Fire safety
Every year over 50,000 accidental house fires are attended by Fire and Rescue Services across the UK.
These fires account for more than 350 unnecessary fatalities and at least 11,000 avoidable injuries annually. However, 91% of people do not consider it likely that there will be a fire in their own home.
Make sure that you don’t become one of these statistics by following the following steps.
12 top tips to stay safe
1. Fit smoke alarms on each level in your home. Make sure you test them once a week and change the batteries every year.
2. Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your home knows how to escape if there is a fire.
3. Keep the exits from your home clear and keys to windows and doors in easy reach.
4. Take extra care in the kitchen –accidents while cooking account for over half of fires at home. And never leave children alone in the kitchen.
5. Take extra care when cooking with hot oil. Or better yet, avoid cooking this way.
6. Never leave lit candles in rooms that nobody is in or in rooms where children are on their own.
7. Make sure cigarettes are stubbed out properly and are disposed of carefully, and never smoke in bed.
8. Get into the habit of closing doors at night to prevent fire spreading.
9. Don’t overload electrical sockets.
10. Keep matches and lighters where children can’t see or reach them.
11. Take special care when you’re tired or when you’ve been drinking.
12. Don’t leave the TV or other electrical appliances on standby as this could cause a fire. Always switch off and unplug an appliance when not in use.
New fire safety rules came into force in England and Wales on
1 October 2006. These are part of a change in emphasis for the Fire Service, with a shift from fire fighting to fire prevention: seeking to ensure that fires do not occur in the first place.
Visit www.fire.gov.uk for more tips on fire prevention and what to do in an emergency.
In case of fire, however small:
- get everybody out of your home
- dial 999 and ask for the fire brigade
- do not go back inside your home for any reason
- warn your neighbours.