Daylight Saving Time is also Daylight Safety Time

In most places in the United States, March 10, is Daylight Saving Time, when clocks are moved forward one hour. We want to remind you it’s also a great time to improve your family’s safety.

Be safe in your home

Health and safety agencies often use the approach of Daylight Saving Time to remind people to change the batteries in their smoke alarms. The American Red Cross suggests you test your smoke alarms and talk with your family about your fire escape plan. Be sure to practice the plan too – at least twice a year!

Daylight Saving is a great time to check your emergency preparedness kit to make sure it’s fully stocked with fresh supplies.

Carbon Monoxide a concern too

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 400 people die annually in the US from carbon monoxide poisoning. The CDC recommends changing the batteries in your CO detectors when moving your clocks forward this Sunday.

The CDC says the most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. See the CDC’s site for more ways to prevent carbon monoxide exposure.

We hope these tips help and that you’ll consider sharing them with the people you care about so they can live safer lives too.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user Mike Licht used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.