When preparing for a move, take care to protect your family, including pets, from start to finish. Remember to secure or remove:
- Poisons – Cleansers, insect sprays and pesticides, medications, chocolate, certain plants and antifreeze.
- Drain and safely dispose of fuels from equipment before moving. If you must move liquids, pack them in waterproof containers and label well.
- Burn hazards – Watch plugged in appliances like irons, boiling liquids and open flames. Remember everything is a new place. Take your time.
- Electrical hazards – Worn lamp cords or unsafe electrical wiring
- Strangulation or choking hazards – Children’s toys, Christmas bulbs, sewing tools.
- Unstable boxes – Top heavy filing cabinets, unstable lamps and towers of boxes can tumble down quickly and hurt overexcited friends, family or pets.
The best advice is to take it slow. You probably didn’t pack in a day, so why try to unpack in a day. A campout in new bedrooms might be fun, and it will give kids a chance to figure out how they want to decorate.
When organizing your new home, safety for the whole family is paramount. This is a new place for everyone and care should be taken.
In preparation for accidents, try to make sure emergency numbers are on hand from the beginning. Call local officials prior to the move and make note of numbers and locations of emergency facilities for both people and pets.