Protect Yourself and Your Home From Fire

Protecting yourself, your family and your home from fire can be easily done by carrying out a just few simple safety checks and following some useful fire safety tips. Some of the main causes of home fire fatalities include careless disposal of cigarettes, faults in electrical equipment and failure to install necessary detection systems.

Here we will look at simple ways to prevent fires from happening in the home and encourage extra precautions that can be taken to keep you and your home safe.

Fire alarms

Fire alarms – or smoke alarms – are devices that are often fitted onto a wall or ceiling which detects smoke and gives off an alarm warning. They are potentially the first line of defence that enables you and your family to exit the house as soon as possible.

There are several types of fire alarms, and each will either be battery powered, mains electricity powered or sometimes both (the mains powered alarms may have a battery back up option). It is important to check the battery life on the smoke alarms when you buy them as some may vary. Most battery powered alarms will need replacing every 12 months unless it states otherwise. There should be at least one working fire alarm on every level of a house and it is paramount to constantly ensure that it  works. Test it weekly and, when possible, phone up another member of your family or neighbour to test theirs too. Statistics show you are twice as likely to die in the house fire of a home without a smoke alarm than a home with one.

Cigarettes
Smoking is the number one cause of preventable home fire deaths, killing both smokers and non-smokers. Fire and Rescue services have urged smokers to completely put out their cigarettes with the ‘Put it out. Right Out.’ campaign.

You should never smoke in bed or anywhere you are likely to fall asleep as the cigarette can keep burning, and may drop onto furniture and set it alight. These simple steps will prevent an avoidable house fire caused by smoking:

• Never smoke whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs at home
• Don’t fall asleep with a cigarette lit
• Never leave a lit cigarette unattended
• Use a proper ashtray that is deep enough to not overspill and heavy enough to not tip over

Cooking

Leaving the potatoes to boil whilst you catch the end of your program or letting your toasty finish off under the grill whilst you make a quick phone call, are just two examples of how cooking can cause a home fire disaster. To prevent fires in the kitchen don’t get distracted and, if you do need to exit the kitchen, make sure you take the pan off the stove and turn the heat down on the cooker.

Cooking with oil is particularly hazardous, as hot oil can catch fire easily. When the oil over heats, it will spit and overflow causing the pan to ignite. It is a good idea to wear closely fitted or rolled up sleeves to prevent clothing dangling into the oil and burning or catching fire from the stove. A few top safety tips when you’re cooking:

• Turn saucepan handles so they don’t hang over the sides, to ensure children are not vulnerable to grabbing or tipping them
• Don’t put oven gloves or tea towels on top of the gas cooker/stove, as these are popular fire starters
• Keep things clean, as burnt food and grease can cause fires

Electrical

When it comes down to ensuring your electrical equipment is safe, it is strongly advised to get all electrical appliances PAT tested (portable appliance testing). This is the examination to ensure the electrical item meets the health and safety requirements.

Plugs and sockets often feel warm, but how normal is this? Loose wiring is often the reason behind hot plugs /sockets, flickering lights and blown fuses so it is important to take action and get a qualified electrician to check the wiring and safety. Overloading plug sockets is also a caution, and it’s important to switch off heated appliances such as hair straighteners and irons as over heating surfaces will cause a fire. Take these small  steps to help keep electrical appliances safe:

• Turn off electrical equipment when it’s not in use
• Do not over load an extension lead, as it can blow the fuse
• Be aware of damaged wires and get them fixed by a specialist