As we head into the cooler winter months, with Bonfire Night this week and the festive season underway we thought we’d share a few reminders on what people need to be mindful of when it comes to fire safety.
- Any electrical appliance, accessories or installation can pose a threat, especially if they’re old or badly wired. If you notice anything that looks wrong with any electrical device it would be advisable to have them checked by qualified person to be sure of its condition and whether it’s time for a replacement instead.
- As we’re all working with numerous devices powered by electricity, it’s not unusual for an extension lead to be overloaded or worse, having another extension coming from that extension to make sure there are more slots to plug in our electric pets!! If you notice an extension lead is getting very warm or you see a spark, unplug it, discard it and get a new one. Completely avoid the practice of extended extension leads – and yes, this does happen!
- Always follow instructions from manufacturer, if the appliance was installed by a qualified person ask that person for the manuals and read them to inform yourself about the features of the unit. For example if your electric radiator is saying don’t cover it, please don’t do it – it will overheat, you can permanently damage your unit and the last thing you want is something catching fire.
- Use a smoke alarm! Everybody feels safe in their own home, but at the same time they’re not aware that if they are sleeping that safety can be reduced as we cannot react promptly when we’re asleep. Alongside smoke alarms, think about other devices that can be used in your home to help improve on fire safety.
Tips to improve home safety (not just safety, you’ll save energy as well):
- If you’re leaving the house always check: stove, other electrical appliances, turn off the lights and maybe even make sure the taps are closed – think of the environment to!
- Always unplug all the chargers you are not using.
- If there is any broken installation or device in the house, make sure to get it fixed professionally.
- All broken or frayed cables should be immediately repaired by a professional or replaced.
- Make sure you have as a minimum: Fire Extinguisher, Fire Blanket and First Aid.
One last tip that we don’t often think too regularly about is talking to your family or housemates about what to do in the event of a fire. While it may appear to be obvious to an adult that we get out as quickly and safely as possible, in the case of a child they should know how to react too if they’re of an age that they can understand. And for those living in an apartment which is an ever-popular option, a younger person might not be aware that a lift is out of bounds in an emergency.
Hopefully you’ll never be faced with a difficult situation in the home, our tips are designed to remind you of some practices you should implement just to ensure you’re ready if the worst should happen.
For further details on fire safety in the UK, you can learn more on The Fire Safety Advice Centre’s website.
