Fire Safety Awareness Facts
We all know how dangerous fires can be and how quickly they can spread.
This risk is especially high during the winter months as we are using heaters more and fires to keep us warm.
Heating, holiday decorations, winter storms and candles all contribute to an increased risk of fire during the winter months as well. This is why it is so important to be fire safety aware at all times.
Did you know?
- Around 43 fires a year are caused by faulty electric blankets in the home.
- 3 fires a day are caused by heaters.
- In England on average, 3,800 chimney fires occur every year.
Electricity causes more than 20,000 fires a year – that equates to almost half of all accidental UK house fires. Electricity is part of our lives. We use it from the moment we wake up and throughout the day. Half of these start in either the kitchen when cooking or while using white goods like the washing machine or freezer. As a result, we sometimes forget how dangerous it can all be. This is why being fire safety aware and having the knowledge to know what to do to keep you and people around you safe is so important.
Read our fire safety tips on how to keep you and your family safe this year:
- Make sure your fuse box is fitted with an RCD (Residual Current Device). This will shut off all your electricity if it detects a fault.
- Get a registered electrician to check your electricity installation, plug sockets etc. Homeowners should have this done every 10 years or when you move property. Electrical Safety First recommend for privately rented properties, this is done every 5 years.
- Don’t store any flammable materials like clothes, paper etc anywhere near your fuse box or anything electrical.
- Don’t overload any plug sockets.
- If you are using a portable heater, don’t leave it near any flammable materials like paper, clothes, curtains.
- Before plugging anything in check the cables aren’t damaged or have any wear and tear.
- Handheld electrical appliances like hair dryers and straighteners get very hot so make sure you always turn them off and unplug them and leave on a heat proof mat until they have cooled down.
- Check your sockets regularly. If they feel hot or have any burn marks, get a registered electrician out to check them.
- Ensure you have a working smoke alarm on each floor of your home. If a fire does start it will give you a chance to get out safely and dial 999 for help.
- Do not leave washing machines, tumble dryers or dishwashers on over night or when you are out.
- Do not overload washing machine or tumble dryers.
- Make sure you clean behind your fridge and freezer regularly to keep lint and dust from building up. Always make sure there is enough room behind the appliance for air to circulate freely.
- Clean your oven and hob regularly and always clear spillages immediately to avoid a build-up of food debris and fat which is a fire risk.
One of the easiest ways to prevent a fire is to follow the ‘STOP Fire’ message:
- S – smoke alarms – make sure you have smoke alarms on every floor of your home
- T – test those smoke alarms weekly to make sure they are working
- O – obvious dangers – be aware of obvious dangers in your home
- P – plan your escape route should a fire start
At Cross Counties Training we hope that by teaching Fire Safety we can help to save lives. If you would like to speak to us about how we could help with your Fire Safety Training requirements, please call us on 01276 586943 or email us at admin@crosscountiestraining.co.uk for hassle-free bookings.
