Filed under Safety on August 13th, 2008:
Spotting Potential Safety Hazards in Your Apartment
As good as most apartment complex management teams are at keeping their properties safe, they sometimes miss things. If you want to make sure you’re as safe as possible in your Orlando rental, it’s wise to have an idea of what to look out for. Being aware of potential health and safety hazards and reporting them if they are found might just even save a life.
So, what should you keep your eyes open for and when should you report potential problems? Let’s take a look. These are some of the top safety hazards found in homes, apartments, condos and other accommodations for living:
Lack of fire extinguishers – Most apartment homes come equipped with at least one fire extinguisher courtesy of management. If there isn’t a properly dated fire extinguisher in your kitchen, contact your apartment’s maintenance team to see if they have one to provide you. Also, in buildings with long halls, there should be extinguishers readily accessible. In addition to checking to see if extinguishers are present, keep up with inspection stickers, too. Outdated extinguishers don’t always work as they should.
Sprinkler issues – Not all apartment structures are going to have fire sprinkler systems like buildings that were constructed before stricter fire codes were enforced. When searching for an apartment, if sprinklers are a high priority on your list, avoid older structures; newer buildings are required to have sprinkler systems.
Smoke detectors – Test all smoke detectors in your apartment to make sure they are operating correctly. Talk to your maintenance team about replacing batteries in those that do not test correctly. If smoke detectors are entirely non-existent in an apartment, ask your landlord or complex manager about this immediately. Not having a smoke detector is a big safety hazard.
Parking issues – Parking lots are very often loaded with safety hazards. Some of the things to watch out for here include poor lighting, a lack of handicap parking and even improperly sized spaces. Again, take up concerns with management.
Structural concerns – If you notice loose stairs or have locks that don’t work, it’s always wise to take them up with complex management. Chances are these things will be fixed rather quickly since they are obvious safety hazards.
Health concerns – A main health concern to look out for in an apartment is mold. In large quantities, mold can be toxic and cause allergic reactions and respiratory infections. Sometimes mold can be hidden in air vents, under carpets or in the walls. There are ways to prevent mold growth by keeping your apartment well ventilated and using mildew/mold fighting cleaners when cleaning your bathroom and kitchen.
Health and safety hazards are not normally a concern in an Orlando apartment complex. Still, it can pay to keep your eyes open for problems. Reporting them to management should result in action in most cases. Chances are the management team will happily remedy any issues that are serious in nature.