Fire Safety: Basic Fire Safety Rules
Fire Safety in Workplace
When you turn on the news you will see many wildfires across the U.S. and their destruction. Even though your workplace may not contribute to these wildfires, any fires will take away from those efforts to control them.
Fire is very dangerous and lives only three things to either start or continue burning. Fire needs heat, oxygen, and fuel. If one of these components is missing, the fire will die out. In the majority of workplaces, there are these three components and can potentially be very dangerous.
Only 15% of fires in the workplace are caused by equipment failures. That means that 85% of the fires are caused by employees which can be prevented. We will go over the basic fire safety rules.
Basic Fire Safety Rules
Fire safety intends to reduce the destruction caused by fires. The best way to reduce destruction is to prevent fires. OSHA has fire safety standards that your workplace must comply with to help prevent fires. You should review these standards and verify that your workplace is in accordance with them. If you live in California, you should review Cal OSHA standards.
You should educate yourself on the signage of any equipment, chemicals, gases, or other hazardous materials in your workplace. They can be the fuel or the heat that can lead to dangerous fires. Make sure that instructions are being followed that can easily prevent fires.
You should also familiarize yourself with exit plans for any emergencies or fires. Make sure that you and your coworkers are educated in the actionable fire plan. By doing these things you will prepare yourself to be safer in evacuating your workplace.
You should check that all smoke and fire alarms are working correctly. Also, make sure that there is at least one fire extinguisher in each room. This will help control any fires that are starting.
Make sure to never leave a room with an open flame under any circumstances. Unsupervised flames can become very dangerous and can lead to destruction and injuries.
Fire Safety
Halloween is over, and we are officially hitting the holiday season. Time for shopping, hot chocolate, cozy sweaters, snow, and Christmas music (or not? Too soon?). From the kitchen to the outdoor decorations, there are all sorts of hazards that can shake your nerves, rattle your brain, and drive you insane. Goodness gracious! Chances are the one thing that isn’t on your mind is fire safety. To make sure your house doesn’t end up as a burnin’ thing this holiday season, simply follow the tips below.
Baking and Cooking
Much of our holiday celebrating will happen around the table. Take these precautions to keep the taste of love sweet and keep a fire from going wild.
- Kid-free zone. Young children are at risk of being burned by hot food and liquids. Enforce a “kid-free zone” or at least three feet around the stove to protect them against scalds and burns.
- Watch your food. The number one cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking. Stay in the kitchen and watch over whatever you are frying, grilling, or otherwise cooking on the stove top. Also take this precaution when broiling food.
- Use the right equipment, use it properly. Always follow manufacturers’ instructions for any cooking appliances you use. Never use extension cords, as that can overload the electrical circuit and cause a fire. Use equipment designed for cooking to cook; use equipment designed for heating to heat. In other words, don’t use your oven to heat the house or it’ll end up as a great ball of fire.
- Avoid deep fat frying your turkey. Deep fat turkey fryers can be incredibly dangerous. If you do used one, keep it well away from structures and trees. Don’t overfill them, and always watch a fryer when using it. But really, why would you want to deep-fat fry a turkey, anyway?
- Flammable objects and heat sources don’t mix. Potholders, oven mitts, dish towels, and even wooden utensils need to be kept away from the stove top. Additionally, you should wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves if you are the chef to avoid catching your sleeves on fire.
The Tree
We all know better than to put wax candles on our Christmas tree branches these days (right, everyone? RIGHT?!). However, the tree still poses are fire hazard.
- Water it daily. If you have a live tree, make sure you keep it watered. Dry needles and wood catch fire more easily.
- Limit the lights. Use as many as you want, but don’t plug more than three strings into each other. Instead, use a power strip to keep the lights twinkling. Light strings that are damaged or broken should be discarded; never splice together two different strings of lights. Unplug lights before you leave the house or heading to bed for a long winters’ nap.
Menorah or Kinara
Not everyone is putting up a Christmas tree this holiday season. Families around the world will be celebrating by lighting the menorah or kinara.
- Safe distance. If your family uses traditional candles in your menorah or kinara, keep curtains and holiday decorations at least three feet away.
- Surface Safety. Display your menorah or kinara on a non-flammable surface, such as a tray lined with aluminum foil. This will catch hot wax and prevent heating up wood surfaces and increases chances of fire.
Dreaming by the fire
Is there anything better than snuggling by the fire on a cold winder night? Maybe. But a fireplace really is one of those iconic images surrounding this time of year.
- Keep fuel away. Wrapping paper, rugs, blankets, and clothing all need to be at least three feet way from the flames.
- Screen it. A fire screen keeps embers and logs from popping out of the fire and onto your floor. Use one!
- Extinguish the flames. Before you shuffle off to bed, make sure all embers are extinguished.
If there is a fire and you catch fire, remember the basic rule of “stop, drop, and roll.” This will take out the oxygen component of the fire and could save you from serious burns or death.
For fire safety trainings, visit us at www.hardhattraining.com.
As always, good luck and stay safe!