Did you know that house fires are responsible for more deaths in Australia than natural hazards? They are also often the most preventable disasters. Imagine coming home to a burning home, or being woken up by the smell of smoke in the middle of the night. By taking the time to learn about fire safety and understand what simple steps you can take to prevent fire hazards in your home, you could save a life. In this article we share our top 5 fire safety tips to protect you and your home.
Our Top 5 Fire Safety Tips To Keep You Safe In Your Home
The most significant factor involved is human behaviour, and preventing disasters like this starts with being aware of fire safety. There are plenty of easy ways to protect yourself and your home against fire. They barely take a second thought, but can make all the difference and may even save your life. It can be as simple as remembering to turn your hair straightener off when you’re finished. It is also important to learn more about smoke alarm compliance. Our top 5 fire safety tips are as follows.
1. Have a fire escape route for each room
Fires are unpredictable! You need to make sure you can escape from wherever you are in the house. A fire can catch you off guard and spread quickly, trapping you in one room. Are there windows you can escape through? Is there a second exit? A ladder or stairs you can take in an emergency if you are on a higher floor? It is always a good idea to have two escape route options depending on where the fire originates in the home. In the event of a house fire, the first step is to get to safety if you can and then call 000.
2. Store flammable materials safely
Being aware of what materials in your home are flammable is essential for fire safety. Managing how and where they are stored, ensuring they are not at risk of causing fire hazards, can prevent a fire that becomes out of control. Flammable items include
- Petroleum
- Acetone
- Alcohol
- Lighter fluid
- Aerosol cans
- Hand sanitiser
- Nail polish / nail polish remover
It is important to keep these items at least 1m away from all fire or heat sources such as gas appliances, furnaces, heaters, etc. and store them in tightly closed containers.
3. Be smart about electrical fire prevention
Electrical fires can start from something as simple as overloading a circuit by running too many electrical appliances from one socket or power board. Try to avoid having multiple high energy draining appliances (ie. a fridge and a washing machine) plugged into the same circuit. It is also recommended to avoid having cables running underneath carpet, rugs, over nails, or in high foot traffic areas so as to avoid damage to the cables which can overheat and cause a fire to start. The minute you notice a metallic burning smell, you should immediately turn off the main power and unplug all electrical appliances and call a qualified electrician.
4. Practice basic fire safety in day-to-day life
There are a number of simple preventative measures you can take to practice basic fire safety in your home on a day-to-day basis. These can include
- Not smoking in the home
- Never leaving flames unattended, including candles, stove, and fireplace
- Keep any flammable items away from sources of heat or flames
- Switch off unused electrical appliances at the wall, or unplug
- Keep chimneys, heating filters, dryer filters and other heating equipment clean at all times
5. Make sure your smoke alarms work
Making sure your smoke alarms are in working order is absolutely imperative to protect your family and your home against fire. Smoke alarms are your first line of defence against fire. They detect tiny amounts of smoke and alert you immediately. This gives you the best chance to get out of harm’s way and contact fire emergency services to combat the fire before it does too much damage. When was the last time you checked your smoke alarms were working? Do the batteries need to be replaced? A quick call to a qualified smoke alarm installer will ensure your smoke alarms are working optimally and in fact double your chance of survival in the event of a house fire. QLD smoke alarm legislation is changing, so it is important that you are up to date. Learn more about smoke alarm compliance here.
Do Your Smoke Alarms Require Maintenance?
Smoke Alarm Installers offers on site inspections to ensure your smoke alarms are in optimal working order to protect you and your home from fires. We are qualified electricians who can not only spot any issues but also provide brand new, high quality smoke alarm installations at an affordable price so that your home complies with the new QLD smoke alarm legislation. Contact us today on 0477 257 599 for a free quote.
