Fire accidents are one of the most common accidents that can happen around you. In fact, it causes more deaths than other types of accidents, and a lot of it is due to lack of preparedness. 
Fires do not have to be deadly, if you know the early signs of a possible accidents and the associated fire safety measures you must take to protect yourself and more importantly everyone else on the premise. 
Below are some things that will prepare you for a fire accident in your premises, so loss of lives and property is minimal; 
Install smoke detectors outside every sleeping area and on every additional level of your premises. These can be linked or non-linked detectors, this should be stated in your fire risk assessment, 
Keep a log of all smoke detectors, their date of purchase, last service date, monthly test date and its results, and other pertinent information because in most cases, smoke detectors give you the first sign of a fire accident. Keep all smoke detector tests and service dates in your fire logbook, 
Have a personalised fire plan where each member of the family knows what to do in the event of a fire, 
Keep fire extinguishers handy and at every level of your premise, with one or two in the kitchen alone. As with smoke detectors, keep a log of fire extinguishers and get them serviced once per year. 
Plan your escape routes. It is important that you have at least two different routes to get to safety in the event of a fire accident. This is where fire signage helps. Mark these escape routes, so there is no confusion whatsoever. 
Conduct periodic drills, so everyone on your premise knows what to do and where to go in case of a fire, record all of this in your fire logbook 
All fire risk assessments should be reviewed and amended once per year to ensure that you have everything in place to escape from a fire accident. 
Fire Extinguishers are not all equal! 
Below are types and uses for different Fire Extinguishers you may find; 
Foam extinguishers are effective on woods and flammable liquids, petrol and spirits but not for kitchen or electrical fires 
CO2 extinguishers are effective on flammable liquids and electrical fires, but not suitable for cooking fats or soft furnishings. 
Dry powder extinguishers can be used on the widest range of fires in the home. It is safe to use on textiles, wood, flammable liquids/gases and electrical fires. However, it cannot be used on kitchen fires involving cooking fats and oils. 
The wet chemical extinguisher is the best type to have in your kitchen. This is safe to use on soft furnishings and cooking fat fires, yet hazardous when brought into contact with electrical or flammable gases and liquids. Click here if you wish to read more about our services, alternatively click on the tags below to read more on this or other topics.  
 
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