As Daylight Savings Time ends every year on the first Sunday of November, clocks are set back one hour and the sun goes down earlier. This year it lands on November 2nd!
But besides remembering to set all your clocks back an hour, Daylight Savings Time serves as a reminder to check the batteries in your home’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Batteries sin smoke alarms should be replaced every year and checked on a monthly basis. There should be smoke alarms on each floor of your home, including the basement and outside bedrooms or sleeping areas.
Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed on every level of your home and should be kept at least 15 feet away from fuel-burning appliances. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. It can be deadly if undetected by an alarm. Children are especially vulnerable to CO poisoning because of their size. Symptoms include headache, nausea and drowsiness. 184 children die each year due to CO poisoning and 20,000 children visit the ER each year.
Keep your family safe this season and use Daylight Savings Time as a reminder to not only set your clocks back, but to check all alarms in your home or purchase a carbon monoxide or smoke alarm for all levels of your home.
Source: Safekids.org