All About Security: Top 10 Tips on Home Fire Safety

Our home is a place where you can relax, play and have a good time for our lives. Our home is a place where we raise our families as well as a place of safety from a tiring word.

And we cannot deny the fact that home accidents happen along the way, especially as kids grow and learn new many things. But this kind of problem and challenges are often completely preventable

In this article, you’ll discover about everything you can do, to make sure that your children get the proper safety precautions to prevent any untoward incidents like fires.

In the Philippines alone fires are the most costly emergency and according to the statistic from the (BFP) or Bureau of fire and Protection that majority of fires incident involved residential areas with approximately 9,000 total blazes per year.

Worse yet, every year the total number of fire casualties has consistently increased from 900 to 1,000 there were 500 to 600 injured and more than 2 billion – 3 billion property damaged.

Tragic statistics indeed, the vast majority of these fires and related injuries and deaths are preventable, I am correct?

1. smoke Alarms Installation

Majority of the casualties that occur in home fires are not from fire, but from smoke by way of suffocation. Homes should have at least one smoke alarm device on every level.

To make sure smoke alarms are fully functional they should be tested periodically, kept free of dust and have the batteries replaced once a year. Replace your smoke alarm device every ten years, otherwise recommended by the manufacturer.

2. Prepare a Fire Evacuation Plan

Just in case a fire incident takes place, you have to get out fast. Being awakened by the sound of the alarm in any given time is not the moment to have to think through how to get you and your family to safety.

It is better that you must plan ahead of time by sitting down with your family and discuss the fire evacuation plan that includes at least two exits from every room.

If you are living in an apartment type establishment, you should not include elevators in your evacuation plan.

3. Avoid Smoking In Bed

According to the statistic that the leading causes of fire deaths is careless smoking. You should avoid smoking in bed and take enormous care to make large ashtrays readily available to smokers throughout your household.

Cigarettes can smolder under and around upholstered furniture unseen only to ignite into a full inferno minutes later.

4. Take Care Cooking

When you cooking don’t leave unattended, in addition be familiar with flammable materials with in the area such as; curtains, and dish towels or loose fitting.

To avoid from any accidental spills of hot oil or boiling water make sure the handles of pots and pans are turned inward on the stove so they cant be bumped or grabbed by unattended children.

5. Space for Space Heaters

In case you are using electric, natural gas, fuel oil or wood pellets or some other fuel space heaters need enough space. They should be kept at least three feet away from anything that can cause fire ignition. Keep children and pets away from heaters all the time and absolutely not leave them unattended when you go away.

6. Proper Storage of Matches & Lighters

Children are habitually enthralled by fire. Educate your kids that matches and lighters are tools and not toys, thus should never be played with and are to be used only by adults.

You should store all matches and lighters where children can neither see them nor reach them. As expected children are inquisitive or curious, so don’t be hesitant to check your children’s closets, under their bed as well as other places where they may possibly hide matches or lighters in their rooms.

7. Use Electricity Carefully

When you see cracked or frayed cords on your appliances you should replace it right away. If you noticed that your appliance get sparks and produce smoke don’t try to pour water, instead unplug it immediately and have it repaired or replaced.

The majority and common cause of fires is the improper use of extension cords, don’t make use of sub-standard cord.

Only a trained electrical expert should repair circuit breaker or fuse boxes. Use only the proper sized fuse for the circuit or fuse box just in case you replace the busted one.

8. Stay Low Under Smoke

Smoke and toxic gasses go up while the air near the floor is cleaner, so stay close to the floor when escaping from the fire zone. If possible cover your nose with wet handkerchief while crawling to the nearest fire exit door.

9. Stop, Drop and Roll

DO NOT RUN! If in case your clothe catches fire because running will provide more air to the flames and will cause them to spread more rapidly.

Instead, stop where you are, drop just before the floor or ground, cover your face with your hands and roll around until the flames are covered.

When you stumble upon a person whose garments is on fire, you should cover them with a blanket, rug or coat and rolls them on the ground.

1 10. Treating a Burn

The best quick treatment for minor burns is to hold the burned area under cool running water (not cold) for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

This will cool the burn. Do not attempt to use ice on a burn because by using ice on a burn may damage the skin or even cause mild frostbite.

And contrary to what your grandmother may have told you, don’t apply butter or any grease to a burn. It will prevent air from reaching the burn.

If skin is burned severely enough to cause blisters or charring, seek medical attention directly because severe burns can easily develop infection.

Preventing fires and fire related injuries and loss of life isn’t a matter of chance. It takes planning.

Every family should have an emergency plan which includes a checklist for home safety, such as; smoke detectors, evacuation plan, regular drill, and safety audit.

You should prioritize the safety of your family as well as your properties against the risk from fire.