As we enter the new year it is a great time to get in to some new habits and do some safety checks in your home.
Check or change the batteries in your smoke detectors (and get smoke detectors fitted if you haven’t already got them!). The Fire and Rescue Service recommend you check your smoke alarms once a week – this just means you should press the button to check it’s working. But it might save your life.
Get a carbon monoxide detector fitted and read our project on staying safe from CO2 poisoning. Only a third of households in the UK have an alarm and they can cost as little as £12, but they could save your life.
Do a check of electrical appliances in the house – that wiring is not chewed or frayed and that nothing needs to be renewed. Don’t overload sockets with electrical appliances, it can cause overheating .
The Fire and Rescue Service also recommend getting into a fire safe bedtime routine. Just do these checks before you go to bed:
- Open fires are guarded and extinguished before bedtime
- Your chimney is swept at least once a year and the brickwork is inspected
- Smoking materials are fully extinguished
- Electrical equipment is turned off and unplugged
- All candles are out
- All internal doors are closed
They also recommend that you should plan your escape route from your home. Everyone in the house should know what to do in the event of a fire, as you do when you are at work or school.
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