Home Safety Checklist for Canadian Homes

Fire, gas & carbon monoxide

• Smoke alarm on every floor AND outside every sleeping area (Canadian building code)
• Interconnected alarms if possible — one goes off, all go off. Smart options (Google Nest Protect, First Alert Onelink) link wirelessly without new wiring
• Test every alarm monthly; replace batteries every daylight-saving change
• Replace alarms every 10 years (check the manufacture date on the back — an alarm that passes the test button can still be past its sensor life)
• ABC-rated fire extinguisher in the kitchen and near the furnace
• Fire escape plan: 2 ways out of every room, meeting spot outside
• Practice the escape plan with kids twice a year
• Keep a bedroom-window escape ladder above the first floor
• CO alarm outside every sleeping area (Ontario, BC, Alberta, and most provinces require it)
• Additional CO alarm near fuel-burning appliances (furnace, water heater, fireplace)
• Test monthly with the test button — a beep confirms electronics, not the sensor
• Replace CO alarms every 7–10 years per manufacturer date
• Annual professional inspection of furnace, water heater, and any gas appliance
• If you use propane (BBQ, tank, or fireplace), a separate combustible gas detector near the appliance or storage — it catches the gas itself, before combustion
• Never run a car, generator, or BBQ in an attached garage — even with the door open
• A backup generator is only ever run outdoors, at least 6 m from windows and doors
• Never use a gas stove or oven for heat

Radon

• Run a radon test kit for at least 91 days — Health Canada's minimum for an accurate long-term reading — in the lowest level of the home you spend time in
• Test in the fall or winter when the house is closed up; that's when radon concentrates highest indoors
• Radon levels vary house to house, even on the same street — a low reading at a neighbour's or a regional average doesn't tell you what's in your own basement
• If your result is at or above 200 Bq/m³ (Health Canada's guideline), plan for a certified radon mitigation contractor
• Retest every 2 years, and again after any major renovation or foundation repair

Clean air & mould prevention

• Bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans vented outside — not just into the attic — and run during and after showers and cooking
• Indoor relative humidity kept between 30–50%, checked with a cheap hygrometer; above 60% is a mould risk
• Basement and crawlspace checked regularly for musty smell, visible mould, or condensation on windows and pipes
• Dehumidifier running in damp basements during humid months, emptied or drained regularly
• Furnace filter and HRV/ERV filter changed on schedule; return air vents not blocked by furniture or rugs
• Portable HEPA air cleaner considered for bedrooms if anyone has allergies, asthma, or you're in a wildfire-smoke-prone region

Electrical safety (GFCI, AFCI, surge protection)

• Tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles anywhere accessible to kids — code-required in new builds, a straightforward retrofit in older homes
• GFCI protection in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, garage, and every outdoor outlet — tested with the test/reset buttons
• AFCI breakers protecting bedroom and living-space circuits
• Outdoor outlets covered with weatherproof "in-use" covers, not just a flip-lid
• Whole-home surge protector installed at the electrical panel — covers the furnace, fridge, and everything hardwired that a power-bar surge protector can't reach
• Individual surge protectors on major electronics not covered by a whole-home unit
• No overloaded power bars or daisy-chained extension cords
• Dryer lint trap cleaned every load; dryer vent professionally cleared at least once a year
• No frayed cords, scorched outlets, or switch plates that feel warm to the touch

Flood & sump pump backup

• Sump pump tested by pouring a bucket of water into the pit and watching it cycle
• Battery backup sump pump installed and tested — a power outage during a storm is exactly when the primary pump is needed most
• Water-powered backup sump pump considered as a second layer if you're on municipal water pressure
• Smart water shutoff valve (e.g. Moen Flo) at the main line — it auto-shuts off on a detected leak or unusual flow and is monitored from your phone, which matters most when nobody's home
• Water leak sensors near the water heater, washing machine, dishwasher, and sump pit, with phone alerts turned on
• Window wells cleared of debris and covered
• Backwater valve on the main sewer line if you're in an older or flood-prone neighbourhood — check with your municipality
• Downspouts extended at least 1.5 m from the foundation, grading sloped away from the house

Chemical & hazardous materials storage

• Paint, solvents, and oil-based products in a sealed, ventilated cabinet — ideally the garage or shed, not living space
• Gasoline and other fuel in an approved container, away from any ignition source, the furnace, or the water heater
• Antifreeze and windshield washer fluid stored up and out of reach of kids and pets — antifreeze is sweet-tasting and a genuine poisoning risk
• Household cleaners and pesticides in a locked or high cabinet, kept in their original containers
• Pool or spa chemicals stored separately from each other and from other household chemicals — some combinations release toxic gas
• A working CO detector near the garage-to-house door if any fuel-burning equipment is ever run or stored in the garage

Garage & doors

• Garage door opener's auto-reverse safety sensors tested — a roll of paper towels in the door's path should trigger a reverse on contact
• Garage door opener keypad code changed from the factory default; remotes not left in an unattended vehicle
• Self-closing, self-latching fire-rated door between an attached garage and the house — required by code in most of Canada and one of the most commonly skipped items
• Weatherstripping on the garage-to-house door in good condition to keep exhaust and cold air out
• Deadbolts on all exterior doors, in addition to the doorknob lock
• Sliding patio or garage-adjacent doors have a secondary bar or pin lock, not just the factory latch

Break-in prevention

• Deadbolt on every exterior door (Grade 1 or Grade 2)
• 3-inch screws in the strike plate — the door frame is the weak point
• Reinforce or replace hollow-core exterior doors
• Window locks on all ground-floor and easily accessible windows
• Motion-activated lighting at every exterior door and dark side of the house
• Video doorbell or exterior camera at the main entry
• Trim shrubs below window height (no hiding spots)
• House number visible from the street for emergency services
• Timers on lights when travelling — vary the pattern

Kids + pet safety (0–5 years and always for pets)

• Outlet covers on every unused outlet
• Baby gates at top AND bottom of every staircase
• Furniture (dressers, bookcases, TVs) anchored to studs
• Blind cords cut short or replaced with cordless — strangulation risk
• Cleaners, meds, and vitamins in a locked upper cabinet
• Toilet locks on lower-floor bathrooms (drowning risk under 5)
• Stove knob covers + oven lock
• Pool or hot tub: 4-sided fence with self-latching gate (provincial code)
• Pet-safe: chocolate, xylitol gum, grapes, cleaners all out of reach

72-hour kit + family emergency readiness

• 72-hour kit: water (4L per person per day), non-perishable food, can opener
• Battery/crank radio, flashlights, spare batteries
• First aid kit + 7 days of any prescription medications
• Cash in small bills (ATMs and cards fail in an outage)
• Copies of ID, insurance, prescriptions in a waterproof pouch
• Whistle, dust masks, garbage bags, wet wipes
• Pet food + carrier, kids' comfort items
• Family emergency plan: out-of-town contact, meeting spot, kids' schools
• Register for provincial + municipal emergency alerts (Alert Ready is national)

Practical tips

• Do the full audit every fall when you change the clocks — it takes 90 minutes and covers you for a year.
• Take a video walkthrough of every room with drawers and closets open. It doubles as your home-insurance inventory.
• Post the family escape plan + emergency contacts inside a kitchen cupboard. Everyone in the house should know where it is.

Frequently asked questions