- Home
- Events
- Investigations
- News
- OPINION
- Police/Fire/EMS
- Politics
- Sports & Schools
Fire Safety Tips A Comprehensive Resource from Compliance and Safety LLC
Never leave your cooking unattended. Always keep your stove company. Especially if you’re frying something—that’s when things can cross the line in mere seconds.
Wear tight clothes. Billowing sleeves or hanging accessories above a lit stove can spell disaster.
Install a smoke detector in the kitchen.
The proper dryer duct should vent directly outdoors—never to a room inside the house, as the air discharge can contain a combination of combustible gases.
Avoid plastic duct work, which is more easily ignited or melted; opt for a hard metal duct (with as few bends as possible) from the dryer to the exterior of your home. You’ll breathe more easily when you load your laundry.
Keep the duct free of lint to help reduce the chance of fire spreading from the dryer to the vent. Clean the lint trap after every use. A professional should also help you periodically dismantle the dryer to clean between the dryer drum and the heat element.
Install a smoke detector nearby.
Never leave fire unattended. Candles may be small, and the flames they produce may be even smaller, but it takes just a few breaths for an upturned candle to create an inferno.
Use a smart surface. Always place candles on a non-flammable surface, and keep them away from paper, curtains, and other items that could be easily ignited.
Use a screen in front of the hearth—make sure it’s large and heavy enough to encompass the entire opening and to stop any stray logs from rolling out of the fireplace.
Perform regular check-ups. Chimneys and woodstoves require annual (and thorough!) cleaning, and monthly inspection in case of obstructions or damage.
Never burn paper, trash, or green wood; apart from being highly flammable, scraps of burning paper or trash may actually drift up through the chimney or pipe and land on—and light up—your roof.
Extinguish the fire once you want to move away from it and cool the ashes. Ensure that the ashes are then harmlessly sealed away in a metal container outside the home.
Be a smart shopper. Buy electrical products evaluated by the nationally recognized laboratory (i.e. UL).
Replace all frayed wires: worn, old, or damaged appliance cords belong in the dumpster and not shoved under the rug.
Use three-prong plugs in three-slot outlets, and two-slot plug into two-slot outlets. Make sure your kids know this, too.
Portable space heaters heaters must be kept four feet or more away from combustible surfaces and objects.
Invest in a few smoke detectors if you haven’t already. As the only household item that’s on the alert 24/7 against the threat of a fire, smoke detectors save lives every day—and they could save yours.
Install dual sensor smoke alarms; make sure they contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
Spread them out on every story of your home, and definitely install them in the kitchen, laundry room, and every bedroom.
Test your smoke detectors once a month.
Replace the batteries at least once a year (possible exception: non-replaceable 10-year lithium batteries; still, be sure to test them); many manufacturers also encourage a replacement of the smoke detectors after a decade.
Never disable a smoke alarm, including when you’re cooking. Open a window, wave a dishtowel to clear the air, and let it blast its warning that you might have just overcooked your meal.
Smoke alarms for the disabled.
Install an automatic fire sprinkler indoors.
Keep the indoors a no-smoking zone. If you must smoke, smoke outdoors; too many home fires begin inside the home, with smoking materials as the catalyst.
Be alert. Don’t snooze and smoke. If you’re feeling the slightest bit drowsy (due to sleep deprivation, medication, alcohol, or any other reason), put out your fire immediately.
Snuff them out. Extinguish the cigarette in a sand-filled can, or drown cigarette butts and ashes in water.
Never throw away hot cigarette butts or ashes without attending to them properly.
Never smoke where oxygen is being used; for instance, a family member might be using home oxygen therapy, but even if the oxygen is turned off, the building is much more vulnerable. Oxygen can be explosive and will only serve to fan the flames.
Draw up an escape plan. This is a critical proactive step; it’s easier to follow up on something we’ve visualized and practiced before, particularly when we need to repeat it during a chaotic emergency.
Discuss the escape routes with your family; every single member of the household should know the basic safety procedures: Stop, Drop, and Roll; bring home those school fire-drill mantras.
Practice; can you feel your way out of the house with your eyes closed, or in the dark? Do you know the quickest way to crawl out? Do you know the low windows from which you could jump? Do you instinctively use the back of your hand to feel a door’s heat, and do you remain crouched down as close to the floor as possible?
About Compliance and Safety Training
Established in 2005 and based out of Middletown, Delaware, Compliance and Safety LLC (CandS) has quickly grown to one of the top suppliers for safety training videos on the market today. Compliance and Safety’s original parent company, Easy Lift Equipment Co., Inc., began manufacturing ergonomic material handling equipment in the early 80’s. Since the date of conception, Easy Lift has supplied much of the Fortune 1000 companies across the globe with high quality products to assist in workplace safety. After 20+ years of experience in the industry, Compliance and Safety was established to offer yet another high quality selection of products to both existing and new customers to come.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login