In this article we are going to provide 7 basic fire safety tips for your home and workplace. No Matter if you are at work, home, or school, it is important to always practice fire safety. 99% of fires are caused by human error and the lack of fire safety information, therefore, prevention is essential. These tips will help you avoid fires, and remember, it is important to have fire insurance!
1. Install fire alarms
Make sure you have a fire alarm installed in your home, school, or workplace and train everyone on how to use it. Correct fire safety training will increase the chances of survival if everyone knows how to react when the fire alarm sounds.
2. Be aware of all exit locations
Know the exit locations of your building, apartment, or home. If you have a disability, it’s important to have an escape plan and to thoroughly understand basic fire safety. If you have difficulty getting out of a burning building, you should know which exits you can access from each room. Install a medical alert system if possible that can alert firefighters if you need assistance. Remember, you have less than three minutes to escape a fire. So, make sure you know where to go before the fire starts.
3. Have a fire safety plan in the workplace
Everyone in the company should understand basic fire safety and should have gone through some sort of fire safety training. Contact a professional security company like Mantis Security who can provide such training. You should assign a person to oversee fire safety. This person should have thorough knowledge of fire safety regulations, be calm under pressure, and be able to communicate effectively. Once you’ve developed a fire safety plan, you should practice it quarterly and with every new employee.
4. Install smoke alarms
Smoke alarms are easily the most important part of fire safety. If you have them in your home, your risk of dying in a fire is decreased by 50 percent. If you do not have a smoke alarm in your home, contact one of the many fire protection companies in south Africa such as Mantis Security. It is important to know that smoke alarms should be installed on every level, in every bedroom, and outside sleeping areas. The more bedrooms you have, the more smoke alarms you need. Similarly, if your workplace is larger, you should have multiple alarms in the same area. A smoke alarm can save your life by being an early warning signal that a fire is breaking out. It increases reaction time and allows for a quicker evacuation of the area or building affected. Ensure that your alarm is checked regularly for a low battery.
5. Make the kitchen a kid-free zone
Always enforce a “kid-free zone” in your kitchen. A fire in a home is often caused by unattended cooking activity or unattended children who do not practice basic fire safety for kids. Keeping the kitchen clear of combustibles is the best way to prevent a fire from spreading. Educating your children on the dangers of the kitchen can help prevent fires all together!
6. Keep an emergency kit at hand
Always keep an emergency kit at hand, especially when you’re cooking. It is also crucial to have a fire extinguisher near every possible hazard, including the attic if you have one. You should make sure it’s fully charged and operating when it’s needed and that everyone in your home is educated on how to use one.
7. Dispose of cigarette buds correctly
Smoking is a major cause of workplace fires. In addition to being unsafe, smoking is also harmful to elderly people, children, and people with underlying health conditions. Smoking can be dangerous, especially in a home with oxygen tanks or a workplace with highly flammable items. If you are smoking at work, ensure that you are smoking in a designated smoking area and disposing of your cigarette buds correctly. It’s also important to use a heavy ash tray and smother the flames with a lid.
This article only covers some of the many basic fire safety tips you should know. There are many recourses online and at your local library to further educate yourself and those around you. Mantis security understands the fire regulations South Africa and provide fire safety training to our employees and customers.
Put Security in Trusted Hands with Mantis Security, call us today,
Johannesburg: 0861 101 000
Pretoria: 0861 101 000
For more information visit our website – https://mantissecurity.co.za/