Residential Safety, Health, and Fire Prevention Awareness Checklist

• Site conducted

  Select

• Post

• Property ID

• Assessment Date

  Date

• Evaluator

• Address
  Address

• Under 15 FAM 211.1, the objective of the Housing Abroad Program is to provide safe and secure housing. This checklist is referenced under 15 FAM 252.5 and 15 FAM Exhibit 971.1
  to assist POSHOs in evaluating safety, health, fire, and environmental conditions when considering leasing or purchasing a property. This checklist not intended to be all‐inclusive.
  Local codes that are more stringent should be followed. Contact the appropriate program office(s) for further assistance.

Fuel Burning Appliances and Equipment - Furnaces, Boilers, Water Heaters, Kerosene Heaters, Space Heaters, Dryers, Fireplaces

• Venting of Exhaust Gases<br>1. Outdoors away from intakes and windows<br>2. Chimney and flue constructed and installed properly (per manufacturer)<br>3. Chimney and flue inspected annually and cleaned

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Combustion Air<br>1. Adequate combustion air ducted to unit or<br>2. Unobstructed area large enough to provide adequate combustion air<br>3. Small mechanical areas have sufficient combustion air and ventilation openings<br>4. No hazardous or flammable vaporsources near combustion equipment

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Operation and Maintenance <br>1. Instructions available for proper operation and maintenance<br>2. Equipment operated and maintained asintended within design limits<br>3. Warning labels (English and local language) present on combustion appliances

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Clearance to Combustibles<br>1. Clearance at least 1 m (3 ft) from exhaust flue to combustible materials<br>2. Clearance at least 1 m (3 ft) from equipment to combustible materials boiler and furnace rooms not used for storage areas

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Fuel Type and Storage<br>1. Fuel used is appropriate for appliance(s)<br>2. Propertype and location of fuelstorage container (including tanks)<br>3. Protect fuelstorage containers from damage and secure them for protection against weapons of opportunity

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Carbon Monoxide Alarms<br>1. Carbon monoxide alarm installed, at about eye level, outside of sleeping areas (including household staff) in residences with any combustion appliance (other than cooking oven/stove) or an attached garage

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Generators<br>1. Adequate space and, if leased, landlord agreesto the generator<br>2. Placed outdoors as far away as practical and a minimum of 1.5 meters(5 feet) from any building.<br>3. Exhaust outlets greater than or equal to 1 meter (3 ft) from exterior walls and roofs, 3 meters (10 ft) from operable openings into buildings, and 3 meters (10 ft) above adjoining grade<br>4. If distance and direction of exhaust is not feasible, then extend 1 meter (3 ft) above the building. (See “Venting of Exhaust Gases” section)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Portable Kerosene Heaters<br>1. Single family home use only<br>2. Correct grade of clear kerosene (K‐1) fuelstored outside in safety cans<br>3. Refuel outdoors away from sources of ignition, and afterthe heater has cooled completely<br>4. Set the wick height to the manufacturer’s recommended level<br>5. Chimney is seated properly<br>6. Window opened slightly (e.g., 25mm/1 inch) in the room with the heater<br>a. Do not leave the heater unattended and turn off before going to bed<br>7. Keep the heater at least 1 meter (3 ft) from combustibles unit is operated and maintained according to the manufacturer’s instruction and residents are informed of the instructions<br>8. Carbon monoxide alarms must be placed in dwelling

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Liquefied Petroleum (Propane) Gases(LPG)<br>Cylinders during use:<br>1. Must be located on the exterior of the building<br>2. Equipped with a pressure regulator having a pressure relief valve<br>3. Upright and securely anchored or chained in place<br>4. At least 7.6 meters(25 ft) from sources of ignition and 1.5 meters(5 ft)<br>Cylinder storage:<br>1. Outside within a fenced enclosure<br>2. Outlet valves closed with cap or cover<br>3. Steel posts or barriersif vehicle damage is possible<br>4. “No Smoking” signs clearly displayed around the storage enclosure with universalsymbols or local language and English<br>5. Secure tanks to ensure they cannot be used as weapons of opportunity<br>6. Trained employees for LPG installation and cylinder replacement<br>7. Refilled tanks or bottles delivered, no recharging or filling of tanks or bottles at the site<br>8. Post Facility Managers or Post Occupational Safety and Health Officers (POSHO) must coordinate inspections of residences/apartment buildings, which have natural gas and ensure the local gas authority has certified lines and valves

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• All Gas Service<br>1. Supply through rigid pipe (iron orsteel), or tubing (steel, brass, or copper)<br>a. Exceptions forseismically active areas‐see Seismic Safety<br>2. Interiormanualshut‐off valve accessible and within 1.8 meters(6 ft) of appliance<br>3. Secured to ensure safe against weapons of opportunity<br>4. Leak detection using soapy water or other means must be conducted over all fittings and connections during cylinder or appliance replacement or anytime supply line work is done<br>5. Post Facility Managers or Post Occupational Safety and Health Officers (POSHO) must coordinate inspections of residences/apartment buildings, which have natural gas and ensure the local gas authority has certified lines and valves

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Fire and Life Safety

• Emergency Egress<br>1. Adequate emergency egress can vary with the type of building. Consult the Fire Protection Guide (FPG) for guidance

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Maximum Travel Distance to an Exit<br>1. Withoutfire suppression or detection systems: 30 meters(100 ft)<br>2. With complete fire detection system and sprinkler protection in selected areas: 46 meters(150 ft)<br>3. With complete fire sprinklersystem: 61 meters(200 ft)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• High Rise Matrix

  

• High Rise Matrix

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Smoke Alarms <br>1. Each sleeping room<br>2. Corridors leading to bedrooms<br>3. Top of internalstairwells on each floorlevel<br>4. Placementshould be on the ceiling, or alternately on a wall between 10 centimeters (4 in) to 30.5 centimeters (12 in) away from the ceiling<br>5. Occupantsinstructed to check detectors monthly for proper operation

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Portable Fire Extinguishers<br>1. One Department standard 10 lb. (4.45 kg) extinguisher (4‐A:40‐B:C). Wall mounted in or near each kitchen

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Alarm Systems<br>1. Several factors influence automatic fire alarm detection and/or automatic fire suppression system requirements<br>2. Consult the Fire Protection Guide (FPG) and contact OBO/OPS/FIRE

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lighting<br>1. Apartment buildings or congregate residences with 10 or more occupants: public space, hallway, stairway, or other means of egress must have illumination of 1 foot candle power at floor level by emergency lighting<br>2. If emergency generator is not available to provide emergency lighting, provide battery‐powered emergency lights in public spaces, hallway, stair way or other means of egress installed and maintained correctly

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Exit Signs<br>1. Exit doors in public corridors on floors with sleeping accommodations:<br>2. Illuminated exit signs<br>3. Directionalsigns if path is notstraight or the exit is less than obvious

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Window Grilles<br>1. Operable from the inside<br>a. Minimum opening: 5.7 ft2 (0.529 m2)<br>b. Minimum dimension: 24” (61 cm) x 20” (51 cm) and not be more than 44” (112 cm) from the floor<br>c. Bars or grilles must have inside release mechanism

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Water Heater Protection

• Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves<br>1. Separate temperature and pressure relief valves (PRV and TRV) or<br>combination temperature and pressure relief valves installed.<br>2. TPRV drain piping installed to direct discharge to floor<br>3. TPRV drain piping is not reduced, threaded at the end and has no uphill runs<br>4. TPRV drain piping has no other valve downstream of TPRV<br>5. Watertemperature is not above 120 degrees F (49 degrees C)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Plate Glass Safety

• Tempered / Safety Glass Locations<br>1. Locations listed below need to ensure that glass is tempered, mylar coated, a non-breakable replacement material or protected by a barrier. Decals or markings should be used where the presence of glass is not easily seen.<br>2. Entry and exit doors, storm doors, glass sliding doors<br>3. Windows located within 46 centimeters (18 in) of the door<br>4. Doors and enclosures for bathtubs, showers, sauna<br>5. Stairway enclosures and handrail panels

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Electrical

• Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters<br>1. Installed for wet locations (indoors or outdoors) and all kitchen countertop outlets at the outlet or the circuit breaker:<br>a. 110‐voltsystems, installed GFCIs trip at 4 to 6 mA<br>b. 220‐voltsystems, installed GFCIstrip at 10 mA<br>2. Do not install outlets where local code prohibits them in certain wet locations

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Appliance Cords<br>1. In good condition, insulated, and provided with a plug

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Grounding<br>1. A grounding electrode connected to panel at the service entrance and bonded to the neutral (grounded) conductor. Impedance of the ground path for any made electrodes may not exceed 25 ohms, as measured using appropriate stake or stakeless ground resistance testing equipment. Verify and, if missing, contact the<br>FIR/FAC Help Desk via e‐mail (obo@cesengineers.com) or call 866‐949‐6751 for assistance with grounding system installation

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Electric Service Supply &Panels <br>1. Missing knock‐outs and twist‐outsin breaker/fuse panel(s) must have fill plates<br>2. Breaker/fuse panel front working clearance of 30" (76cm) wide x 36" (92cm) deep<br>3. Breaker and fuseslabeled asto function/area served <br>4. Any outdoor service entrance, outlets and switch boxes have weatherproof covers

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Circuit Capacity <br>1. Review usage and capacity and avoid excessive electrical loads. Verify that the following most commonly used branch circuit connectors in residences are protected by fuses or circuit breakers that have trip elements not larger than:<br>Wires (Comparable U.S. Wire Size) Trip Setting<br>1.5 mm2 (smaller than #14 AWG, 15A) 10A<br>2.5 mm2 (smaller than #12 AWG, 20A) 16A<br> 4 mm2 (smaller than #10 AWG, 30A) 25A<br> 6 mm2 (smaller than # 8 AWG, 50A) 40A<br>10 mm2 (smaller than # 6 AWG, 65A) 50A<br>16 mm2 (smaller than # 4 AWG, 85A) 60A

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Fall Protection

• Railings<br>1. Installed on all porches, balconies and raised floor surfaces more than 76 centimeters (30 in) above the floor or grade below<br>2. Sturdy supports (balusters) with no openings larger than 10 centimeters (4 in) and bottom of railing assembly no more than 10 centimeters from the floor<br>3. Top of railing is 107 centimeters (42 in) or more from floor or grade level<br>4. Guardrails at a minimum height of 91 centimeters (36 in) (107cm/42 in is recommended) for balconies, decks, elevated patios, and othersimilarstructures forsingle family and duplex housing units.<br>5. Guardrail installation at apartments and representational areas open to the public must be 107 centimeters (42 in) high

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Stairs and Handrails<br>1. For open stairways, supports (balusters) no more than 10 centimeters (4 in) apart. Triangle formed by riser, tread and bottom guardrail element does not allow passage of sphere 152 millimeters (6 in) in diameter<br>2. Handrails installed for stairways at 86‐97 centimeters (34‐38 in)<br>3. Stairriser height maximum 196 millimeters(7.75 in), treads minimum depth 254 millimeters(10 in)<br>4. Stairways are not to be less than 91 centimeters (36 in) in clear width at all points above the handrail height<br>5. Spiral stairway treads must have a minimum tread width of 66 centimeters (26 in). Treads shall have a minimum tread depth of 254 millimeters (10 in) measured at a point 305 millimeters (12 in) from the side where the treads are narrower

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Homes with Small Children<br>1. Latching device on windows that allows opening no more than 10‐13 centimeters (4‐5 in), but window remains operable<br>2. Furniture away from windows and railings

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Swimming Pools

• Barrier and Other Safety Features<br>1. Barrier: A permanent, 4‐sided, non‐climbable barrier (fence, wall,etc.) ≥ 122 centimeters (4 ft) height that prevents direct access from living areas and excludes ancillary activities (e.g., barbecues,bars, ping-pong tables).<br>a. Self‐closing, self‐latching, lockable hardware on all access points (gates/doors) with latch release ≥ 137 centimeters (54 in) . Alternatively, the latch release can be on the pool side of the gate if ≥ 7.6 centimeters (3 in) below the top with no opening > 1.3 centimeters (0.5 in) within 4.5 centimeters (18 in) of the release.<br>2. Other:<br>a. No entrapment hazards<br>b. Rescue equipment available (shepherd’s crook, pole, ring buoy) and in plain view<br>c. Depth markings and no diving indicated. Safety rules posted at community use pools and residential use pools that are used as community use pools, i.e., CMR, MSGR<br>d. First aid kits and emergency communication means for community use pools and residential use pools that are used as community use pools<br>e. Outlets equipped with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters(GFCI) and covers<br>f. Pool chemicals stored separate from other materials in a cool, dry, ventilated area with restricted access

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Elevators

• Elevator Lobby & Car<br>1. All elevator cars have functional doors independent of shaft doors<br>2. Elevator doors (car & shaft) reverse direction when an object is either contacted by the leading edge of the door or detected by an electronic door protection device<br>3. All external car operating features, lobby controls and hardware are intact and function properly<br>4. Car operating buttons, including the emergency alarm button, function properly.<br>5. Car lights are on, and bulbs ortubes are secure.<br>6. Carservice panel is locked<br>7. Car emergency phone is connected to a 24‐hour operator and car’s audible signals are operating<br>8. All door mechanisms are enclosed to avoid pinch/shear points

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Machine Room & Maintenance<br>1. Machine room access door is locked, and keys stored securely<br>2. Good housekeeping, no trash, not being used as a storage area, no excessive oil leaks, control cabinet(s) intact<br>3. Illumination is adequate to perform inspection<br>4. ABC fire extinguisher located in machine room<br>5. Temperature is not above 49 degrees C (120 degrees F)<br>6. Elevator is under a service contract and service logbook is utilized and up to date<br>7. Elevator has a current safety certificate

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Environmental

• Air Pollution (For Level 1 or higher air pollution posts)<br>1. At least 150 meters away from majorroadway (recommended)<br>2. No other nearby air pollution sources [e.g., drycleaner or large fueling station (14M l/year) within 100m]<br>3. Property barrier and vegetation (recommended)<br>4. Centralized air filtration (otherwise room air cleaners may be needed)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Asbestos<br>1. Acquisitions: asbestos inspection conducted, and risk of asbestos determined<br>2. Asbestos materials identified and maintained in good condition<br>3. Maintenance and minor renovations avoid disturbance of asbestos materials<br>4. If asbestos material is to be disturbed, it is removed properly, and records of removal and disposal are maintained

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Leaded Paint<br>1. Only lead‐free paint is applied (e.g., < 90 ppm in dried paint film)<br>2. Painted surfacesin good condition with minimal damage<br>3. Paintsampled priorto renovation or majormaintenance work<br>4. Leaded paint removed prior to start of work or minimize disturbance

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Pesticides<br>1. Building conditions orlocation not inviting to common local pests<br>2. No history of chronic pest problems or extensive pesticide use<br>3. Willing and capable to implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in USG occupied space<br>4. Habitats and attractants to common pests avoided<br>5. Self‐help measuresto control pests(if control measures are not effective)<br>6. Professional pesticides only as a last resort and limited to Department‐authorized products

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Water Quality<br>1. Tap water is potable (microbiologically safe and within acceptable contaminant levels listed in the Department’s drinking water standards)<br>2. If tap water is not potable, then supplemental means [e.g., point‐of‐use (POU) device such as a distiller or bottled drinking water] are used to render the water potable and quality control monitoring is done<br>3. Water used for bathing water and other contact uses meets recreational water criteria<br>4. Ifsupplemental treatment is employed, O&M and QC programs are in place<br>5. Unless a lead‐removing POU is employed, water from the main taps is confirmed by testing to have lead levels below 15 ppb

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Seismic Issues(For postsin seismic zones 2B, 3, or 4)

• Seismic Safety<br>1. Seek seismically best available structures in accordance with expectations outlined in 19 STATE 74458 and in collaboration with OBO's Climate Security & Resilience Program<br>2. Generators should be securely anchored (ground or slab) at all anchorage points of the frame, and generator connections should be flexible (earthquake resistant).<br>3. Propane tanks, kerosene heaters: use flexible connections to the tank and anchorstorage tanks to the ground, fence, or wall to prevent tipping.<br>4. Water heaters, propane (LPG) gas cylinders and natural gas:<br>a. Use flexible, metallic connectionsfor water and gaslines<br>b. Use metal straps which are bolted using expansion bolts to a masonry/concrete wall, or lagbolts to a wood stud wall, at the top and bottom of the water heater and propane cylinders<br>c. Block in space between water heater and wall to prevent rocking<br>5. Heavy and tall furniture such as bookcases should be secured to prevent sliding or tipping, using L‐brackets or other device and remove casters or wheels to prevent rolling <br>6. Check for weaknesses in chimneys such as damage or missing bricks. If roof is not composed of concrete, verify that the max height above the roof line is no more than 2 times the least side dimension<br>7. Ensure cabinet latches are strong enough, especially in the kitchen, to prevent contents from falling out; install safety latches for added security<br>8. Brace and bolt storage racks and shelves to the floor and walls and secure contents so they can’t slide off<br>9. Mini‐split HVAC Units: To prevent tipping, confirm secure anchorage/attachments to all anchorage points for the unit

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Additional Comments

Local Considerations - (List any additional local considerations)

• Details

Sign Off

• Evaluator

  Sign