how are your "safeâ€" ty smarts?" If you‘re like most people, you probably feel pretty secure about the general safety of your home. However, every year, thousands of needless â€" often tragic â€" accidents occur which could have been avoided altogether if only a litâ€" tle caution had been exercised. Electrical safety, in particular, is an area most homeowners tend to overlook. For instance, how many times have you gone to plug in an appliance only to realâ€" ize that the socket was already overloadâ€" ed? And what about removing appliance 2 _ with inground pool and sep. hot tub inground pool, spa and watertQll ® _ LILIANA GONIN 338â€"9000 RES. 842â€"5714 _ LILIANA GONIN 338â€"9000 RES 842â€"5714. * o o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o o o 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 o 0 o o 6 6 6 6 o 6 o 8 o Loo ULUANA GONIN 338â€"2000 RES. 842â€"57 14. LILIANA GONIN 338â€"9000 RES r _S a 1_%a LILIANA GONIN 338â€"29000 RES. 842â€"5 ensuite. Prof. lanascaped. A must see! ianascaped NO GNnu DoULn yMDLUD LILIANA GONIN 338â€"2000 RES. 842â€"5714. . LILIANA GONIN 338â€"9000 RES. 842â€"5714 MOST DESIRABLE AREA â€" EAST! _ OVER 1/3 ACRE NEAR LAKE ESTABLISHED GLEN ABBEY LUXURY UVING MATTAMY FREEKHOLD MATURE TREED LOM ; Anfuf â€" 1 1 plugs from outlets â€" do you merely yank at the cord or attempt to pull the item out properly by grasping the plug? And how about all the times you‘ve tripped over that bump in the carpeting on the stairs? Or the time you reached for something in a cupboard over a hot stove and ended up burning yourself? These are just a few examples of poor â€" but very common household practices. If these brief scenarios sound familiar to you, then you should probably consider brushing up on your basic "safety smarts" and continue reading. First of all, take a good, long look around your home with a critical eye. How safe are your stairs â€" both indoors and out? Are they wellâ€"lit and clutterâ€" free? Are all hand railings secure? Are the landings wellâ€"lit? Do the stairs have protective coverings or special surfaces to prevent slips and falls? During the winter months, it‘s essenâ€" tial to keep outdoor stairs free of debris and buildup of ice and snow. A gritty substance like sand can be mixed in with paint (or sprinkled on top of a freshly bainted surface before it dries) to produce a skidâ€"proof surface. Ask the experts at your local hardware store or building centre for more information about this technique. (However, keep in mind that since this involves painting, it‘s not ® â€" HELEN & VICTOR SARIC 842â€"7000 24 hr. pager d o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o STAIRS something you‘ll be able to do until spring or summer). There are, also, several substances â€" like salt or sand â€" that you can apply to control icy buildup on stairs, sidewalks, and driveways. Kitty litter is another inexpensive alternative that works well. There are other new products on the marâ€" ket which are environmentally friendly. KITCHEN Once you‘ve assessed your stairways and the exterior of your property, you should systematically check other areas of your home. The kitchen, for instance, is a highâ€"risk area because it‘s used freâ€" quently and is a source of great heat proâ€" duction. Take a look around your kitchen, evalâ€" uating all the danger spots. The stove is probably one of the most dangerous â€" but of course, most useful â€" appliances in your home. So it‘s important to keep the area immediately around your stove clutâ€" terâ€"free. If you have cupboards located above your stove, avoid storing too many essenâ€" (See "Practice" Page RE 21) HELEN & VICTOR HELEN & HELEN & 24 hr