everies reminder 4, exit strategy

Declutter All Exit Routes 
One of the first actions to take in embarking on a decluttering program is to make your environment safer. Therefore, during the first month or so of these reminders, you can expect to be given tasks to do just that.

First up, thoroughly clear away all obstacles & hazards from:

1. Doorways – including internal ones.
2. Walkways – traffic routes within rooms, as well as hallways, staircases and outside paths.
3. Windows – sticky locks, resistant curtain rings, outside barriers against the glass.

In an emergency, you should be able to rapidly & safely move from any room in your home to any other room in it, or through the house to outside. In a real emergency, you may even have to climb out of a window, which is quite difficult if you have older security screens over the openings, right? For these and other hazards, do some research. The best result I got was this Escape Plans Information Sheet from Queensland, but there are lots of helpful sites about emergency preparedness.

Don’t search first – get up and start decluttering right away.

As you go, make a list of problem areas to research after you've done your best to clear all exit routes.