Tag Archives: carbon monoxide detectors

General Safety Issues

NEGLECTED SAFETY TIPS (GUEST POST)

By Maree Kyle
Whether in the home or the workplace, most people believe they have a good grip on how to keep their environment safe. We all know to keep fire alarms and smoke detectors up to date and equipped with good batteries, and few of us would leave a puddle on the ground for others to slip on. However, there are some areas that tend to escape people’s attention — those that you wouldn’t see at all. Below are three “invisible” safety concerns and tips to keep safe.

The Air

Just because there’s no smoke doesn’t mean the air in your house is in the clear. Gas appliances can spring leaks that go undetected, and nudging a gas range can quickly fill your kitchen with fumes. Even more dangerous are carbon monoxide leaks, which put about 20,000 Americans in the hospital every year. Though this colorless and odorless gas is almost impossible for humans to detect, a carbon monoxide detector can alert you immediately, giving you time to get outside and clear the air. Consider installing at least one carbon monoxide detector, especially in areas with young children or the elderly, and ask a contractor about gas leak detectors for home appliances.

Dangerous Combinations

Everything in your home or office may be perfectly safe on its own, but can become a hazard when mixed with another innocuous substance. One common example is cleaning chemicals. If you bleach your sink before using a drain cleaner, you’ll have inadvertently mixed bleach with an acid, which can result in irritation to the eyes and throat, or even vomiting and trouble breathing in extreme cases. To avoid these dangers, always use cleaning chemicals separately, or use homemade natural cleansers like vinegar and baking soda on household messes.  Wearing gloves will help protect your hands and skin.

You

There are certain steps that should be taken to make sure that you, too, are accident-proof. Purchase a small, folding step ladder and keep it easily accessible. Avoid using rails, counters, furniture or shelves to get to hard-to-reach places and use the ladder instead. Wear non-slip shoes to any job that involves being on your feet and always remember to lift with your legs. Use sunscreen daily and reapply often at the beach. A little bit of prevention can keep you out of more serious accidents and is easily incorporated into your day-to-day routine.

Each step can be done relatively quickly, especially if you do it a little bit at a time. To keep up with safety, incorporate it into your spring cleaning. Once a year, check your house for loose outlet covers, rot and mold, and loose cabinet doors. Check the batteries on your smoke detectors and make sure you have a good fire escape plan, both at home and at the office. Then, make sure everyone actually knows about it. This is also a good time to get your car checked. You may even want to take a defensive driving course to stay refreshed on the rules of the road.

 

General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIRE ALARMS AND SMOKE ALARMS? (GUEST POST)

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Alarms are the first line of defence in the event of a fire. They act as an early warning sign giving you the chance to evacuate premises and escape any fire-related danger.  Everyone wants to protect their homes and by law, any facility used for a commercial purpose must protect those that work inside it, but there is often some confusion as to the difference between a fire alarm and a smoke alarm.

Well, the clue really is in the title. One detects smoke, and the other detects fire. But as the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire, so both are equally important. In fact, more people will suffer from inhalation of smoke than they will from fire burns. Here’s why the two are so different and where they are best suited:

Smoke alarms

What are they?

Smoke alarms are devices that are able to detect smoke or fire, giving an audible alarm as a result. They are fantastic at detecting a fire in its early stages, allowing you adequate warning to evacuate before inhaling any harmful gases.  Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of fatality when it comes to fire-related deaths. In fact, in the majority of cases, the victims are asleep when the smoke enters their lungs, cementing the absolute requirement for smoke alarms.

What are the benefits?

Because they are simple yet effective, they are ideal for domestic use. Ideally, one should be placed on each level of the home, and in particular where you can hear it from the bedroom. It is advisable not to place them in areas that may cause frequent activation such as the kitchen or bathroom.

Many of these can be combined with carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon Monoxide is an odourless, tasteless and invisible gas, meaning you can be killed by it before you even know it existed. Combined smoke alarms can protect from this as well as smoke particles. 

Smoke detectors are the most basic device available on the market and are cheap additions to a building considering their vital role. They are best suited for homes, where people can exit the property quickly and easily. 

Fire alarms

What are they?

A fire alarm detects the presence of fire by monitoring the changes in environment associated with combustion. This can include the detection of smoke which is why they are commonly confused with smoke alarms.

In commercial environments, where fire alarms are best suited, if you employ more than five people, you need to have a written record of your fire assessment by law. This will affect how many fire alarms are required and what fire precautions should be made in order to protect the facility and its staff.

What are the benefits? 

Fire alarms can be linked with other systems making for an efficient and safer system. For example, when a fire alarm is triggered, sprinkler systems can be activated, or the local fire station can be alerted.

For this reason, and for their ability to be more complex, fire alarms are generally not used in domestic environments.   

When you consider how much damage could be prevented, and how many lives are saved a year from their simple installation, their cost is minimal in comparison. 

Author Bio: 

Karen Asbury is Firemart’s Fire Safety Expert. Firemart are an online fire safety equipment retailer in the UK.

 We appreciate this informative article regarding the importance of  fire alarms  in large buildings, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, schools, theaters, and places of work where many lives are involved.  Let this also be a reminder to keep your smoke detectors working, by checking the batteries every so often. pb

 

 

 

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

DO YOU HAVE THESE FIVE SAFETY TOOLS IN YOUR HOME?

How about taking a little inventory of your home and see if you have all of these protective tools?  I have found that I need to go buy some of them, as well!

Smoke detectors are one of those amazing inventions that, because of mass production, cost almost nothing. And while they cost very little, (around $7), smoke d­etectors save thousands of lives each year. In fact,it is recommended that every home have one smoke detector per floor.  All smoke detectors consist of two basic parts: a sensor to sense the smoke and a very loud electronic horn to wake people up. Smoke detectors can run off of a 9-volt battery or 120-volt house current.  Test your detectors regularly.

Carbon monoxide detectors should be placed outside all bedrooms.  CO is oderless and colorless, and can be fatal unless detected.  Place a detector outside all bedrooms.  Carbon monoxide poisoning impairs breathing, and can cause permanent brain damage or death, especially after prolonged exposure to this gas.  Learn what to do to help someone who has been exposed to it, by first getting them outside into fresh air, and calling for medical help immediately.

­A fire­ extinguisher is an absolute necessity in any home or office. While there’s a good chance that the extinguisher will sit on the wall for years, collecting dust, it could end up saving your property and even your life.  Most fire extinguishers asre combination Class ABC types.  Class A puts out fires of ordinary combustibles.  Class B is used on fires involving flammable liquids such as oil.  Class C is used on electrical fires.  Fire extinguishers are designed to remove at least one of these elements so that a fire will die out:

  • Extreme heat
  • Oxygen (or similar gas)
  • Fuel

One of the newer circuit breaker devices is the ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI.  These sophisticated breakers are designed to protect people from electrical shock, rather than prevent damage to a building’s wiring. The GFCI constantly monitors the current in a circuit’s neutral wire and hot wire. When everything is working correctly, the current in both wires should be exactly the same. As soon as the hot wire connects directly to ground (if somebody accidentally touches the hot wire, for example), the current level surges in the hot wire, but not in the neutral wire. The GFCI breaks the circuit as soon as this happens, preventing electrocution. Since it doesn’t have to wait for current to climb to unsafe levels, the GFCI reacts much more quickly than a conventional breaker.  These should be used especially in the laundry room, bathroom, and kitchen.

Last, but not least, every home should have First-aid/Emergency Kits that are stocked with the following basic first aid supplies, medicines, and home health supplies:

Bandages and dressings:

  • Adhesive bandages (Band-Aid or similar brand); assorted sizes
  • Sterile gauze pads and adhesive tape
  • Elastic (ACE) bandage for wrapping wrist, ankle, knee, and elbow injuries
  • Triangular bandage for wrapping injuries and making an arm sling
  • Aluminum finger splints
  • Eye shield, pads, and bandages

Home health equipment:

  • Thermometer
  • Syringe, medicine cup, or medicine spoon for giving specific doses of medicine
  • Disposable, instant ice bags
  • Tweezers, to remove ticks and small splinters
  • Sterile cotton balls
  • Sterile cotton-tipped swabs
  • Blue “baby bulb” or “turkey baster” suction device
  • Save-A-Tooth storage device in case a tooth is broken or knocked out; contains a travel case and salt solution
  • First-aid manual

Medicine for cuts and injuries:

  • Antiseptic solution, such as hydrogen peroxide or wipes
  • Antibiotic ointment, such as bacitracin, polysporin, or mupirocin
  • Sterile eyewash, such as contact lens saline solution
  • Calamine lotion for stings or poison ivy
  • Hydrocortisone cream, ointment, or lotion for itching
  • Benadryl, if you know you are allergic to stings, etc.

By planning ahead, you can create a well-stocked home first aid kit. Keep all of your supplies in one location so you know exactly where they are when you need them.  Think about ensuring your family’s safety by having these important safety tools in your home.