Many of the issues we would review for manufactured home safety applyequally well to those homes built on slabs. Please take note of the followingand help prevent household claims.

Fire may be the greatest single threat to a manufactured home.

Have your furnace checked once a year. Clean the blower and filtersperiodically to ovoid overheating. Remove excess carbon build-up from theflue.

Don’t overload circuits. Be aware of danger signals like flickering lights.

Keep space heaters away from curtains.

Don’t use stove burners for extra heat. Keep a fire extinguisher in thekitchen.

If you have bedrooms at both ends of the home, have smoke detectorsinstalled at each end.

Gas danger is closely related to fire danger. Gas adds the danger ofexplosions or suffocation. Respect gas heating and specifications.

Know where your shut-off valve is.

Don’t keep LP containers inside.

Gas appliances must be vented outside the home.

Don’t use a gas range to heat the home because this is a carbon monoxidethreat.

Wind is a threat to a manufactured home because of its relative lightness.

Tie-downs or over-the-top straps professionally anchored add stability, butget to a safer shelter if heavy winds approach.

MIKE WILLIAMS, a local agent with State Farm Insurance, writes this columnevery Wednesday for L’Observateur.

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