While New Year’s festivities may be enjoyable for many, they can also pose a significant risk, especially when it comes to fire safety. With dinner, drinking, and fireworks often on the agenda, it’s easy to see how a fire can easily break out and ruin your celebration.That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of the most essential fire safety tips for New Year’s Eve.
Fireworks are a New Year’s Eve tradition all over the world. But before you light them up, make sure that you’re doing so in a safe and legal place.
If you haven’t done so already, check with your city or town’s local rules and regulations about fireworks. And if you’re allowed to light them up in your backyard, make sure it is a spacious area where your fireworks won’t land on your house or your neighbour’s house.
Decorations are a fun and festive part of the New Year’s celebrations, and we all love to add that extra glitz and sparkle to our homes. But you need to make sure that the decorations are placed far away from any sources of heat or flames.
This means that your Christmas trees, tinsel, and other flammable items shouldn’t be anywhere near heating systems, candles, and fireplaces. Sometimes, it only takes a small spark to start a huge fire.
New Year’s Eve is also a time to feast. In fact, most gatherings are likely going to have food on the table. But cooking during and after drinking is dangerous.
Since most cooking is done around heat and flames, you should avoid it while you are under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or anything else that can impair your judgement. So, if you’re hosting a party, designate a sober cook or cater the event. The last thing you want is to start a fire at your party.
You should be doing this regularly anyway, but be sure to test your smoke alarms before the New Year’s Eve celebrations. A working smoke alarm could make all the difference when it comes to everyone safely escaping from a fire.
So, make sure it’s in good condition, and its batteries haven’t expired. If any smoke alarms are not in working order, replace them immediately.
Finally, having a fire extinguisher at home on New Year’s Eve is a good practice – in fact, it’s a good practice any time of year! In case of a small fire, a handy fire extinguisher can prevent the fire from spreading and causing significant damage.
It’s not going to be much help if no one knows where it is or how to operate it, though. Make sure everyone in the household knows how to use the fire extinguisher and have it in an accessible location.
New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration, but it’s also a time to be vigilant about fire safety. By taking necessary precautions, such as choosing the right spot for fireworks, keeping decorations away from fire sources, not drinking and cooking, checking smoke alarms, and keeping a fire extinguisher handy, you can ensure a safe and happy start to the year.
Remember, fire safety tips for New Year’s Eve do not end here, but they are an excellent starting point to ensure everyone enjoys the festivities safely. Have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve!
While working fire extinguishers are important for your home, they’re also essential for your business. If you require fire extinguisher services for your company, click here to get in touch with Fire-Alert, and take advantage of our mobile services today.
Having fire extinguishers in place for your business or workspace is of the utmost importance. But where should you keep them? Fire prevention and protection are key components to ensuring the safety of everyone who visits or works in that space. However, knowing where to place the fire extinguisher so that it is easily accessible and visible when needed can make all the difference. In this blog post, we’ll go over 5 tips for better fire extinguisher placement. Let’s go!
Placing a fire extinguisher near the kitchen can be essential in a kitchen fire. It’s important to pick a location that is easy to access should an emergency arise yet inconspicuous enough to avoid interfering with day-to-day activities.
The ideal spot is possibly on the base of a wall between two doorways, low enough for easy reach but also out of reach from children or pets who may accidentally activate it. Further away from any heat sources like an oven would also be ideal, as long as you still have a clear path toward the exit.
In any workplace, an emergency plan should include a clearly defined exit path and gathering spot. It’s also important to place fire extinguishers throughout the business in easy-to-reach locations near each exit.
This way, if a fire starts, everyone can quickly access a fire extinguisher near the immediate exit of the building or room. Maintenance personnel must also be sure to check these fire extinguishers regularly to ensure their effectiveness and readiness for use if necessary.
As a homeowner, it’s important to be prepared for the worst. That’s why it can be a good idea to have a fire extinguisher in each bedroom of your home.
Consider hanging the extinguisher on the wall near any exit or doorway so that you can easily find and access it – especially if you ever have to deal with a fire during the night. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have one within arm’s reach while sleeping so your family is always safe and secure, no matter the situation.
In the event of a car fire, it is essential to have a fire extinguisher handy. The best place to store the fire extinguisher in the garage is on a wall near the exit, so it’s easily accessible in an emergency.
Make sure that no other items are placed above or below the fire extinguisher, and it is kept out of harm’s way from getting damaged by any objects or dirt. Additionally, keep an eye on expiration dates to ensure that your fire extinguisher is regularly checked and up-to-date for maximum effectiveness.
A fire extinguisher in your home, office, or any other type of space is an important safety measure, so you should place them appropriately on each floor. They should also be easily accessible and visible at all times.
It may not always be easy to reach a fire extinguisher located on another level of your home immediately in the event of an emergency. Keeping one per floor helps ensure that your response time is quick if a fire breaks out.
All in all, placing fire extinguishers is important to think about and strategize. By placing them in easily accessible and visible locations, you can reduce the risk of injury or property damage in the case of a fire.
So, considering trying these tips for better fire extinguisher placement today – they may make all the difference in the event of an emergency.
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Winter is a season full of fun activities, but it can also be dangerous if you’re not careful. It is a time when many people enjoy spending time indoors, with fires burning in the fireplace and space heaters on, so the risk of fire is increased. While this is a cozy way to spend the winter, it’s important to be aware of the fire dangers of using a fireplace. To stay safe while enjoying the heat this winter, follow the winter fire safety tips below:
If you tend to use space heaters in the winter, then it’s important to take some precautions. They are typically not as well-ventilated as other heat sources like a fireplace, so they often come with more risks. Indeed, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when using a space heater, such as:
By taking extra precautions with your space heater, you’ll be able to minimize the risk of a fire breaking out this winter.
It is important to inspect your fireplace, chimney, and flue each year to ensure they are free from debris. If you find there’s any damage or blockage, be sure to make repairs before using your fireplace.
Additionally, keep combustible materials, like books or furniture, away from your fireplace to help further reduce the risk of fire.
It is important to check the smoke detectors in your home to see whether they work properly, as they can alert you to a fire before it becomes too dangerous. They’re not going to be much help if they’re not working!
Consider checking your smoke alarms at least once a month in the winter. This will give you the chance to see if you need to change out the batteries.
Using the wrong fuel type in your fireplace can be extremely dangerous, so it is important to select the right type of wood and kindling for your fire.
When using a fireplace, use only the recommended fuel type for that particular fireplace model, such as dried wood or coal briquettes. Burning other materials could lead to creosote buildup in the chimney or an accidental house fire.
Whether it’s for the holidays or just some ambiance, a lot of people like to light candles during the winter months. And, as you can probably imagine, candles can be a huge fire hazard.
So, if you’re going to light candles, be sure to pay close attention to them while they’re lit. This means not leaving them unattended, and watching children and pets around them whenever possible. You never know what could happen!
We hope that you have found these winter fire safety tips helpful. Remember to take precautions during the colder months. Doing so will help keep your home safe from fire, as fires can easily start and cause extensive damage. Have a safe and warm winter!
If a fire does break out, then it’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand. And if you need fire extinguisher services, you’ve come to the right place! Click here to get in touch with a member of the Fire-Alert team today.
When it comes to emergency evacuation procedures, you can never be too prepared. In this blog post, we will discuss the steps that you need to take to build the ultimate emergency evacuation procedure checklist. By following these tips, you can ensure that your business is ready for any type of emergency situation.
The first step in creating your emergency evacuation procedure checklist is to identify the potential hazards that could affect your business. This could include fires, severe weather, floods, or even earthquakes. Once you have identified the potential hazards, you can begin to create your checklist.
The next step in creating your emergency evacuation procedure checklist is to plan a response to each possible hazard situation. This includes deciding everyone’s roles in the event of an evacuation, the safest routes out of the building, where everyone will meet, and how you will communicate with employees during the process.
It is important to have a clear and concise plan that everyone can follow, including those with disabilities. In fact, those who may need assistance during an evacuation may benefit from a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, or PEEP. Be sure to include any special considerations as part of your overall evacuation plan.
The third step in creating your emergency evacuation procedure checklist is to prepare your emergency kits. This should include all of the supplies that you may need in the event of an evacuation, such as flashlights, batteries, first-aid supplies, and food and water. Make sure that everyone on staff knows where these emergency kits are located and how to use the supplies.
In addition, you should also include any medications that your staff may need in the event of an evacuation. This could include things like asthma inhalers or insulin. By including these items in your emergency kits, you can ensure that everyone on your staff has the supplies they need to stay safe and healthy during an evacuation.
The fourth and final step in creating your emergency evacuation procedure checklist is to make sure that everyone on your staff knows the plan. There’s no use in coming up with detailed evacuation procedures if people don’t know about them!
The first thing you should do is post clear signage throughout the building so that everyone knows where to find the emergency exits, kits, and safety equipment. An evacuation map or diagram showing the different routes and locations throughout the building would also be helpful.
Once you’ve gone over the plans with your employees and showed them where to find the signs, you’ll then want to start organizing regular evacuation drills. This is crucial, as it’s important to see how your evacuation plan works in practice. You may find that you need to tweak your plan here and there to make it as safe and effective as possible, so be sure not to skip this step.
Are fire extinguishers missing from your evacuation plan? Contact Fire-Alert today to see how we can help!
While it’s often a good idea to stay cool, calm, and collected whenever a fire breaks out, it’s not always a reality. Some people start to panic when they come face-to-face with the spreading smoke and flames. And who can blame them? A fire is a dangerous situation! It can be absolutely overwhelming when your safety is at risk, which can make it difficult to remember and follow proper fire safety procedures.
This panic is completely understandable, so experts have created certain acronyms to help make fire safety best practices easier to remember. RACE, for example, stands for Remove/Rescue, Alarm/Alert, Confine/Contain, and Extinguish/Evacuate, and this is exactly what you need to do if you encounter a fire. Let’s take a closer look at the RACE acronym below.
After you’ve been alerted to the presence of a fire, you should immediately stop what you’re doing and take a quick scan around the room. Not only is it important to make sure that you have a clear escape route, but you should also see if anyone else needs assistance getting out of the building. Sometimes, helping others can bring a sense of calmness to a chaotic situation, which can result in better decision-making during an emergency.
If you do happen to see others, focus on helping those who are injured or are otherwise unable to get to safety. Those who don’t have any issues should be able to get out themselves.
Let others know about the fire. If the alarm system hasn’t been activated yet and it’s safe to do so, go ahead and pull the trigger. This will alert everyone else in the building and may also alarm the local fire department.
On the other hand, if you’re unable to get to a fire alarm pull station, then call 911 once you’ve reached safety. The operator will probably ask about your location, details about the fire, and if there are any injuries, so try and be ready with this information.
This is referring to confining/containing the fire, as it can help slow or stop it from spreading quickly around the area. Once everyone is safely out of the room or building housing the fire, you should try to close every door and window you pass as you make your way to safety.
However, make sure you’re not blocking or trapping anyone as you’re closing everything. Always keep your eyes and ears open as you make your way through the building just in case.
If the fire is small, you can safely reach a fire extinguisher, and you’re confident in your ability to use it, then attempt to put out the fire. Just remember to PASS:
Those who aren’t confident in their extinguishing abilities or simply aren’t near one should just focus on evacuating the building. Remember, everyone’s safety should be the top priority in a fire, so don’t put yourself at risk if it isn’t necessary.
Want to learn more about fire extinguishers and other fire safety tips? Contact Fire-Alert today to see how we can help!
It may not be something that many of us want to think about, but it’s important that your family knows what to do if a fire breaks out in your home. Even the youngest members of your household should join in on the conversation, as it’s never too early to start teaching your kids about fire safety. In fact, research shows that children under 5 are twice as likely to die in a home fire than any other age group, so providing them with the right information could very well save lives.
Since it can be challenging to teach kids about such a serious topic, we’ve put together some tips on how to educate your family on fire safety. Check them out below.
The most important thing for your kids to understand is that they should not go near the fire. Under no circumstances should they try to extinguish the fire or grab anything that is anywhere near the flames. Remind them that their possessions can be replaced, but they cannot. Their number one priority should be getting away from the fire and calling for help
Here are some other simple yet essential things to teach your kids:
Fire drills aren’t just for school! It’s also important to plan and practice fire escape routes at home. After all, this is usually where your family spends most of its time together. By doing this on a regular basis, you can be confident that everyone will know what to do and where to go in an emergency situation.
The first thing to do is familiarize everyone with the sound of your home’s smoke alarms. They should all know exactly what to do when they hear that particular sound: start getting out of the building.
The next step should be finding the safest escape route. When designing your plan, it’s recommended that you identify at least two escape routes for every room. That way, if one happens to be blocked by fire, your family can quickly locate another way out. If one of your routes happens to be through a window, make sure it can be opened easily. You may even consider investing in escape ladders to throw out the window if it’s on the second story or higher.
Finally, come up with a designated outside meeting place. This is where everyone will immediately go after they’ve escaped the building.
It’s important to practice your fire escape plan regularly, as it will help everyone remember what to do if a fire breaks out in your home. By familiarizing your family with the basics of fire safety and your home escape plan, you can help protect them from a potentially dangerous, life-threatening situation.
Looking for more ways to help keep your family safe from fire? Learn about Fire-Alert’s residential services here.
While many people may not know everything about fire safety, they can almost certainly recognize one essential piece of equipment: the fire extinguisher. Indeed, this red fire-fighting device is often the first line of defense against small fires in many homes and businesses. However, it’s only going to be effective if you know how to use it properly.
While you can take a course in fire safety if you really want to get comfortable with a fire extinguisher, it’s not necessary. The next time you go to use a fire extinguisher, all you need to remember is PASS: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep. Let’s learn more about the PASS method and other fire safety basics below.
Before you use an extinguisher, you need to make sure you have the right one for the type of fire. The following are the different classes of fires and extinguishers.
Look for one of these classifications on the label of a fire extinguisher to determine if it’s appropriate for the job.
The PASS method is an easy way to remember how to use a fire extinguisher in an emergency. After verifying that you’re using the correct extinguisher for the type of fire, follow these steps:
The first thing you need to do is pull out the pin that prevents you from pressing the handle on the fire extinguisher. This is a safety feature that helps ensure the extinguisher won’t accidentally go off in someone’s hands.
Look for the pin near the top of the extinguisher. After you locate it, just pull it out to unlock the handle.
Standing from a safe distance, aim the nozzle low, toward the base of the fire.
Once the nozzle is pointing in the right direction, squeeze the handle. Try and squeeze it slowly and evenly for best results. Then, to stop the stream, simply release the handle.
While squeezing, sweep the nozzle of the extinguisher from side-to-side. Make sure you’re always pointing toward the base of the flames as you sweep the area.
Though the steps are fairly basic, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) doesn’t believe that children shouldn’t use portable fire extinguishers. This is due to many reasons, such as:
If an adult is around, they should always be the one to operate a fire extinguisher. Children should be taught to leave the situation as soon as possible.
Looking for fire extinguisher services for your home or business? Click here to contact Fire Alert today!
If you ask someone where to find a fire extinguisher in their home or workplace, there’s a good chance they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. However, if you try asking a follow up question about how to use the fire extinguisher, then…well…they may be less helpful.
This isn’t surprising, as many people go their whole lives without ever having to use a fire extinguisher. While it’s great that they haven’t been put in such a dangerous situation, this also means their inexperience with fire extinguishers could work against them in an emergency situation.
If this sounds like you, then you’ve found the right article. Let’s go over the basics of fire extinguishers to help keep you and everyone around you safe in a dangerous situation.
A fire extinguisher isn’t a one size fits all deal – you have to use different ones for different types of fires. There are 5 common classes of fire, including:
A lot of fire extinguishers found in homes and businesses are labelled as Class ABC, so they can be used for multiple types of fires. You can typically find the remaining two types, Classes D and K, in factories and commercial kitchens respectively.
There are various types of fire extinguishers available, but the following are the most common ones.
Portable fire extinguishers tend to be quite effective. In fact, a survey by The National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors reported that they were able to extinguish fires nearly 95% of the time. This may be because they have been designed so that anyone can use them – all you have to remember to do is PASS.
Keep in mind that portable fire extinguishers are only meant for small fires, so they only contain so much of the extinguishing agent. Therefore, you should always have an escape route ready to go in case the extinguisher runs out before the fire does.
For more on fire extinguishers, and to take advantage of our mobile extinguisher services, click here to contact Fire-Alert today!
Construction sites are full of potential safety hazards. For example, there’s the risk of injury from tools, falling materials, and falling from a certain height yourself. This is exactly why most sites require workers to wear appropriate PPE, such as hard hats, safety boots, and work gloves. This equipment can be quite effective in protecting workers from certain dangers, but there’s one situation where they’re pretty much useless: a fire.
Since fires can cause so much devastation so quickly, it’s important that workers are able to identify and minimize fire risks while going about their daily tasks. Let’s take a look at the basics of construction fire safety.
There are 3 elements that must be present to create a fire: the right amount of oxygen, heat, and fuel. This is commonly referred to as the fire triangle. Then, if you add in the chemical reaction that is fire, you have the fire tetrahedron.
The basics of fire safety are all about keeping these elements away from each other, especially the fuel and heat/ignition sources. Since there are often a ton of these components at a construction site, there are many situations where workers may be at risk.
With so many potential fire hazards around, it can be next to impossible to completely eliminate each and every one. Therefore, the best way for workers to practice fire safety is to try and minimize their risk.
Here are some tips for practicing fire safety at a construction site.
Hot work refers to any kind of work that could create an ignition source, like an open flame or spark. This includes cutting, grinding, and welding.
In order to keep safe during hot work, construction sites should have the following:
These are potential fuel sources. As such, it is important to store all flammable and combustible materials far away from any ignition sources. If they must be used in a risky area, then monitor them closely.
If heaters are required on-site, then they should be used as directed, monitored closely, and be UL certified. A UL certification means that the product has met the safety standards of UL, a leader in safety-related science.
All smoking should be prohibited on construction sites, as cigarettes are a huge fire hazard. Smoking should be limited to designated smoking areas that are far away from any fuel sources, like flammable and combustible materials.
Like smoking, all heat-producing cooking equipment should be banned from construction sites. This includes hot plates, microwave ovens, and grills. This isn’t to say that workers can’t have their breaks on-site – they just can’t cook them there.
Sometimes, workers can take every precaution and fire will still break out. To minimize the damage, be sure to do the following:
While a lot of people like the freedom and independence that comes along with driving, it’s probably safe to say that no one likes having to stop for gas (have you seen the prices lately?!). Not only does it add to your total travel time, but it puts you and everyone around you at an increased risk of being a victim of a fire or explosion.
Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to help prevent gas station fires. Here are our 4 fire safety tips for gas stations.
This should be a no-brainer. A gas station is filled with a ton of highly flammable material, so don’t use anything that has the potential to start a fire while you’re there. This includes lighters, matches, even a magnifying glass in the right light.
This doesn’t just apply to when you are outside of your vehicle, either. Even if you are parked there with the windows up, do not use any potential sources of ignition. And if you’re a smoker, make sure your cigarette is out before you pull into the gas station, and don’t light another one up until you have left.
Even if you’re not much of a driver yourself, you probably know that you’re supposed to turn the engine off before filling up at the pump. While a major fire or explosion is unlikely, it is entirely possible that a running engine could ignite a fire, especially if fuel manages to leak through the nozzle while you’re refuelling your vehicle.
After you turn the engine off, it’s also not a bad idea to take the keys out of the ignition, especially if you have kids. This helps ensure they don’t accidentally turn it on while they’re waiting for you to finish at the pump.
This may be an even more unlikely scenario, but it is technically possible to start a fire with a mobile phone. In fact, a spark only needs about 0.2 mJ of energy to ignite gas vapour, which is a very small portion of the energy stored in a phone battery. However, since cell phones aren’t designed to make sparks, the odds of this actually happening are extremely slim.
Cell phones can be fire hazards in other ways, though. If you’re scrolling through your phone while refuelling, for example, you may end up overfilling your tank without realizing it, causing gas to spill everywhere. Mobile phones can be the ultimate distraction, so it’s best to put them away while you’re at the pump.
Again, this is a rarity, but static electricity can cause sparks. If you’ve built up a big static charge sliding in and out of your vehicle and the conditions are right, you can discharge a spark that could ignite a fire.
Therefore, you should try and discharge any built-up static before even touching the pump. It’s easy enough to do – simply touch a metal part of your vehicle. Problem solved!