Fire accidents can cause property damage, fatal injuries, and death. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 499,000 structure fires were reported in 2018. And about 5000 people die every year because of fire outbreaks. Many other incidents involving fire outbreaks go unreported. To prevent fire outbreaks, everyone needs to learn about fire safety. This way, it’s possible to prevent property damage, injury and loss of life. Here are 8 fire safety tips you can observe to keep you and your family safe.
Install Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms are great at detecting an impending fire. As such, you should consider installing smoke alarms in a number of locations in your house such as kitchen, bedroom, basement, living room etc. Once installed, see to it that all the alarms are interconnected so that they all produce sound when one goes off. Smoke alarms should be mounted on a wall near the ceiling for best results.
Remember to test smoke alarms every month and replace the batteries annually or immediately the alarm chirps. In addition, train other members of your household on how smoke alarms work.
Have An Escape Plan
Create an escape plan so that every member of your family knows what to do in case of a fire. You can conduct fire escape drills to prepare everyone incase of a fire emergency.
Be Careful With Electricals
Electrical cords and extensions can start serious fires if not properly maintained. Most the issues with your electrical cords because of overloading or due to naked wires. As a result, naked wires or overloading your electrical should be avoided.
Smoke Outside
If you’re a smoker it’s advisable to enjoy your puffs outside. You should never smoke cigarettes near flammable objects as this can cause a fire outbreak.
Install Sprinklers
Whether you are building a new structure or renovating an old one, make sprinklers a part of the plan. They could help in taming a fire or even put it off completely before firefighters arrive. They also give the occupants of a building enough time to escape incase of fire outbreak..
Put Away Lighters and Matchboxes
Kids tend to play with lighters and matchboxes and can accidentally start fires that could bring the house down. As such, it’s important to keep lighters and match boxes far from children
Be Careful with Candles
Candles can cause a fire in your home, if left near flammable materials like your curtains. As such, always remember to put them off when going to sleep to reduce the chance of fire outbreaks,
Conclusion
It’s better to prevent fire that to putting it off. Keeping your home safe from fire outbreaks is possible if everyone in your household become educated about fire safety.From installing smoke alarms to ensure that lighters are kept from the reach of children, the above fire safety tips are easy to practice.