10 Safety Tips to See You Through Our North Carolina Winter

Brrr, it’s been cold out there! The first half of winter has certainly been a grueling one for North Carolinians, with colder than normal temperatures and plenty of snow. Just a few days into the New Year, we even got blasted by what meteorologists described as “a bomb cyclone.”

Here are some safety tips to keep in mind as we wait out the rest of the winter season and look forward to warmer weather.

1. Keep the area around your heating system clear; never store anything flammable near your furnace or boiler.
2. Check appliances’ outside air vents regularly for blockages; use a broom (not a shovel) to gently clear any buildup of snow, ice or other debris.
3. Change or clean furnace filters a minimum of once per season.
4. Schedule a gas systems safety inspection on your appliances once a year.
5. Install carbon monoxide (CO) detectors on every floor of your home, and within 10 feet of every bedroom; make sure smoke and CO detectors work properly.
6. Never use an oven or a stove to heat your home.
7. Keep your fuel tank unobstructed. Remove leaves, branches and other debris from the area so drivers can access it easily.
8. After a snowfall, please clear a 12- to 24-inch-wide path to your tank and clear off the top of the tank.
9. Remove any icicles that are hanging from your roof over your outside tank so they do not fall and break equipment.
10. Make sure your driveway gets cleared and sanded after a storm. Delivery trucks need a 10- to 15-foot-wide path to maneuver and a surface that is not slippery or unsafe.