More often than not, fire hazards are overlooked when talking about hazards. This could be because we may assume that it takes a major mishap to trigger one. However, the reality is that fires can start anywhere, even in our own homes. Hence, ensuring fire safety in your home might be one of the only ways to help you and your loved ones respond well if the situation arises. As such, here are a few handy tips to keep in mind about maintaining fire safety at home.

Stay Alert when Cooking 

It is extremely important to be alert at all times when you’re in the kitchen. Minimising distractions reduces the chances of a huge fire breaking out as you would be quicker in responding to it. Ensure that you turn off radios or televisions if you know you’re easily distracted. Also, keep any items that could easily catch fire, such as paper towels, cloths, or wooden objects a distance away from the stovetop. Taking these precautionary steps will be extremely beneficial in fire prevention at home

Unplug Electrical Appliances

Another tip would be to unplug electrical appliances that aren’t in use from the sockets. This prevents them from overheating and emitting sparks that could easily turn into a huge fire. If there are toddlers in your home, you could do one of two things; leave fire starters out of their reach, or put up safety locks on drawers that contain these fire starters. This will ensure that they wouldn’t stumble upon those items even by accident. If your children are much older, a talk on fire prevention might come in handy too! Apart from that, you could also try to avoid overloading power sockets. This will prevent the plugs from overheating and causing a fire. 

Create a Fire Escape Plan

Finally, discuss with your family and come up with a fire escape plan. Having a well-thought-out plan will ensure efficiency in getting everyone to safety, which may help reduce the chances of anyone blanking out the minute they see a fire. There are a few elements you could add to your fire escape plan to make it effective. Firstly, lists. You may want to make a list of people who are currently in the house, especially when you have guests over,  to make sure nobody is left behind. Next, for those living in apartments, condominiums or bungalows,  you could include images of your house’s floor plan, to help everyone navigate to safety. Finally, keep an easy-to-access list of instructions for use in case of emergency. Make sure these instructions are clear and concise to ensure that it is easy to read and comprehend. Practice this escape plan every so often to help refresh and reinforce everyone’s memory.  

Bonus!

A bonus tip, or well, advice if you will. If a fire were to break out in your home, leave everything (yes that includes your laptops, phones, limited-edition vinyl, jewellery and photocards), and vacate your house immediately. Make sure to crawl your way out if the smoke is too thick. Once you get to safety, try your best to alert the fire department.

**Disclaimer: This is merely for educational purposes, please get a professional to assist you in case of an emergency. 

It is vital that you are well equipped with this knowledge in case of an emergency. So take your first step by booking a First Aid & CPR class with us right away. Drop your details here, and we’ll get back to you right away with a personalized quote. If you’ve got any questions, feel free to give us a call at 019-3115146!