Things You'll Need:
- Fire Extinguisher
- Fire Escape Ladder
- Fire Safety Plan
- Fire Evacuation Plan
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Step 1
Reflect about how you cook, do you wear long sleeves, could your sleeves
touch the burner and ignite? Before cooking, always remember to roll up your sleeves and use pot holders or oven mitts for extra protection. -
Step 2
Maintain the area around your stove top free from unnecessary rubbish such as papers or cooking oils that could be knocked over onto the stove. Never leave the kitchen when you are cooking, even over a low heat something left unattended on the stove can burn dry or boil over. Fires can be prevented under a watchful eye, if you are not in the room, you cannot see any potential risk or dangers that may occur.
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Step 3
Purchase a fire extinguisher, have it easily accessible in the kitchen, but
also make sure that you know how to use it. Maintain the fire extinguisher by checking the expiry date and see if it needs to be serviced. -
Step 4
Be aware of different types of fires you may have in the kitchen, the first
instinct is to throw water onto a flame but if it is a grease fire, this is highly dangerous, you would either cover the fire with a lid, to smother the flame. -
Step 5
Develop a fire plan for the family, look around the family home and decide which doors you would use to exit from, in case of a fire? If the fire is in the front of the home, you would use a rear exit and vice versa. Is your home more than one story? If so you should consider having an escape ladder installed, they do not take up much room and will roll up underneath the window, ready for use, when needed.
Draw up a plan of the house with the exits clearly marked. Make a meeting place for everyone a safe distance from the home. This can be a neighbor house or even on a neighbor front lawn, make sure that everyone knows where to meet. Conduct fire drills in the house and so that every member of the family becomes accustomed to what they need to do. -
Step 6
Keep all your documents and important papers in a central place in one folder or file that can be easily grabbed and taken with you. You may even wish to think about purchasing a fire resistant safe to store all the valuables.
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Step 7
Never store fuels or gasoline inside your home, this includes propane gas bottles. In some states it is illegal to store propane gas bottles inside a dwelling..
Always store flammable liquids in a locked garden shed with a secure lid so it prevent accidental spills.
Make sure that all lighters and matches are kept stored away and out of reach of children. -
Step 8
Never, ever smoke in bed.
Do not leave ashtrays filled with old cigarettes, clean and empty ashtrays on a regular basis. Sprinkle a layer of baking soda onto the bottom of your ashtray, not only does it extinguish the cigarette completely when its put out, but it also acts as a deodorizer. -
Step 9
Inspect your smoke detectors and change the batteries yearly.
Make the date you change the smoke detector batteries a day that holds some other importance, perhaps an anniversary, or birthday, you will be more liable to remember.
Do not leave candles burning unattended in any room and never allow children to take them into their bedrooms. These are easily knocked over and a fire will quickly start. -
Step 10
Look at your power outlets, do you have too many appliances plugged in?
Try to use other power outlets so that not too many appliances use the same outlet. Purchase power boards that have a cutoff switch in them so that any power surge will trip the power board and it will shut down immediately. -
Step 11
Make sure that the children know their address and the phone number for emergencies. This is important not only for fire safety but for every day safety, you never know when it will be needed.
