4 Ways You Can Reduce the Risk of Fire Accidents at Home
House fires are scary for they not only damage your property but also endanger your life. More than 694,176 cases of house fires were reported to the fire and rescue department across the UK and led to a loss of millions of pounds.
Fire breakouts are more common than you think. But if you have an escape plan in place, it’ll be easier for you to save your own life as well as your family. Here are a few tips that you may find
useful in this regard:
1. Don’t Ignore the Maintenance of Home Equipment
It’s a common practice to address repair work of the household equipment only when it stops working. Moreover, if you take up a DIY project, you may further create the risk of fire accidents.
It’d rather be a better option to schedule regular maintenance of the equipment such as heating or cooling system, water heaters, and kitchen appliances. Experienced professionals better understand what they are doing and can perform the maintenance task in a safe way. They
thoroughly check the equipment, clean it, and replace parts as needed. Not only
does it reduce the risk of fire accidents, but it also saves costs in the long run.
2. Be Careful with Fireplace
Since the winter season is here, you may be using the fireplace to stay warm. However, keep in mind that a fireplace can lead to fire accidents due to your own carelessness.
Don’t leave a fire unattended. Install a durable metal fire screen that prevents sparks from escaping and causing a home fire. Furthermore, once ashes cool down, place them in a metal container and dispose them in a safe manner.
3. Keep Kids Away from Kitchen
Young kids are fascinated by fire and try to turn on the stove whenever they get this opportunity. However, if you don’t want to deal with a fire accident, you should keep them away from the kitchen.
Turn pot handles towards the wall behind the stove so small children can’t reach them.
4. Install Fire Alarms
Despite taking precautionary measures, it’s possible that a fire accident can occur. However, if you have installed fire alarms in your home, you can detect it in time and control it before it gets
out of hand.
Also, keep fire extinguishers handy for your own good. Place one in your kitchen as well as other areas that are prone to catch fire such as boilers and fireplaces. You should also teach your kids and other family members how to use the equipment.
Because of fire accidents, a majority of people lose their lives due to carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s a good idea to install CO detectors in your home. They can indicate that the amount of this
harmful gas in the indoor air has surpassed the safety limit. This gives you ample time to escape the place.
To conclude, fire accidents can endanger your life, but if you’re careful and follow the aforementioned tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of a fire accident.