Are you looking to increase your home’s fire safety? In most cases, house fires are ignited as a result of negligence. Faulty electrical appliances, forgotten stove or oven and an unattended fireplace are considered to be the biggest fire hazards. Most house fires could be avoided by taking a few preventive actions. Here are our tips on how to increase the fire safety of your home:
Get a smoke alarm
- Your house should have a smoke alarm for every floor and every 60 square meters.
- Check the batteries on your alarms once a month. If your smoke alarms use replaceable batteries, replace them once a year.
- Replace your smoke alarms at least every ten years.
- Also read our posts on choosing the right type of smoke alarm and smoke alarm installation and maintenance.
Check your electrical appliances
- Regularly check that the wiring and switches on your electrical appliances are intact and not in danger of breaking.
- Avoid overloading your sockets.
- Plug extension cords directly to the wall socket.
- Place the appliances that heat up on use (i.e. lamps) away from combustible materials.
Take care of the safety of your stove and oven
- Don’t store anything flammable on or near the stove or inside the oven.
- Make sure children or pets can’t turn the stove or oven on even on accident.
- Get a fire blanket and store it near the stove.
Make sure your fireplace is safe
- Ensure that the safety distance around your fireplace is large enough.
- Prevent sparks from escaping the fireplace with a safety net or hatch.
- Have a professional sweep the chimney and check the flue regularly.
Handle candles properly
- Never leave your lit candles unattended.
- Make sure to place your candles on a non-flammable surface and from a safe distance away from anything flammable.
Teach your kids about fire safety
- Make sure your kids understand what to do in case of a fire. Kids are sometimes inclined to hide in dangerous situations, so make sure they know to leave the house instead of hiding away.
- Tell them never to play with fire and that only adults should handle things like matches, lighters and candles.
Choose an escape route
- Choose the easiest way to leave the house in case of a fire and make sure everyone in your family knows it.
- Keep this exit clear at all times. If there’s any locked doors make sure everyone knows where the keys are kept.