Whether your basement is a workshop, a storage area, or a make-shift laundry room, take precautions to make it safe.

Keep these tips in mind:

- Keep an ABC- or BC-rated fire extinguisher near your junction box or other appliances.
- Avoid painting without adequate ventilation.
- Never remove the grounding pin from a three-prong outlet.
- Have your home inspected for radon gas (call the Missouri Department of Health for more information: 573/751-6160.)
- Have your children tested regularly for lead poisoning, if you home was built before the 1970s.
- Install adequate lighting.
- Store dangerous items out of the reach of children.
- Avoid piling items on the steps - they're trip hazards.
- Install a smoke detector
- Install a carbon monoxide detector if you have a gas dryer or if your furnace is also in the basement.
- Keep the garage clean orderly, and don't keep piles of papers in the garage -- they pose a significant fire and trip hazard.
- Hang up oily and chemical-soaked rags instead of putting them in a closed container.
- Have your furnace and air conditioner professionally serviced each year.
- Power tools used with guards removed pose a serious risk of injury from sharp edges or moving parts.
- Keep all tools out of reach of children. When a child is old enough to handle tools, give the proper instruction.
- Wear safety goggles when welding, cutting with an electric saw, or using any power tool. Wear proper attire such as heavy gloves and earplugs, tuck in shirttails, and take off ties or other loose clothing.