By Kent Steinriede
The Wilmington News-Journal

Home can be a dangerous place. The more time a person spends there, the more familiar the surroundings become. This means that safety hazards can be overlooked.

Sometimes it's blind neglect. It could take weeks to replace a dead battery in a smoke detector, although you walk by it several times a day.

Also, everyday tasks like cooking or changing a light bulb can cause an accident when you try to do them in a rush.

In the emergency rooms of Christiana Care facilities in Wilmington, Del., Dr. Robert Rosenbaum sees all types of injuries that take place in the home. Many of these can be avoided if you slow down, look around the house and use common sense.

"If it seems like you're taking a risk, rethink it," Rosenbaum says.

Here are a handful of precautions to take around the house.

Falls

Falling is one of the most common causes of injuries around the house. Think before you climb. If it feels dangerous, it probably is. Don't stand on a trash can to change a light bulb. Even when you're using a ladder, take a second to look at the ground to make sure you have a safe surface, Rosenbaum says.

Outdoors, repair cracks in the concrete with caulk. Any crack that juts up more than 3/4-inch should be smoothed over, or the concrete should be redone, says John Kerrigan, owner of a home-inspection firm.

Fire extinguishers

There are different types of fire extinguishers: class A for general fires, such as wood, paper and cloth; class B for grease and other flammable liquids, and class C for electrical fires. Make sure that you have the proper extinguisher for an area. For example, class B is best in the kitchen.

Check to make sure your extinguisher is fully charged.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Most important, change the batteries in these devices regularly. When firefighters arrive at a house fire, it's common to find that the smoke detectors have dead - or no - batteries, says Richard R. Ward, a fire marshal.

Each room should have a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. Hard-wired systems, in which all the detectors ring when one detects smoke, are best.

Electricity

Make certain your home has GFI (ground-fault interrupter) outlets throughout the kitchen and anywhere that there is concrete or water. Outdoor outlets should be GFI also, Kerrigan says.

Just as important, make sure that the GFI outlets are working properly. To do this, try the "night-light test." Press the "test" button on the outlet and then plug in a night-light. The night-light should not light up. If it does, the GFI outlet may not have been installed correctly or may be broken, Kerrigan says.

Avoid creating an "octopus" at an outlet. Instead, use a power strip with a circuit breaker.

Don't run electric extension cords under rugs or carpet. They can get hot and the plastic casing may chafe away.