Fireplace Safety Accidents involving fireplaces and heating equipment are a major cause of home fires. Most of these fires can be prevented. Vents and Chimneys All fuelled heaters must be vented in accordance with local building and fire codes to prevent dangerous carbon monoxide build up inside your home. Creosote and carbon deposits can build up in a chimney and pose a fire hazard. Have your chimney inspected by a professional before heating season and cleaned if needed. If you use a wood stove, have the flues and chimney connections inspected and cleaned regularly. Unusually high concentrations of chimney deposits could mean your fireplace or wood stove is not burning efficiently and should be inspected. Consider installing a spark arrester on top of any chimney that vents a solid-fuel stove or fireplace. Fireplaces When you use your fireplace, always protect your home from sparks by using a fire screen made of sturdy metal or heat tempered glass. Burn only wood in your fireplace, be sure that dampers are in proper working order, and never leave fires unattended - especially in an area used by children or pets. Wood or Coal Stoves Place an approved stove board under any wood or coal stove to protect the floor from heat and spray embers. Install wood and coal stoves at least three feet away from walls and keep combustible materials away from the stove and its chimney connections.
Smoking Safety Carelessly discarded cigarettes are a leading cause of fire deaths. Never smoke in bed or when you are drowsy. Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers, and put water on butts before discarding them. Before going to bed or leaving home, check under and around sofa cushions for smoldering cigarettes.
Home Safety Rope Ladders Rope ladders are recommended for a safe and fast exit from the upper levels of two-storey and three-storey buildings. Many lives are lost due to residential fires each year. House fires cause more deaths, injuries and property loss than any other kind. Many people assume that if a fire occurred in their home, they could escape rapidly and easily. Not true. The fact is, fire is a quick killer. In just three short minutes after bursting into flame, a fire can consume the entire room in which it started. Heat and smoke form a deadly combination, blocking an escape from the home, especially for children and elderly people. Stairways may become a chimney for poisonous scorching gases. Fire escape ladders are an essential part of your family's escape plan. Escape ladders are a valuable, rapid means of escape. Approximately 75% of all home fire deaths could be prevented by sprinkler systems. Automatic fire sprinkler systems attack a fire in its early stages by spraying water only on the area where the fire is detected. Consider including sprinkler systems in plans for new construction and installing them in existing homes. Current estimates suggest that when a home or building is under construction a sprinkler system would cost about 1% of the total building cost. Traditional industrial-type sprinklers, as well as sprinklers for the home, are now being designed to blend with any decor. Insurance companies have long realized the property protection features of automatic sprinkler systems. The premium reductions will, in fact, allow the fire protection system to pay for itself in as little as 3 to 4 years. Some insurance companies offer discounts on their home owner's policies for residential sprinklers. Water damage from fire fighting hoses can be far greater than water problems from fire sprinklers. Sprinklers have been successful in reducing property damage and loss of life. Fast response sprinklers combined with working smoke detectors will increase survival chances from 74% to 90%. Basic Facts
1. Only the sprinkler over the fire will activate. Sprinkler heads react to temperatures in each room individually. 2. Sprinklers seldom activate accidentally. 3. A sprinkler system will severely limit a fire's growth. Therefore, damage from a sprinkler system will be much less severe than the damage caused by smoke and fire, if the fire had gone unabated. 4. Sprinkler systems are not to be viewed as a reason not to call the fire department. Report a fire even if a sprinkler has apparently extinguished the fire. Fire fighters will verify that the fire is completely out.
Fire Extinguishers When used properly, a portable fire extinguisher can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it until the fire department arrives. It is very important to use the right type of fire extinguisher when putting out a small fire. Fires in paper, wood, drapes and upholstery require an extinguisher labelled A. Fires in fuel oil, gasoline, paint, grease in a frying pan, solvents, and other flammable liquids require an extinguisher labelled B. Fires started in wiring, overheated fuse boxes, conductors, and other electrical sources require an extinguisher labelled C. Certain metals such as magnesium and sodium require special dry powder extinguishants labelled D. A 5 lb. ABC Multi-Purpose extinguisher is the recommended size and type for home use. If you choose to place more than one extinguisher in your home, a BC extinguisher is recommended for the kitchen, an A extinguisher for the living room and an ABC extinguisher for the basement and garage. Read the operation instructions carefully with all family members so everyone will be ready during an emergency. Buying/Maintaining an Extinguisher Extinguishers come in dry chemical, foam, carbon dioxide, water or halon types. Whatever type you buy, it should be labelled by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. The higher the number rating on the extinguisher, the more fire it puts out. High rated ones are often (not always) the heavier models. Make sure you can hold and operate the one you might buy for home use or be required to use at work. Ask your dealer how to have your extinguisher serviced and inspected. Recharge it after ANY use. A partially used extinguisher might as well be empty. Before Attempting to Fight a Fire Is everyone out of the building? The fire department is being called.
You know you have a class ABC extinguisher, and you already know how to operate it. The fire is small and contained in the area where it started. Can you fight the fire with your back toward a safe escape exit? Remember, portable fire extinguishers are not designed to fight a large or spreading fire. If you have the slightest doubt if you should fight the fire - DON'T, just get out fast!
Escape Plans If fire breaks out in your home you have to get out fast! Escape planning is a must. Prepare an escape plan for your home. 1. Draw a floor-plan of your home, marking two ways out of every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape routes with every member of your household. If you live in a building with an elevator, do not include this route in your plan - use the stairs. 2. Agree on a meeting place outside your home where every member of the household will gather after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department. This allows you to inform the fire department if anyone is trapped inside the burning building. Once you are out, stay out! 3. Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be a monitor and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully. 4. If you live in a two-storey house, and you must escape from a second-storey window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground. Fire escape ladders are recommended for a fast and safe exit from two and three level buildings. Make special arrangements for children, older adults, and people with disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their sleeping area and, if possible, should sleep on the ground floor. 5. Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them. 6. Once at the meeting place, have one person go to a neighbour's phone to call the fire department. In addition to telling them your name and address, tell them if anyone is still in the house. Getting Out When There is a Fire When your smoke detector goes off remain calm! While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob, and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, DO NOT OPEN IT. Use your alternate escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution. Brace your shoulder against the door and open it carefully, being ready to close it quickly if heat or smoke rush in. Crawl low under smoke. Smoke contains deadly gases, and heat rises. During a fire, cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke when using your primary exit, use your alternate escape plan. If you must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head 12 to 24 inches (30-60 cm) above the floor, and maintain contact with the walls as you head to the nearest exit. If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a window and signal for help with a
light-coloured cloth or a flashlight. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell them exactly where you are. In case of fire, don't stop for anything. Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place and then call the fire department from a neighbour's phone or an alarm box. Every member of your household should know how to call the fire department. Once you are out, stay out. Once you are out of your home don't go back for any reason. If people are trapped, the fire fighters have the best chance of rescuing them. The heat and smoke of a fire are overpowering. Fire fighters have the training, experience, and protective equipment needed to enter burning buildings. Make sure everyone in the family understands the importance of not going back for anything! If you go back in, you may not come back out. Make Your Home Fire Safe 1. A fire escape plan. 2. Smoke detectors on every level of your home. 3. A fire extinguisher in the kitchen. 4. Rope ladders in all second storey bedrooms. 5. A sprinkler system.
Smoke Detectors Smoke detectors sound an alarm when a fire starts, alerting people before they are trapped or overcome by smoke. With smoke detectors, your risk of dying in a home fire is cut nearly in half. Replace batteries once a year, or whenever a detector chirps to signal that its battery is low. Do not ever borrow detector batteries for other uses - a disabled smoke detector cannot save your life! For complete home protection, consider installing automatic fire sprinklers in addition to your smoke detectors. If your detector is more than ten years old, replace it. Most fatal home fires occur at night, while people are asleep. Poisonous gases and smoke from a fire can numb the senses in a very short time. Every home needs a device that can wake people up in time to escape from a fire. Almost every day, a smoke detector saves somebody's life. Of all the low-cost fire alarm devices you can buy, fire officials consider smoke detectors the most effective! Be familiar with the sound of a smoke detector. Choosing a Smoke Detector Dozens of reputable brands of smoke detectors are readily available. No matter where you buy your detectors or what type they are, be sure to buy only "labelled" units - those bearing the mark of an organization that tests and evaluates products. Any labelled smoke detector offers protection - whether it is powered by batteries or household current; whether it is a photo-electric or an ionization device. But to get the protection you paid for, it is vital that you follow the manufacturer's recommendations for installation, testing and maintenance. How Many Do You Need According to the widely accepted Standard on Household Fire Warning Equipment (NFPA 74), minimum protection requires smoke detectors outside each bedroom and on each additional level of the house - including the basement. For extra protection, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that you also install detectors inside each bedroom, the dining room, furnace room, utility room and hallways. If your family sleeps with the bedroom doors closed, it is especially important to install detectors inside the bedrooms. Also, some smoke detectors are not recommended for kitchens because of false alarms from cooking vapours, or garages, where automobile exhaust might cause alarms, or for attics or other unheated spaces where extremes of temperature or humidity might affect their operation.
How to Install To install most smoke detectors all you need is a screwdriver and a drill. Most smoke detectors operate either on batteries or household current. A detector that plugs into a wall outlet must have a restraining device so that the plug cannot accidentally be pulled from the wall. Detectors can also be hard-wired into the electrical system. But never hard-wire a detector to a circuit that can be turned off at a wall switch. Because smoke rises, each director should be mounted high on a wall or on the ceiling to detect traces of smoke. For a wall-mounted unit, the top of the detector should be 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) from the ceiling. A ceiling mounted detector should be placed at least 4 inches (10 cm) from any wall. In a room with a high pitched ceiling, mount the detector on or near the ceiling's highest point. Most home fires start in living areas - the den, family room or living room. On a floor with no bedrooms, install the required detector in or near the living area. In a stairway to an upper storey, install the detector in the path where smoke would travel up the stairs. Don't install a detector near a window, door or air register where drafts could impair the detector's operation. Locate a basement smoke detector close to the stairway leading to the floor above. But don't install the detector at the top of the basement stairs; dead air space near the door may prevent smoke from reaching the detector. Smoke Detector Maintenance Replace the batteries at least once a year or according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Warn everyone in your household to leave working batteries in smoke detectors - resist the temptation to borrow them for other purposes. Never paint a smoke detector. Cobwebs and dust can impair a detector's sensitivity, clean your detectors at least once a year according to the manufacturer's instructions. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for testing your smoke detectors. It only takes a moment to test a smoke detector that could save your life; test yours once a week to make sure you're protected.
Electrical Safety Electrical systems and equipment become fire hazards if they are not well maintained. Follow these safety tips to prevent electrical fires... Immediately replace any electrical cords that are cracked or frayed, or that get hot during use. Don't overload outlets or extension cords. Don't run extension cords under rugs. If appliances aren't working right, have them repaired by a qualified professional. Disconnect any electrical device if you feel a tingle when you touch it, if it emits a burning smell, or if it blows a fuse. Be sure all your electrical appliances are listed or approved by an independent testing laboratory. If a fuse blows or a circuit breaker trips, try to find out why. Make sure the new fuse is the right size and amperage. Fuses and circuit breakers protect you; don't tamper with them. If there are small children in your home, use child protector covers on outlets. Prevent shocks! When using electrical appliances such as hair dryers, make sure your hands are dry, and do not stand in or near water. Unplug appliances after use. If the inside of an appliance gets wet, have it serviced before using it again. Any electrical outlet near bathroom basins or kitchen and bar sinks should be protected by a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI), which you can recognize by its buttons marked "test" and "reset." If your kitchen and bathroom outlets aren't protected, consult a qualified electrician.
Matches & Lighters In the hands of a child, matches or lighters are deadly. Use childresistant lighters, and store all matches and lighters up high where kids can't reach them, preferably in a locked cabinet. And teach your children from the start that matches and lighters are tools for adults, not toys for kids. If children find matches or lighters, they should tell a grownup immediately.
Give Space Heaters Space Space Heaters Place all space heaters at least three feet (one meter) away from furniture, walls, curtains, or anything that burns. Turn off space heaters when you leave home or go to bed. Keep children and pets well away from them. Electrical Heaters Inspect the cords on electric heaters. Have an electrician replace frayed, cracked, or damaged cords. If cords overheat when the heater is in use, have the unit inspected and serviced. Your heater should have the following: 1. U.L. (Underwriter's Laboratory) listing. 2. A safety alarm that you can hear if the heater tips over 3. A safety light. 4. Safety information on the heater. 5. A power cord with safety information on it. 6. A carrying handle. 7. A safety tip over switch. 8. An overheated cut-off device. Liquid Fuel Safety If your space heater runs on liquid fuel, such as kerosene, let the heater cool down before refuelling it. Adding fuel to a hot heater can cause the fuel to ignite. Refuel your heaters outside, where spills won't present a fire hazard. Use only the fuel recommended by your heater's manufacturer. Never use substitutes or a lowergrade fuel. NEVER put gasoline in any space heater. Refuel a kerosene heater only with kerosene. Do it outside, after the heater has cooled down. Gas Fuelled Heaters Check vents periodically to make sure they are not blocked. Never install unvented gas heaters in bedrooms or bathrooms, where the small room size poses an added danger of rapid carbon monoxide build-up. All portable heating equipment should bear the label of an independent test laboratory, indicating that the heater has met basic safety standards.
Cooking Safety SMOTHER A GREASE FIRE. Never put water on a cooking fire! If a pan containing food catches fire, slide a lid over the pan, then turn the burner off. If a fire starts in the oven close the oven door and turn off the heat. If the flames do not go out immediately, call the fire department. DON'T LEAVE COOKING UNATTENDED. The first step to safe cooking is to stay in the kitchen whenever something is cooking. Also, turn off appliances promptly when you finish using them. Coffee pots, toaster ovens and other appliances can overheat if you leave them on, causing a fire. Always, unplug electrical appliances when they are not in use. KEEP APPLIANCES CLEAN. Built-up grease catches fire easily. Clean ovens, stoves and other appliances regularly. WEAR CLOSE-FITTING SLEEVES WHEN COOKING. Loose sleeves can catch fire when they dangle near hot burners. Protect yourself by wearing sleeves that fit snugly. For added safety, don't store things over the stove where you must reach over hot burners to get them. KEEP FLAMMABLE OBJECTS CLEAR OF THE STOVE. Pot holders, dish towels, blowing curtains... if any of these come too close to a burner, a fire can start. Keep them all a safe distance from your stove. HEAT OIL SLOWLY. Keep careful watch while you heat cooking oil. A fire can easily start if you set the burner too "high" and then leave the pan of oil unattended. PREVENT BURNS BY TURNING POT HANDLES IN. A pot handle over the edge of your stove can be bumped in passing, or grabbed by a child, causing serious burns. Turn pot handles in for safety. WATCH OUT FOR MICROWAVE BURNS. Microwave ovens stay cool, but what's in them can be very hot. Use a pot holder when removing food from a microwave! Remove lids with caution to prevent steam burns, and test the temperature of food before eating it. Close the door on microwave fires. If anything catches fire in your microwave, opening the door will provide oxygen to the fire. Leave the door shut and turn the microwave off. Microwaves tend to heat unevenly. Never put foil or other metals in a microwave.