Fire Safety in the Home

Smoke alarms:

• These are required by law in Australian homes and are absolutely a must for every home & unit. They really do save lives.
• Check your smoke alarms at least twice a year to ensure they are working properly & the batteries aren't flat.
• If you sleep with your bedroom doors closed, you need a smoke alarm in each bedroom, as well as hallways.
• Clean smoke alarms monthly.

Smoking:

• Don't smoke in bed.
• Don't leave cigarettes unattended.
• Don't leave cigarettes, lighters, matches within reach of children.
• Use a deep sided ashtray.
• Ensure cigarettes are properly extinguished before discarding in a bin. Better still, smoke outside.

Electrical:

• Always read & follow the manufacturers instructions.
• Don't overload power points & electrical boards. One plug per socket. If you have multiple items to plug in, purchase one of the long/bar type adaptors. Be careful not to overload this with too many high amp items.
• High amp items should have a socket to themselves.
• If you notice sparks, unplug & either replace or ask an electrician to repair.
• Don't place cords under rugs/carpet. This causes them to overheat.
• Always use a licensed electrician to repair electrical faults.
• Unplug electrical appliances when not in use.
• Regularly check electrical appliances for sign of wear & tear.
• Keep electrical appliances away from water.
• Clean the toaster regularly. Don't do as we did & place items on the toaster. Our 2 year old then pulled down the lever. This started a fire, which the smoke alarms detected, alerting me.  

Children: 

• Keep matches & lighters out of reach of children.
• Don't let children near stove tops, especially when food is cooking. Face pan handles inwards so that they can't be grabbed.
• If you have a floor heater or gas heater, put a screen around it.
• If you are using an iron, always keep children supervised. An iron cord can easily be pulled, causing the iron to fall on the child & or start a fire.
• Teach children never to play with electrical appliances or cords.
• Teach children the emergency numbers (000 in Australia).
• Have a fire evacuation plan & teach it to all children.

Cooking:

• Don't overfill deep fat fryers to avoid the hot oil spilling over. It should be no more than one third full.
• Heat oil slowly. If it begins to smoke it is getting too hot. Turn off the heat & let the oil cool.
• Dry food as much as possible before placing it into the deep fat fryer. Moisture in the food causes the oil to splatter, which could burn you.
• Never leave food cooking on the stove top unattended.
• Turn off cooking appliances after use.
• Be careful not to leave the cords of electrical appliances (especially deep fryers) dangling down where they can cause somebody to trip up or cause the pan and contents to spill over.
• Have a fire extinguisher & or a fire blanket in the kitchen.
• Never use water to try & extinguish a fat fire. If one does start, extinguish by either using a fire blanket or covering it with a lid.
• Don't move a pan that is on fire.
• Keep children away from cooking appliances, especially when in use.
• Keep the cooking area clear of curtains, tea towels, oven mitts which could catch alight.

Tumble dryers:

• Clean lint filters after each load.
• Clean vent regularly.
• Don't place clothing that has had flammables spilled onto them into the tumble dryer as they could self ignite. These include cooking oils, petrol, kerosene, acetone etc.
• Don't run tumble dryers when you are out or sleeping.

Flammables:

• Don't store flammables inside the house. Store it in a well ventilated area, away from the house.
• Store flammables in an appropriate container which children can’t open.
• Don't smoke around flammables.
• Label flammable goods.

Candles & oil burners: 

• Never leave candles or tea lights burning unattended.
• Blow out candles & tea lights when you leave the home or go to bed.
• Keep away from places where they can be knocked over by pets or children.
• Keep on a sturdy, flame proof surface.
• Keep them away from curtains & blinds.
• Keep them away from draughty areas where they can be blown over.

Bedroom:

• Always follow the manufacturerss instructions when using electric blankets.
• Don't use electric blankets on water beds.
• Unplug electric blankets when not in use in the warmer months.
• Don't smoke in bed.

Heating:

• Ensure heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn such as furniture, curtains, bedding, clothes etc.
• Always turn heaters off when you leave the house.
• Purchase portable heaters which have a cut off if the heater is accidentally knocked over.
• Use a fire guard around heaters if you have young children in the house.
• Use a guard around open fires to avoid children getting too close & sparks & embers flying out.
• Flues & chimneys should be cleaned once a year.

Escape plan:

• Make an escape plan & run through it every 6 months.
• Place a copy of the escape plan on your fridge.
• Never leave doors deadlocked when you are inside the home.
• Once you have got out of the house stay out & always make sure exits such as doors & windows are free of clutter & can be easily opened.