fire safety

do you have a smoke alarm?

If you live in a bungalow, apartment or flat you should have at least 1 working smoke alarm fitted. This should be positioned in your hallway.

If you live in a house you should have at least 2 working smoke alarms fitted. These should be positioned in your hallway and landing.

If you do have more than one smoke alarm fitted in your home then they should each be interlinked so that if one smoke alarm is activated, all the smoke alarms will sound.

You should test your smoke alarms every month to make sure they are working by pressing the test button.

If you have any worries about the smoke alarms in your home then please get in touch with us and we’ll send someone out to check them and replace them for you if needed.

planning for a fire

Fitting smoke alarms is the first crucial step to protecting yourself from fire. But what would you do if one went off during the night?

Give some thought to how you might escape your home if a fire broke out, and make sure that everyone in your home knows what to do if the smoke alarm sounds. The best route is the normal way in and out of your home. Take a few minutes to practise your escape plan.

Keep door and window keys where everyone can find them and make sure exits are kept clear. Think of a second route in case the first one is blocked. Review your plan if the layout of your home changes.

If you live in a building with a communal area, check for the fire action notice as this will tell you what to do if there is a fire.

fire safety equipment you might consider

Fire blankets are best kept in the kitchen and are used to put out a small fire, or to wrap a person whose clothes are on fire.

Fire extinguishers shoot out a jet to help control a small fire. They are quick and simple to use, but always read the instructions first.

Heat alarms can detect fires in kitchens where smoke alarms should not be placed.

how to escape from a high-level building

You should make sure that all corridors and stairways are clear of things that could catch fire – like boxes or rubbish, and that the doors leading to these areas are kept unlocked.

It is easy to get confused in smoke so you should plan and practice an escape route. You should avoid using lifts and balconies in a fire, so plan a route that avoids these. Pay particular attention to how many doors you need to go through to reach the stairs.

Make sure everyone in the building knows where the fire alarms are. You should still get a smoke alarm for your own home, even if the building has a warning system in place.

bedtime checklist

• You are more at risk from a fire when you’re asleep. So it’s a good idea to check your home before you go to bed.
• Close all inside doors at night as this will stop a fire from spreading.
• Turn off and unplug electrical appliances unless they are designed to be left on – like your freezer.
• Check your cooker is turned off.
• Don’t leave the washing machine on.
• Turn heaters off and put up fireguards.
• Put candles and cigarettes out properly.
• Clear all exits.
• Put your door and window keys in a place where everyone in the house can find them

cigarette safety

Did you know that in the UK someone dies from a fire caused by a cigarette every week.

To keep yourself and others in your home safe, you should:

• Stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Use a proper ashtray – never a wastepaper basket.
• Make sure your ashtray can’t tip over and is made of a material that won’t burn.
• Never leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around. They can easily fall over and start a fire.
• Take extra care if you smoke when you’re tired, taking prescription drugs, or if you’ve been drinking as you may fall asleep and cause a fire.
• Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
• Consider buying child resistant lighters and match boxes.

candle safety

Make sure candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fire – like curtains.

Put candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they’re put out completely at night.

Children shouldn’t be left alone with lit candles.

Keep pets away from lit candles.

heaters

About two fires a day are started by heaters.

Try to secure heaters up against a wall to stop them falling over.

Keep them clear from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes.

what to do if there is a fire

Below is a list of important tips to remember if you discover a fire:

• Don’t tackle fires yourself. Leave it to the professionals.
• If it’s safe to do so, shut the door to the room where the fire has started
• Keep calm and act quickly, get everyone out as soon as possible.
• Don’t waste time investigating what’s happened or rescuing valuables.
• If there’s smoke, keep low. The lower you are the clearer the air is.
• Before you open a door check if it’s warm. If it is, don’t open it – fire is on the other side.
• Call 999 as soon as you’re clear of the building. 999 calls are free.
• Don’t go back in until you have permission
• Let us know as soon as it is safe

what to do if your clothes catch fire

Stop, Drop and Roll!

Lie down and roll around. It makes it harder for the fire to spread. Smother the flames with a heavy material, like a coat or blanket.

Don’t run around, you’ll make the flames worse.

what to do if your escape is blocked

If you can’t get out, get everyone into one room, ideally with a window and a phone. Put bedding around the bottom of the door to block out the smoke.

Call 999 then open the window and shout “HELP FIRE”. If you’re on the ground or first floor, you may be able to escape through a window. Use bedding to cushion your fall and lower yourself down carefully. Don’t jump.

If you can’t open the window, break the glass in the bottom corner and use a towel or blanket to make jagged edges safer.

Kitchen Safety

Did you know that around half of home fires are caused by cooking accidents!

Top tips for cooking safely

• If you need to leave the kitchen whilst cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down.
• You should avoid cooking when under the influence of alcohol.
• Don’t leave children in the kitchen alone when you’re cooking on the hob and keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach to keep them safe.
• Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out – so they don’t get knocked off the stove.
• Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing when by a naked flame.
• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
• Spark devices are safer than matches or lighters to light gas cookers because they don’t have a naked flame.
• Double-check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking

Take care with electrics

• Keep electric appliances and their leads away from water.
• Keep your toaster clean and away from curtains and kitchen rolls.
• Keep your oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order as a build-up of fat and grease can ignite a fire.
• Don’t put anything metal in the microwave

Deep fat frying

• Take care when cooking with hot oil as it can set alight easily.
• Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil so it doesn’t splash.
• Oil starts to smoke when it’s too hot. If this happens, turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
• Thermostat-controlled electric deep fat fryers can’t overheat, so these are safest to use.

If a pan catches fire…

• Don’t throw water over it
• Don’t take any risks
• Do turn off the heat if it’s safe to do so..
• Don’t tackle the fire yourself unless the fire is small and you have appropriate fire safety equipment and you’re confident using it