Fire Safety

Hundreds of people die and thousands are injured each year from fire in their home. Many of these fires are caused by lack of concentration or carelessness. You should ensure that you are aware of the dangers and try to prevent fire starting in the first place. The new Home Office booklet “Fire Safety in the Home- protects your home from Fire” FSH1 gives advise on this.

It is also sensible to know what to do should you discover a fire in your home. You must get out as quickly as possible and call the fire brigade.

Should the fire be discovered in its very early stages you may think that you can deal with it yourself. The first thing to remember is that even small fires spread very quickly, producing smoke and fumes which can kill in seconds. If you are in any doubt, do not tackle the fire, no matter how small it is.

Many people put out small fires in their homes quite safely, but some are injured by attempting to tackle a fire which is beyond their capabilities. The following simple code will help you to decide what to do if a fire occurs

Always put your own and other people's safety first. Make sure that everyone else has got out of the building and that you can escape if you need to. Ensure that someone calls the fire brigade from a neighbour's house, call box, or mobile phone. Never let a fire block your exit.

Only tackle a fire if it is in its very early stages. (For most types of fire a small amount of water applied at an early stage in the fire can control the potentially hazardous situation more effectively than applying a larger amount at a later stage).

Never tackle a fire if it is starting to spread or if the room is filling with smoke. The most common cause of fire deaths is being overcome by the smoke or fumes.

If you cannot put out the fire or if the extinguisher becomes empty, get out closing all the doors behind you as you go.

Remember:

If in doubt: get out, get the brigade out, stay out.

Always call the fire brigade even if you have managed to put the fire out. They are the experts and will make sure that the fire is properly extinguished. They do not charge for this.

Whatever type or make of fire extinguisher you choose, make sure it conforms to the appropriate British Standards (BS EN3 and BS7863). Look for the Kitemark or the special British Approvals for Fire Equipment. (BAFE) mark

Fix an extinguisher where you can reach it quickly and easily and where its suitability for a particular can be checked quickly. The best place is on an escape route, that is, near an outside door, or on the route from the living areas to an outside door, or close to any perceived fire risk. It should be properly fixed to a wall at a height where it can be reached. Keep it out of the reach of children.

Fire extinguishers should be located where they can be easily seen. Locating them inside cupboards or behind doors will only waste valuable time if a fire breaks out. Do not place them over cookers or heaters or in places of extreme heat.

The manufacturers instructions will tell you what you need to do to keep extinguisher in good working order. After an extinguisher has been used even if only partially, it must be recharged according to the manufacture's instructions.

The extinguisher should be serviced once a year. There are a number of independent schemes designed specifically for fire extinguisher's and their maintenance. There is also a Government sponsored national organisation for the promotion of quality in fire equipment and related services- British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE). You can get details of the approved product and advice from British Approvals for Fire Equipment, 4th

Floor, Neville House, 55 Eden Street, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 1BW. (Tel. 0181 541 1950). They can also supply a list of companies approved by them to service portable fire extinguishers.

Fire blankets are made of fire resistant material. They are particularly useful for smothering fat pan fires or for wrapping round a person whose clothing is on fire. Fire blankets conforming to British Standard BS 6575 are suitable for use in the home. These will be marked to show whether they should be thrown away after use or used again after cleaning in accordance with the manufacture's instructions. Fire blanks should be kept in the kitchen.

Turn off the heat if is safe to do so but never lean over the pan to reach the cooker controls. Place a fire blanket, or a damp tea cloth or towel, over the pan to smother the flames, ensuring that your hands are protected by the cloth. The tea cloth or towel should be as wet as possible without dripping Never throw water onto the fire.

Leave the pan to cool down for at least 30 minutes. Call the fire brigade so they can make sure the fire is properly extinguished.

If you cannot control the fire yourself, leave the room, close the door and telephone the fire brigade by dialling 999