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Hoarding kindling
No, people aren’t hoarding small pieces of dry wood for starting a fire, but a person who is hoarding has definitely created a fire hazard. In this Omaha World Herald article, the dangers of hoarding and fire safety are examined. From the article:
When clutter becomes serious hoarding, though, dwellings become difficult to navigate. It raises mental health and public health issues and becomes a potential nightmare for firefighters.
“We do encounter hoarding on occasion,” Giles said, “and it may not be evident from the street,” where the fire crew assesses the location of the flames and rescue needs.
A fire blamed on faulty wiring killed three people in Fremont, Neb., last week. And clutter hampered firefighters from the moment they arrived, just minutes after receiving the alarm.
Hoarding has negative effects on a person’s emotional well-being, but it may also wind up having a very dire physical toll. Not only to the hoarder, but to firefighters trying to navigate through a maze of trash. The hoarded mess also adds fuel to the fire. Boxes stacked to the ceiling packed full of clothes aren’t exactly deterrents for a spreading inferno.
Succumbing to a fiery end in the middle of a hoarded mess of clutter, may be one of the worst ways to leave this world. If you know of anyone who has a hoarding problem, please try and get them professional psychological treatment. You may very well be saving their life.
Popularity: 13% [?]
The ineffiency of a cluttered car
We have given some tips on keeping your car uncluttered in the past. Recently, this aspect of clutter popped into my head again when I rode in a car that was unbelievably packed with anything and everything the driver had brought into the car over the years. I’m not exactly sure why some people feel the need to use their vehicle as a trash can, but the back seats of the vehicle I rode in were rendered useless by the amount of junk that was strewn about them.
In an article by Karen Youso of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, she brings up some valid problems that extreme car clutter can cause for a vehicle:
“No matter the reason, however, operating a cluttermobile has some real drawbacks.
‘All that junk adds weight, and that affects fuel economy, especially in town, with its stop-and-go driving,’ said Bruce Jones, professor of automotive engineering technology at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The heavier a car is, the more force or torque is needed to get it going again once it’s stopped, he explained.
And, in turn, it takes more effort to stop a moving junk car. The brakes won’t last as long…
…More important, however, is safety. The stuff inside cars can become ‘weapons’ in a crash, and not just in a roll-over or a serious collision. Hitting something at 30 miles per hour might stop your car, but it doesn’t stop all the stuff inside from flying around. If anything strikes an occupant, it can severely injure and possibly kill them, Marose said.
In addition, when the airbag deploys, it comes out at about 200 miles per hour. Any object in its way is ejected at nearly the same speed, with the same consequences, he added.”
Whether you work out of your vehicle or you have a few children to tote around, make sure your vehicle is clutter free. The safety of yourself and your passengers may one day depend on it.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Twice yearly organization and safety chores
When I turn the clocks at the beginning and ending of daylight savings time, I complete a small checklist of home organization and safety activities:
- The first item on my list is one that Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs have been promoting for 20 years: “Change your clock, change your battery.” I start by changing all of the batteries in my home’s fire and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Next, I go through my pantry and toss expired food and spices.
- Finally, I remove all garden hoses from outside spigots, drain all water from the hoses, and put them into winter storage in the fall. In the spring, I retrieve the hoses from storage and put them back outside on the spigots.
Do you have clock changing home organization and safety routines? If so, feel welcome to share them in the comments!
Popularity: 21% [?]
