Emergency Escape Ladder Safety Tips for Homeowners

It doesn’t take long before a small fire can engulf a whole house – sometimes in under 30 seconds. So when a fire occurs, there is little time to get out of the house. The flames and especially the smoke make escaping extremely difficult. Creating a fire escape plan and installing smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and escape ladders can greatly help one escape a fire unharmed. Here are essential escape ladder safety tips to keep in mind:

• Escape ladders should be tested by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriter’s Laboratory. Tested ladders have the certified label on the packaging.
• Escape ladders should only be used in houses no taller than three stories. Using escape ladders on the fourth floor and up can be very dangerous.
• Escape ladders shouldn’t be used as primary escape routes. They should only be used if the primary escape route is blocked by fire or smoke.
• An escape ladder should be kept in each occupied room on the second and/or third story and near a window to access them quickly in case of emergency.
• Every household member, including children and the elderly, must know where the escape ladders are located.
• All household members should read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to ensure everyone knows how to use the ladder.
• After reading the instructions, household members should practice setting up the ladder several times on all types of windows in the home.
• All household members should be able to easily open windows where escape ladders are used.
• Windows that have security bars should have emergency release devices in case someone has to open them quickly and use the ladder to escape a fire.
• To avoid the risk of injury, escape ladders must not be used for any other purpose than escaping in an emergency. Moreover, ladders shouldn’t be tested during fire drills.

Conducting fire drills at home can help individuals and families escape a fire safely. Here are key tips for conducting home fire drills. As kids are more prone to being injured by fires, here are tips to keep kids safe from fire. The PuroClean team stands ready to provide professional restoration services to any property affected by fire, water or mould damage.

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