A fire can start and spread in the blink of an eye! A major fire disaster in your home or business can be a devastating blow to your finances, your belongings, and your life. Following fire safety tips and having a fire safety plan in place can drastically decrease the possibility of a fire starting or spreading on your property.
Protect Your Home From Fires
Your home should be the safe haven for you, your family, and your pets. Keep them safe by practicing fire safety. A great place to start is to have smoke alarms on every level of your house. Install smoke alarms near sleeping areas and in bedrooms. According to the US Fire Administration (USFA), you should check your smoke alarms periodically by testing them at least once a month. Also, replace batteries at least once a year, to make sure they are fully operable at all times.
Your smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
Other important fire safety tips include:
- Keep smoking out of the house. Smoking is the leading cause of residential fire deaths. People who smoke should never smoke in bed, when drowsy, or if anyone in the house uses oxygen.
- Portable heaters should never be left on in a room that is unoccupied or while the occupants of a household are sleeping.
- Do not leave burning candles unattended.
- Home heating sources should be in clean and working order.
- All electrical outlets should have cover plates and no exposed wiring.
- Always stay in the kitchen when you are frying, broiling, baking, simmering, and roasting. Cooking should never take place when you are out of the home.
- Keep your stove area clean and clear to avoid flammable items. Kitchen fires are among some of the most common fires.
- Dryers are responsible for 90% of appliance fires. Clean the lint screen after every use of the dryer.
- Check your appliances regularly to make sure they are in good working order.
- Grill in an open space or driveway, never too close to your home, near any flammable objects such as patio furniture, or in a lanai.
- Be sure to discard any leftover grease in the grease pan of the grill from previous grilling sessions, before cooking again.
Have a Safety Plan and Practice It!
You should have a safety plan in place for you and your family. Talk to the children in your household and make sure they understand the dangers of a fire and the usefulness of a fire alarm, by teaching them about the sound and use of the fire alarms in your home.
Your safety plan should include at least two exits from every room, for each family member. Practice these exits by doing drills with your family. There is never such a thing as being too prepared! Establish your family emergency plan and make sure everyone knows how to contact one another and the importance of calling 9-1-1 immediately should a fire occur.
Teach children how to stop, drop, and roll in case their clothes catch on fire. Everyone should be prepared to get out, stay out, and wait for help. Under no circumstances should anyone go back into a fire for anything!
Protect and Plan for a Fire in Your Business
Whether you are an employee or you own your own business, you should be aware of your surroundings and make sure your office space is prepared to handle a fire. Your office should take precautions by installing smoke alarms, a sprinkler system, and accessible fire extinguishers.
Other important things to remember about fire safety and fire prevention in your business include:
- Maintain a no smoking environment in your building.
- Follow safety precautions for handling and storing hazardous or flammable materials.
- Invest in routine service and maintenance for your electrical equipment to deter malfunctions and breakdowns, which may lead to an electrical fire. Also, give your electrical equipment room to breathe by keeping space between each system. Keep machines in well-ventilated areas.
- Stairwells should be kept clean and clear of any debris or storage items. Stairwells need to be accessible.
- Install a working alarm system.
- Test smoke alarms and sprinkler systems periodically.
Your Business Safety Plan
Keep your employees informed of your fire safety plan, as every business should have one. Co-workers should be well aware of how to exit the building and also where the designated meeting place is. Set up a fire safety team that checks for all employees and helps your exit go smoothly.
Practice fire plans at least twice a year! Additionally, have a session to teach your employees about the fire extinguishers, where they are located, and how to use them. The more aware and informed your workers are about fire safety and fire plans, the less damage a fire will cause in your building. And, more importantly, the odds of someone being harmed are lowered significantly.
Fire Safety is Important!
Most fires are preventable, as long as rules are followed and systems are routinely checked. Practicing fire safety benefits everyone. Take part in local fire safety classes and help the people in your life become aware of the hazards caused by fires!
Have you been affected by a fire disaster recently? Call a company like True Builders to help you through the recovery period!
