Tag Archives: fire blankets

General Safety Issues

HOW TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR HOME FROM FIRE (GUEST POST)

1 Comment

Fire is  extremely dangerous;  unfortunately, the destruction and devastation it can cause is often underestimated.  Always take the correct precautions  to help ensure that you and others are not injured should a fire occur.

Below are five tips to keep you and your home fire free:

 1.Equip your home against small house fires

It is crucial that your home is equipped to put out small fires that may occur in your home. The best way to ensure that you are equipped against small house fires is to fit fire extinguishers and fire blankets in the kitchen and any other rooms in the house that a fire would most likely start. For instance, place fire extinguishers near any fireplaces you may have in your home. To help equip your home further, fit fire doors throughout. By doing so it will help contain any fires and stop them from spreading throughout your home. 

2.Become educated in how to extinguish fires

After having fire extinguishers and blankets fitted,  it is advised that you read all instructions carefully and seek advice where needed about how to extinguish different types of fires. Many people are unaware that different types of fires should be extinguished using different types of fire extinguishers. If the wrong type of fire extinguisher is used it can have disastrous effects and as a direct result the fire could spread further and quicker. 

3.Pay attention in the kitchen and do not leave hob (stove) unattended

A large majority of house fires start in the kitchen. Many of these fires are due to negligence and leaving pans unattended on the hob. The best way to combat this is by never leaving the hob (stove) unattended and being vigilant of oven cooking times. When finished cooking it is vital to check that all hobs and the oven are switched off before leaving the kitchen.

  4.Fit and check regularly, the fire alarms throughout your home

In the unlikely event of a fire, the fire alarm will be able to alert you. If you are sleeping and a fire starts in your home you will need to be alerted by a fire alarm or there is a good chance that you will not wake and may become overwhelmed by the fires smoke. If you or anyone else in your family is deaf or hard of hearing they may not be woken by the sound of a fire alarm. With advance in technology now fire alarms are being produced that are able to wake the deaf and hard hearing in the unfortunate event of a fire. These types of fire alarms such as the Deafgard are able to wake the deaf and hard hearing through vibrations and high density flashing lights. 

5.Fully extinguish all cigarettes

Although the smoking ban has meant that many people can no longer smoke inside in public places, many people still do smoke inside in the privacy of their own home. Cigarettes can easily ignite a fire if left unattended. If you do smoke inside your own home always check that your cigarette is fully out when finished and never leave a lit cigarette unattended in the home.

Finally in the event of any fire in the home that is out of control always remember to dial 999 immediately.  (In the U.S., call 9-1-1.)

Our thanks to George Tester of  Deafgard for sending this fire safety information.  It is comforting to know that there are fire alerts that can warn those who are hard of hearing or deaf when there may be fire in their homes.  The same fire safety info would apply to offices and other industries that should have the correct amount of fire extinguishers on hand, and employees trained in their use. pb

 
General Safety Issues

FIRE SAFETY – FIVE THINGS YOUR OFFICE SHOULDN’T BE WITHOUT (GUEST POST)

1 Comment

Fire escape routes

Every workplace needs to have a clear and safe fire escape route. A diagram of the office should be drawn up, highlighting the locations of fire escapes as well as the best escape routes. Note that elevators shouldn’t be a part of your emergency escape plans. A meeting zone outside the building should be designated where everyone can assemble. Managers should be assigned to perform headcounts in this meeting zone. Finally, don’t forget to carry out regular fire drills so your employees become familiar with the evacuation routes and procedure. 

Sprinkler Systems

Automatic sprinklers are highly effective at eliminating fires in large office spaces. They are triggered by extreme heat and so are quick at detecting fires, ensuring that staff can evacuate safely. Sprinkler systems can also activate a remote alarm which notifies the local fire services. As well as being highly reliable (with an estimated success rate of over 95%), sprinklers also have the benefit of being relatively cheap to maintain. Sprinklers should not be overlooked! 

Fire Extinguishers

If a fire develops in the workplace, generally the best course of action would be to evacuate the building and let the emergency services deal with it. However, if only a small fire breaks out you should be able to eliminate it with an extinguisher. Ensure that the extinguishers are within easy reach and that different ones are available for different types of fire. Offices tend to be packed with electrical equipment such as computers and monitors – if these catch fire your best option is a CO2 extinguisher. For fires involving solid materials such as fabric, wood or paper, use a water fire extinguisher. Foam extinguishers can protect against material fires as well as fires involving flammable liquids. 

Fire Blankets

Fire blankets are often overlooked in the home, but in offices they are essential due to their many uses. They are best kept in workplace kitchens to combat small fires that may break out, and can sometimes save you from having to use an extinguisher. In the event of someone catching fire, you can wrap the blanket around them and get them to roll on the floor to extinguish the flames. Fire blankets can also be used as a protective shield during an escape where flames are in the way. 

Exit signs

The importance of a simple fire exit sign should not be underestimated. Office staff may be familiar with the workplace layout, but during a fire it can be easy to forget due to panic, especially in large multi-storey office buildings. The arrows on fire exit signs show the quickest way to safety and could prevent your employees from being trapped inside the building. If your office does not have emergency lighting installed, luminescent exit signs should be used. Remember, it is also mandatory to have signs placed on top of fire exit doors. 

This blog post was written by Hassan Ali who works for Ardent, a UK based company who are specialists in fire suppression systems.

 

 

 

 

 

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO EXTINGUISH SMALL HOUSEHOLD FIRES (GUEST POST)

There are times when there are small fires at your home. In a state of shock, you usually panic and call the fire brigade when you could have easily extinguished it yourself. In unfortunate incidents, there are also chances that these small fires could end up turning ugly and disastrous till the time fire brigade reaches your place. Therefore, keeping convenient and easy to use materials or equipments at your home to tackle such situations is a must. 

Fire blankets are one such option which can quickly, easily and efficiently help you to extinguish small household fires, all by yourself. These blankets are usually used in the kitchen area as there are chances of small stove or electrical fires in this part of your house. Usually, fire needs three different elements to keep on going. These are oxygen, heat and fuel. In the absence of any one, the fire ceases to exist. This is the principle on which fire resistant blankets work. These blankets make use of fire resistant material which blocks out any one of the three elements which keep a fire going. Depending on the usage and manufacturer, these blankets may be made out of different types of materials. Blankets which are made for small household fires are made up of fiberglass. 

How do these blankets work 

When you put a fire resistant blanket on top of the fire correctly, it starts suffocating the flames. By covering the whole surface area of the fire, these blankets cut off the oxygen supply which let the fire grow. By cutting the supply of oxygen, these blankets make sure that the fire does not grow and spread. Make sure that you do not try to extinguish big fires with the help of these blankets. Fire resistant blankets help in extinguishing only small household fires. In case of a big fire, just leave the area and give a call to the fire brigade. 

Storing Fire resistant blankets

Fire blankets can be easily stored in any corner of your home. They come in small plastic packages when you buy them. The package usually comes along with a manual. This manual has all the necessary instructions on how to store and use a blanket in times of need. Make sure that you go through all the instructions at the time of purchase. Depending on the manufacturers and the usage of the blanket, different blankets may have different instructions. So, you should read the instructions on how to unpack and use a blanket as soon as you purchase it. Fire blankets should be usually kept or stored in an area which is prone to small fires. This area may include kitchen or an additional cooking area where you might be keeping your grill or barbeque. Also remember to not lock away the blanket in a cabinet. Make sure that it is easily accessible whenever it is needed. The best place may be the kitchen wall or somewhere near the additional cooking area. These blankets are usually packed in a way so that they can be easily thrown over a small fire when needed.

Thanks, Sachin, for this information.  I think I may try one of those fire blankets!