The City of San Diego has recognized June 2025 as Building Safety Month, celebrating the work inspectors, engineers and other City staff do every day to develop and maintain San Diego’s facilities and infrastructure.  

Why is building safety important? Simply put, occupants – be they residents, employees, patrons or guests - expect to enter a building without fear for their safety. That can mean keeping out hazards that may be caused by inclement weather or natural disasters, but it also means proper mitigation of hazards inherent to the building itself. The City’s Development Services Department employs professionals in a variety of roles who assist applicants in setting up their projects and establishing required approvals to best ensure safety. 

Building safety is often present in unseen ways, like how wiring at your office is arranged or what kinds of materials went into constructing a restaurant. Where you can make an immediate impact is in your own home. With some planning and attention, many risks can be easily and reliably mitigated.  

Residents and property owners should consider the following tips to ensure safety for building occupants. 

Home appliances

• Our homes include cooking, drying and heating appliances. These should be near carbon monoxide and smoke alarms to provide early warning and prompt evacuation to the exterior of the building in the event of an emergency. Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are operational and check their batteries regularly in case they need replacing.  

• Our homes are served with electricity to allow lighting and power electrical appliances. However, connected appliances in wet locations can pose safety issues due to electrical shock hazards. Be sure that you have ground fault circuit interruption (GFCI) protection for electrical receptacles in wet environments such as the exterior of your home, bathrooms and kitchens. 

• Most clothes dryers are heated by natural gas or electrical power and include a vent duct to transport moisture and hot air out or your home. Lint is a byproduct of the drying process and can be flammable. When it accumulates in the appliance or the vent from normal use, the obstruction may cause the appliance to overheat or even ignite the accumulated lint. Regularly clean your dryer and vent duct, including lint that’s not captured by the appliance's lint screen.  

Disaster preparedness 

• Fire sprinkler protection of homes has become more common during the past 10 years, affording more time for occupants to safely evacuate from a building. If your home is protected with a fire sprinkler system, ensure the sprinklers projecting from the ceilings and walls are not obstructed. 

• While earthquakes are less frequent than other natural hazards to the built environment, such as wildfires and flooding, earthquake risk is real in light of the Rose Canyon fault passing through areas of the city that are densely populated. Remove overhead objects such as wall ornaments, picture, or tall shelving above or near beds and cribs. Also, anchor tall cabinetry to adjacent walls. 

Taking some time to do regular checks of these household items is a great way to ensure you’re keeping you, your family and your neighbors that much safer.