Fire Safety Precautions

The safety precautions can be taken before fire occurrence, during occurrence and after an occurrence.

Before Fire

• Have a plan of action and practice it. Plan your escape route.
• Make sure every member of the family knows what to do in case of a fire.
• Have an assembly point, perhaps in the open grounds or in a neighbor’s house.
• If you have small children, ensure that each child has an adult looking after them.
• Make sure you have an escape route so that you do not get trapped.
• Keep all fires and heaters well-guarded. For fitted or portable heaters with a built-in guard, give extra protection by adding a surrounding guard particularly if you have young children or older people in the home. For children, use a nursery guard with side clips that fit into fixed wall brackets.
• Keep portable heaters and candles away from furniture and curtains. Place them in positions where they cannot be knocked over.
• Don't dry or air clothes over or near the fire, or the cooker.
• Do not smoke in bed.
• Many fires start in the kitchen, especially fat fires. Never leave a pan unattended when deep frying and watch for overheating. For safer frying use oven chips or a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer.
• If there are children around, keep matches and lighters well out of reach
• Fit approved smoke detectors on each floor. Choose a smoke alarm that is mains operated or one with a long life (ten year) battery.
• Use all precautions to prevent ignition in potentially explosive atmospheres such as those containing flammable liquid vapors or fine particles.
• Use non-sparking tools, and control static electricity as required.
• Help maintain building security to prevent arson fires.

In the event of Fire

• Leave the house immediately.
• Only try to fight the fire with the blanket and extinguisher if it is safe to do so.
•  If you are trapped, close the door and seal it with wet towel to keep out of the smoke. Lie on the floor to find smoke free- air and cover your head with a wet towel to filter the air for breathing.
• Make sure that your burglar proofing bars have a fire escape hatch. If you are o upper floor, buy and fit an escape ladder which can be deployed from the window.
• Communicate by pressing the alarm panic button to summon assistance from the various providers.
• Evacuate immediately. Never put your life at risk.
• Remember Get out, stay out!
• Call the fire brigade out.

Conclusion 

The after effects of a fire is devastating and the occurrences of fires should be prevented.

The three main reasons are:

• Moral/humane reasons: The occurrence of a fire event causes pain and stress due to the suffering of relatives and other people involved. Such occurrences should be avoided as much as possible to save everyone from pain and any accompanying agonies.
  • Economic reasons:  Occurrences of a fires result in financial expenditures and economic losses.
  • Loss of life.

By Kenneth Obong’o Oballa

Training Manager, Zep-Re,

 (PTA Reinsurance Company).