Appliances

Preparing Your Home For Fire Safety Precautions

Home safetyKeeping the family safe is always priority number one. And given the majority of personal injuries happen in the family home, suring-up safety precautions should be top-of-the-list of things to do. The odd bumped knee or grazed elbow is all part of growing up, but a house fire isn’t something want in your kids to experience. Fire safety is one of those things that can be overlooked in the day-to-day running of household. I never used to think about it myself until I met a mother whose child got injured in a house fire. Nothing life threatening, but the poor mother blamed herself for neglecting to install a fire alarm.

That was a wakeup call! So, I made it my mission to ensure the family home was fire safe.

Enough fire alarms for your property

Every home should have at least one fire alarm on every floor of the house. Ideally you should have one in the kitchen for starters as that is where the highest majority of home fires start. If you smoke in bed, shame on you, but get a fire alarm in the bedroom as well.

It is advisable to ask your local dealer to recommend a fire alarm system that is most appropriate for the family home, some companies even install fire alarms for you and know the best positions to cover the entire property.

fire-alarm-detectors

Teach the family

Kids especially can be fascinated by fire. You can soon take the mystery away by teaching them about the safe usage and dangers of fire. Older kids might need a few pointers on common sense reminders on how to deal with fire should one break out. It might not hurt you to have a refresher on fire safety either. Fire blankets and extinguishers should ideally be kept in the home, but you also need to know how to use them properly.

Prevent electrical fires

Electrical equipment is another of the most common causes of fires in the home. Not always because of dodgy wiring either. More often than not it’s because appliances haven’t been used safely. Make sure extension sockets don’t get overloaded and get the family into the habit of switching things off-especially at night.

Portable heaters

Sometimes you need a bit of extra warmth. Heating devices like portable heaters are not uncommon in the home-but they need their space. Make sure the family knows not to leave any hot devices unattended. Also be careful not to place flammable items like paper or curtains near naked flames where they can catch fire, particularly if you still use traditional coal fires and gas hob ovens.

Don’t forget the parents

The older members of your family might not live with you, but their safety is still important. Sadly, it gets more difficult to respond quickly to fire threats as you get older. It's a sad fact, but a high senior citizens lose their life due to domestic fires each year.

A good quality fire alarm system and fire safety knowledge can save lives so make sure your family home is sufficiently equipped.

If you have any questions, please ask below!