Fire safety tips for your home
Fires are unpredictable and dangerous. They can strike at any time anywhere in the house. It’s important to equip yourself with safety precautions against fires. These precautions will help you prevent, escape or detect fires in your home.
Smoke Alarm
Install smoke alarms in as many areas of your house as possible. An area in the home that requires smoke detectors is in the kitchen and living areas. Smoke detectors act as early warning mechanisms for fires within the house. You also need to have your smoke detectors tested and maintained periodically. This includes testing if the detectors are responsive and changing batteries.
Electrical safety
Electrical malfunctions can start major fires in a home. Having an electrician check and change any hazardous electrical situations is important in-home fire safety. Limit the number of appliances that are plugged into an electrical outlet. Overloading can cause a fuse to blow or for circuit breakers to pop. Don’t run extension cords under rugs and carpets as they wear easily and may short out ,causing fires. Replace any frayed electrical cords before they burn or cause a fire.
Fire extinguisher
It’s always useful to have a fire extinguisher in the house. A Class A, Class B, Class C or Class F extinguisher is ideal for a home environment. These are for flammable liquids, electrical equipment, and cooking oils respectively. You could also get a multipurpose extinguisher that covers A, B and C.
Fire Prevention
Never leave food cooking unattended, especially frying equipment. Take precautions when using heaters as they are a major cause of fires. Avoid smoking in the house. Make sure that your candles are handled carefully and that you have proper candle holders.
Basic fire safety
There are things that all members of the household should know. It’s important to remember that during a fire, one should not touch the doorknob, it’s hot. Know how to stop, drop and roll if you catch on fire. If you see smoke crawl on your hands and knees until you get out of the house. Remember not to hide during a fire, know your exit routes.
