Safety Tips

Basic fire fighting tips

All fires can be very dangerous and life-threatening. Your safety should always be your primary concern when attempting to fight a fire.

Before deciding to fight a fire, be certain that:

• The fire is small and not spreading. A fire can double in size within two or three minutes.
• You have the proper fire extinguisher(See The Know Your Extinguisher Section) for what is burning.
• The fire won't block your exit if you can't control it. A good way to ensure this is to give you back to the exit at all time.
• You know your fire extinguisher works. Inspect extinguishers regularly for dents, leaks or other signs of damage. Assure the pressure is at the recommended level. On extinguishers equipped with a gauge, the needle should be in the green zone - not too high and not too low, and service the same extinguisher once a year.
• You know how to use your fire extinguisher(See The To Operate a Fire Extinguisher Section). There's not enough time to read instructions when a fire occurs.
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How to Fight a Fire Safely:

• Always stand with an exit at your back.
• Stand some metres away from the fire, moving slowly closer once the fire starts to diminish.
• Use a sweeping motion and aim at the base of the fire (See The How To Operate An Extinguisher Section).
• If possible, use a "buddy system" to have someone back you up or call for help if something goes wrong.
• Be sure to watch the area for a while to ensure it doesn't re-ignite.
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Never Fight A Fire If:

• The fire is spreading rapidly.Only use a fire extinguisher when the fire is in its early stages. If the fire is already spreading quickly, evacuate immediately and call the fire department - 112.
• You don't know what is burning.Unless you know what is burning, you won't know what type of fire extinguisher to use. Even if you have an ABC extinguisher, there could be something that will explode or produce highly toxic smoke.
• You don't have the proper fire extinguisher.The wrong type of fire extinguishercan be dangerous and/or life-threatening.
• There is too much smoke or you are at risk of inhaling smoke.Seven out of ten fire-related deaths occur from breathing poisonous gasesproduced by the fire.

Any sort of fire will produce some amount of carbon monoxide, the most deadly gas produced by a fire. Materials such as wool, silk, nylon and some plastics can produce other highly toxic gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, or hydrogen chloride. Beware - all of these can be fatal.

Smoke inhalation or exposure to fire itself can be life threatening so get educated about the basics in CPR and BURN TREATMENT.

Fire prevention tips

Stop, drop, and roll!It is just one form of fire prevention everyone should know. There are many other fire prevention tips you can follow in order to reduce the risk of fires starting in your home.

Smoke Alarms and Detectors:It is important to have smoke detectors installed, at least on each floor of your home. Remember to check them regularly for proper function and change their battery at least once a year. Changing your smoke detector batteries when you change your clock’s, is a good way to remember.

Emergency Numbers:While you should call emergency services if there is a fire in your house, do not call from your house. You will be wasting valuable time you can be using to save your life. And remember that The National Emergency Line is 112 (Fire Department, Police & Ambulance). It is as much important that even your children know what to do and where to call. Be sure they are fully aware of the emergency number and the address in full.

Have a plan:Make sure everyone in the family knows of two ways (if available) out of each room in the house. This is because if one exit route is blocked, you have a backup plan. Also, agree on a place to meet to do a “head count” once you evacuate the house.

Smokers:Never smoke while in bed or when you are sleepy. The cigarette could easily start a fire while you are too drowsy to be fully alert.

Heaters:Any portable heater should be kept at least 1 metre from anything that can burn (including the wall). Never leave a heater on when you are not home or when you are asleep. Children and pets should be kept away from them as well.

Cooking:Keep the cooking areas clear of combustibles. Make sure to keep all pot handles turned inwardso they are not accidentally knocked over. Try to wear short sleeves or fitted clothesso your sleeves don’t catch fire. In case a grease fire does occur, carefully and calmly turn off the burner and put a fire blanket or slide the lid, over the pot (Watch The A Kitchen Oil Fire Clip).

Matches:It is very important to keep matches and lighters out of a child’s reach. Also, do not keep any near your fireplace.

Fireplace:Do not keep any matches, newspapers, or kindling near the fireplace and use a fireplace screen to prevent any sparks from flying out.

Clothes Dryer:Never leave your clothes dryer on when you are not home. Remember to frequently clean the lint trap to keep the airway clear.

Halogen Light Bulbs:Make sure to turn off or unplug the lamp and wait for the light bulb to cool down before attempting to change it.

If you follow these fire prevention tips, you and your home will be much safer.

Home security tips

Sometime we all go for a holiday and are away from home. This time is the most vulnerable period for Home Security. To protect our biggest investment we would do in all our life and its contents, the installation of an Intruder Alarm is very important. There are other tips one can follow in order to minimise the risk of an intrusion and unnecessary problems.

Social Networks:Never post that you are going for a holiday, or will be away from home on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks. You are never sure who can view your posts. Make it a point that your children follow this tip.

Safe:It is important to have a safe installed, keep this information personal and install it out of sight. Preferably always keep your valuables and cash locked away especially if you are not going to be home. Do not keep excessive cash at home. Never use a date of birth or telephone number as your safe’s combination code.

Mail:Try not to leave accumulated mail in your letter box. Ask one of your family members to pass by your house to remove the mail.

Lights:It makes a lot of a difference to switch on some lights and/or the TV set in the evening by means of a timer. This gives the impression that people are in the house.

Keys:While you are away, do not leave your house’s spare keys behind the front door. If available put them away in your safe. This will not make it easy for an intruder to walk away with the heavier items (such as your LCD TV) through your front door.

Lock:On leaving home double check all windows and secondary doors are locked and arm the intruder alarm before locking your front door. Also check that where possible, the socket outlets are switched off. This may prevent a short circuit.

If you follow these tips, you and your home will be much more secure.

Know your extinguisher

With so many types of Fire Extinguishers to choose from, selecting the proper one for your home, office or business can be an overwhelming task. Everyone should have at least one fire extinguisher at home or workplace, but it's just as important to ensure you have the proper type of fire extinguisher.

Fire extinguishers are divided into four categories, based on the different types of fires. The following is a quick guide to help choose the right type of extinguisher.

• Class Aextinguishers are for ordinary combustible materials such as paper, wood, cardboard, and most plastics. The numerical rating on these types of extinguishers indicates the amount of water it holds and the amount of fire it can extinguish.
• Class Bfires involve flammable or combustible liquids such as gasoline, kerosene, grease and oil. The numerical rating for class B extinguishers indicates the approximate number of square feet of fire it can extinguish.
• Class Cfires involve electrical equipment, such as appliances, wiring, circuit breakers and outlets. Never use water to extinguish class C fires - the risk of electrical shock is far too great!Class C extinguishers do not have a numerical rating. The C classification means the extinguishing agent is non-conductive.
• Class Dfire extinguishers are commonly found in a chemical laboratory. They are for fires that involve combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium, potassium and sodium. These types of extinguishers also have no numerical rating, nor are they given a multi-purpose rating - they are designed for class D fires only.

• Some fires may involve a combination of these classifications. Your fire extinguishers should have ABC ratings on them. Here are the most common types of fire extinguishers:Water extinguishersor APW extinguishers (air-pressurized water) are suitable for Class A fires only. Never use a water extinguisher on grease fires, electrical fires or class D fires- the flames will spread and make the fire bigger! Water extinguishers are filled with water and pressurized with oxygen. Again - water extinguishers can be very dangerous in the wrong type of situation. Only fight the fire if you're certain it contains ordinary combustible materials only.

• Dry chemicalextinguishers come in a variety of types and are suitable for a combination of class A, B and C fires. These are filled with Foamor Powderand pressurized with nitrogen.
  • BC- This is the regular type of dry chemical extinguisher. It is filled with sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate. The BC variety leaves a mildly corrosive residue which must be cleaned immediately to prevent any damage to materials.
  • ABC - This is the multipurpose dry chemical extinguisher. The ABC type is filled with monoammonium phosphate, a yellow powder that leaves a sticky residue that may be damaging to electrical appliances such as a computer. Dry chemical extinguishers have an advantage over CO2 extinguishers since they leave a non-flammable substance on the extinguished material, reducing the likelihood of re-ignition.

• Carbon Dioxide (CO²)extinguishersare used for class B and C fires. CO² extinguishers contain carbon dioxide, a non-flammable gas, and are highly pressurized. The pressure is so great that it is not uncommon for bits of dry ice to shoot out the nozzle. They don't work very well on class A fires because they may not be able to displace enough oxygen to put the fire out, causing it to re-ignite. CO² extinguishers have an advantage over dry chemical extinguishers since they don't leave a harmful residue - a good choice for an electrical fire on a computer or other favourite electronic device such as a stereo or TV.

Always base your selection on the classification and the extinguisher's compatibility with the items you wish to protect.

How to operate a fire extinguisher

To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS

1. Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you.
2. Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
3. Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
4. Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side

To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS
 

1. Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you,
 

2. Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.

3. Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.

4.  Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side.

To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS
 

1. Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you,
 

2. Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.

3. Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.

4.  Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side.

1. Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you,
 

2. Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.

3. Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.

4.  Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side.