Everybody is scared of fire. Or they ought to be. Imagine the terror of being trapped in a building or, even worse, on a boat at sea with a fire raging out of control. There have been numerous films done about it and I am sure that everybody has had occasion to think about what it would be like.
However, how many of us have sufficient fire safety equipment at home, in the garage, in the car or in the office? Could you put your hands on the necessary fire safety equipment at a moment’s notice? Or do you know where it is (or ought to be), yet are not certain how to use it?
The purpose of this piece is to get readers to check up on their fire safety equipment and their fire drill. If your company has not practiced a fire drill in a while, remind your employer. If that is machinery industry in india you, you are probably breaking the law and if your family does not know where the fire safety equipment is (or how to use it), then you may as well not have bothered buying it in the first place.
The first thing you ought to do is take measures to stop fires spreading, if they break out. If you live in a street of terraced houses, make sure that there is a fire wall in the attic or roof space to prevent or slow fires spreading to or from your neighbours.
Similarly, take precautions to stop or slow fires spreading from room to room within your own house. For instance, the door to the kitchen could be on a closer, so that it is always closed. The doors ought to be at least half-hour fire-check, not flimsy cardboard things that will burn down in seconds.
If your garage connects to the house, you should have a half-hour fire-check door on a closer there too and fit intumescent strips to the door to seal it off should it get hot. You can use intumescent strips on the kitchen door too.
Once your abode is as secure as it can get, that is, you can contain a fire, you want to know that you will not sleep through it, so you will need smoke detectors/alarms. These are very sensitive, so putting one in the kitchen is not much use, especially if you are not much of a cook.
It is better to put smoke detectors in the hall outside the kitchen and at the top of the stairs. If you would like the best system, get them all wired in series and to the mains with industry problems and solutions battery back up. That way, if one is set off, they all go off, the wires cannot be burned through disabling the alarm and the batteries cannot expire leaving you unprotected.
Once you know that you have a fire, you need to know where your fire safety equipment is and how to use it. First, you must have a few fire extinguishers. You should have at least three: one in the kitchen, one in the garage and one in the car, but one on the landing and one in the hall is a very good idea too.
Be aware that not all fire extinguishers are intended to put out the same kinds of fire, so please take advice and read the labels. If you have extinguishers among your fire safety equipment, make sure that the refill is not out-of-date and they do need servicing, if you would like them to work on demand.
Fire blankets are also helpful in putting out fires and for protecting yourself from the scorching heat, if you have to make a dash through the blaze to get outside and safety goggles are a fantastic idea at this time, one which many people wish they had thought of before.
This list is not exhaustive, so enquire of for further knowledge from your local fire department.
