Safeguard your home against the threat of fire
Wednesday, 18 February 2009 5:28 PM
By Sarah Garrod
Damage to your home from fire can be devastating, but it is also preventable.
With over two hundred people killed by bush fire in Australia last week, the importance of safeguarding our homes and families against the threat of fire has once again been in the news.
While bush fire is something we are lucky enough not to have to worry about in the UK, the danger of fire in the home is still a very real concern, with some 36,500 accidental dwelling fires, resulting in 7,310 injuries, and 199 deaths, in 2006/2007 alone. Nationally in 2006 there were 4,900 injuries in fires, solely from those started by cooking appliances.
With the cost of smoke alarms mere pence, and free in many cases, many of these fires in the home are preventable. With this in mind, aboutproperty went about finding the best fire safety solutions for your home, and asked those who deal with the tragedy of fire every day why it is so important to safeguard your home against the threat of fire.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the UK's largest fire and rescue service, and was recently rated 'excellent' by the Audit Commission. As the third largest fire fighting organisation in the world, the LFB employs 7,000 staff.
London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner, Andy Barrett, says: "Though fires in the home are decreasing, in London alone, fire-fighters still attend thousands of incidents every year. Many of these fires could have been avoided and are caused by issues like discarded cigarettes, cooking left unattended or faulty electrical equipment.
"The good news is, it's easy for home owners to avoid many of the risks by following very simple advice, and making sure the people you live with are aware of what to do if a fire starts.
"It's disappointing that we still attend fires where the property doesn't have a smoke alarm, or has a smoke alarm that isn't working because the battery has been removed.
"With smoke alarms only costing around £5 there's no reason not to have them in your home - buy them and check them regularly. Every year our fire-fighters put out fires where property is damaged, but the owners are alive and well because they had an alarm."
London Fire Brigade offers the following advice on protecting your home:
Fit smoke alarms and test them once a week to ensure they are working. If your home has only one floor, fit the alarm between the living area and bedrooms. If your home has more than one level, fit one alarm at the bottom of the staircase and further alarms on each landing. Alarms are available from most supermarkets or electrical shops.
Make an escape plan so everyone in your home knows how to leave if a fire starts. You should also ensure that everyone you live with knows where door and window keys are kept.
Take care in the kitchen - accidents while cooking account for over half of fires in the home. Never leave cooking unattended or attempt to prepare food if you've had a lot of alcohol to drink.
People die every year in fires caused by cigarettes. Always put your cigarettes out carefully in a proper ashtray, and never smoke in bed.
Most fire safety advice is easy to remember and costs nothing, but could save your life. Visit web sites like www.london-fire.gov.uk or www.firekills.gov.uk to learn more.
This week the National Landlord's Association (NLA) published a Fire Safety Logbook to help landlords maintain high standards of fire safety in their properties.
The free online tool allows landlords to keep a record of their fire safety precautions in one document, making it easier to ensure all necessary safety measures are being implemented.
David Salusbury, chairman of the NLA, says: "Fire safety in the private-rented sector is clearly an issue of vital importance and one that all landlords must take seriously. Keeping a record of all the fire safety precautions taken in a rental property will offer reassurance to tenants that their landlord strives to keep their property as safe as possible.
"Landlords face a complex maze of fire safety laws, with different legislation relevant to specific property types. It is important that landlords are aware of which is relevant to their properties and ensure they are adhering to the rules."
The logbook includes a template for a fire safety risk assessment, which landlords are able to carry out on their own properties. In addition, landlords can keep a record of mandatory safety checks, fire equipment defects and instances where the fire alarm has been activated.
The logbook is intended to be used in conjunction with the LACORS Housing Fire Safety guide, which was produced in consultation with the NLA.
For every home, whether rented or owner-occupied, a smoke alarm is the first warning sign of danger and the easiest and most effective way to prevent injury or loss of life from fire.
The smoke alarm marked its 40th anniversary of saving lives in January, having been invented by two Americans, Randolph Smith and Kenneth House, in 1969.
The anniversary coincided with research showing seven in ten adults (69 per cent) put the smoke alarm in their top three 'most important gadgets'.
Fire minister, Sadiq Khan, said: "As this research shows, the advent of the smoke alarm has been one of the most important technological events in recent years. By giving people those precious minutes to escape from fire, the working smoke alarm has saved countless lives over the years.
"Owning a smoke alarm is not enough though - test yours weekly to ensure it remains your potential lifeline for future years to come."
The Fire Kills Campaign, headed by Julie Walters, ran throughout January. 'Pull you finger out', the name of the campaign, aimed to encourage people to check their fire alarms regularly.
The Fire Kills campaign's top tips to stay safe from fire are:
Fit and maintain a smoke alarm - you should have one on each level of your home. The ideal position is on the ceiling, in the middle of a room, or on the hallway and landing. Don't put alarms in or near kitchens or bathrooms where smoke or steam can set them off by accident.
Test it weekly - A working smoke alarm can give you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.
Don't remove the batteries - if your smoke alarm keeps going off accidentally while you are cooking, don't remove the batteries. Instead move the alarm or change it for one with a silencer button.
Fire statistics also reveal over 800 people were killed or injured in accidental house fires started by cigarettes or smoking materials in 2007.
Men aged between 30 and 59 were among the highest risk groups for smoking related fires in the home.
The Fire Kills campaign is therefore working with National No Smoking Day this year, on March 11th, to warn people of the dangers of fire in the home caused from cigarettes. For smokers finding it tough to kick the habit the advice from the Fire Kills campaign is to be cautious when smoking at home and to 'put it out, right out' after finishing a cigarette.
Mr Khan added: "People shouldn't underestimate the dangers associated with smoking in the home if cigarettes aren't properly extinguished.
"The economic price of a house fire is immense and you can't put a cost on the lives of loved ones. I would encourage smokers to give up this No Smoking Day or at the very least pay careful attention to smoking materials."
