FIRE SAFETYIN THEHOME

In caseof fire

call190

Issued by the Gibraltar Fire & Rescue Serviceon behalf of the Civil Contingencies Committee

HM Governmentof Gibraltar

For free advice contact the Fire Safety DepartmentGibraltar Fire & Rescue Service on Tel. 20072936 orEmail. firesafety@gibfire.gi or to download a copyof this guide go to www.gibfire.gi

Cooking pot, frying pan etc.,left unattended.

Careless disposal ofsmokers materials.

Defective electricalappliances or installation.

Children playing with fire.

Main causes of Fire in Homes in Gibraltarover a five year period.

30 20 16 18 13

24 18 15 23 11

22 16 27 24 14

11 10 15 7 15

Total number for all firesover a five year period.

200 152 156 161 141

Did you know ...?You are twice as likely to die ina fire if you don’t have a smokealarm that works.

PROTECT YOURHOME WITH

SMOKE ALARMS

The easiest way to protect your home andfamily from fire is with a smoke alarm.

Buy it, Install it, Check it. It could save your life.

Fit smokealarms

The Fire Safety Departmentwill be happy to give youadvice on which one is bestsuited for you.

Look out for one of thesesymbols, which shows thealarm is approved and safe.

Install asmoke alarm

Choosing yoursmoke alarm

Fires occur when you leastexpect them, often duringthe night when people areasleep.

But the real killer is smoke.If you have a smoke alarminstalled it will wake youup giving you time to getout.

There are a variety ofdifferent models tochoose from.

Fit smoke alarms on everylevel of your home. Smokealarms are cheap and easy toinstall.

They are available from DIYshops, electrical shops andmost supermarkets.

Top tip

Test the batteries inyour smoke alarmevery week.Change them everyyear.Never remove them.

Mains-powered alarms arepowered by your homepower supply. Generallythey don’t need replaceablebatteries, but need to beinstalled by a qualifiedelectrician.

Alarms that plug into a lightsocket use a rechargeablebattery, which is chargedwhen the light is on.

You can have linked alarmsinstalled, so that when onealarm detects a fire they allgo off together. This isuseful if you live in a largehouse or over several levels.

Many people forget tocheck the batteries, solonger life batteries arebetter. An alarm with a 10year battery is the bestoption.

How to makesure your smokealarm works

Never disconnect or takethe batteries out of youralarm if it goes off byaccident.

Standard battery operatedalarms are the cheapestoption, but the batteriesneed to be replaced everyyear.

Test it

Fitting yoursmoke alarmDon’t place alarms in ornear kitchens or bathroomswhere smoke can set themoff by accident.

The ideal position is on theceiling, in the middle of aroom, or on the hallway andlanding, so you can hear thealarm throughout yourhome.

Make checking your smokealarm part of your regularhousehold routine.

Test by pressing the buttonuntil the alarm sounds. If itdoesn’t sound, you need toreplace the batteries.

If your smoke alarm startsto beep on a regular basis,you need to replace thebatteries immediately.

If it is a ten year alarm, youwill need to replace thewhole alarm every 10 years.

Fire blankets are used to putout a fire or wrap a personwhose clothes are on fire.They are best kept in thekitchen.

Fire extinguishers shoot outa jet to help control a f ire.They are quick and simpleto use, but always read theinstructions first.

Fire blankets andextinguishers should onlybe used by adults who areabsolutely sure they knowwhen and how to use them.You should only attempt toput out a fire if it is safe todo so.

Looking afteryour smokealarm

Other equipmentyou should consider

Test it Change it Replace it

HOW TOPREVENTCOMMONFIRES

This section will tell youhow you can avoid fires inyour home, includinghow to cook safely and totake precautions withelectrics, candles andcigarettes.

Take extra care if you need toleave the kitchen whilstcooking, take pans off the heator turn them down to avoidrisk.

Make sure saucepan handlesdon’t stick out - so they don’tget knocked off the stove.

Take care if you’re wearingloose clothing - they can easilycatch fire.

Don’t put anythingmade of metal in the

microwave

Keep electric leads andappliances away from water.

Check toasters are clean andplaced away from curtains andkitchen rolls.

Keep the oven, hob and grillclean and in good workingorder. A build up of fat andgrease could cause a fire.

In the kitchen

Take care withelectrics

Top tipTop tip

Keep outof reach

How to cook safely

Avoid leaving children inthe kitchen alone whencooking on the hob. Keepmatches and saucepanhandles out of their reach.

Double check that the cooker isoff when you’ve finishedcooking.

Keep tea towels and cloths awayfrom the cooker and hob.

Take care when cooking withhot oil - it sets alight easily.

Make sure food is dry beforeputting it in hot oil so it doesn’tsplash.

If the oil starts to smoke - it’s toohot. Turn off the heat and leaveit to cool.

Use a thermostat controlledelectric deep fat fryer. Theycan’t overheat.

Don’t take any risks. Turnoff the heat if it’s safe to doso. Never throw water overit.

Don’t tackle the fireyourself

Deep fat frying What to do if apan catches fire

GET OUTSTAY OUTAND CALL

190Top tip

Take carewith hot oil

How to avoid electrical fires.Always check that you use theright fuse to preventoverheating.

Make sure all electricalappliances have a British orEuropean safety mark when youbuy it.

Certain appliances, such aswashing machines, should havea single plug to themselves, asthey are high powered.

Try to keep to one plug persocket.

An extension lead or adaptor will have a limit to how manyamps it can take, so be careful not to overload them toreduce the risk of a fire.

Appliances use different amounts of power - e.g. A televisionmay use a 3 amp plug and a vacuum cleaner a 5 amp plug.

Know the limit!

Electrics

5 + 5 + 3 = 13amp amp amp amp

Top tipTop tip

Don’t overload

Keep electrical appliancesclean and in good workingorder to prevent them fromtriggering a fire.

RESISTANT

Watch out for signs ofdangerous or loose wiring suchas scorch marks, hot plugs andsockets, fuses that blow orcircuit-breakers that trip for noobvious reasons, or flickeringlights.

Check and replace any oldcables and leads, especially ifthey are hidden from view -behind furniture or undercarpets and mats.

Unplugging appliances helpreduce the risk of fire.

Unplug appliances whenyou’re not using them or whenyou go to bed.

Try to secure heaters up against awall to stop them falling over.

Keep them clear from curtainsand furniture and never use themfor drying clothes.

Portable Heaters

Furniture

Using an electric blanket

Always ensure that yourfurniture has the fire-resistantpermanent label.Don’t leave electric blanketsfolded as this damages theinternal wiring. Store them flat orrolled.

Unplug blankets before you go tobed, unless they have athermostat control for safeall-night use.

Try not to buy second handblankets and check regularlyfor wear and tear.

Consider buying child resistantlighters and match boxes.

Keep matches and lighters outof children’s reach.

Cigarettes

Put them out.Right out!

Top tip

Never smoke in bed.

Use a proper ashtray - never awastepaper basket.

Make sure your ashtray can’ttip over and is made of amaterial that won’t burn.

Don’t leave a lit cigarette, cigaror pipe lying around. They caneasily fall over and start a fire.

Take extra care if you smokewhen you’re tired, takingprescription drugs, or if you’vebeen drinking. You might fallasleep and set your bed or sofaon fire.

Stub cigarettes outproperly and disposeof them carefully. Put

them out. Right out!

Matchboxes nowcarry this warning ;

“DANGER !Fire killschildren”

Make sure candlesare secured in aproper holder andaway from materialsthat may catchfire - like curtains.

Candles

Top tip

Be carefulwith candles

Put candles out when you leavethe room, and make surethey’re put out completely atnight.

Always place candles on a heatresistant surface. Night lightsand tea lights can melt plasticsurfaces such as the top of a TVset.

Use a snuffer or a spoon to putout candles. It’s safer thanblowing them out when sparkscan fly.

Children shouldn’t be left alonewith lit candles.

Fitting a smoke alarmis the first crucial stepto protecting yourselffrom fire. But whatwould you do if it wentoff during the night?

This section will helpyou make a plan readyfor an emergency.

ESCAPE

PLANA SAFE

Keep door andwindow keyswhereeveryone

Plan an escaperoute

Top tip

Be prepared bymaking a planof escapePlan an escape route and makesure everyone is familiar with it.

Make sure exits are kept clear.

The best route is the normalway in and out of your home.

Think of a second route incase the first one is blocked.

Take a few minutes to practiceyour escape plan.

Review your plan if the layoutof your home changes.

Don’t tackle firesyourself.Leave it to theprofessionals.

Top tip

190

Get out, stayout and call 190

What to doif thereis a fireKeep calm and act quickly, geteveryone out as soon aspossible.

Don’t waste time investigatingwhat’s happening or rescuingvaluables.

If there’s smoke, keep lowwhere the air is clearer.

Before you open a door check ifit’s warm. If it is, don’t open it -fire is on the other side.

Call 190 as soon as you’re clearof the building. You can also call190 and 112 from a mobilephone even if you have nocredit.

190 and 112calls are free

What to do ifyour clothescatch fire

STOP! D ROP! ROLL!

Don’t run around, you’llmake the flames worse.

Lie down and roll around.It makes it harder for thefire to spread.

Smother the flames with aheavy material, like a coator blanket.

Remember, Stop, Drop,and Roll !

If you can’t get out, geteveryone into one room,ideally with a window and aphone.

Put bedding around the bottomof the door to block out thesmoke, then open the windowand call “HELP FIRE”.

If you are on the ground or firstfloor, you may be able toescape through a window.

Use bedding to cushion yourfall and lower yourself downcarefully. Do Not Jump.

If you can’t openthe window breakthe glass in thebottom corner.Make jagged edgessafe with a towel orblanket.

What to doif your escapeis blocked

How to escapefrom a highlevel building

You should still get a smokealarm for your own home,even if there is a warningsystem in the block.

Flats are built to be fire proof,so if there is a fire somewhereelse in the building it is safer tostay in your flat.

You should only evacuate ifinstructed by the fire service oryou are affected by heat orsmoke.

Avoid using lifts and balconiesif there is a fire.

It is easy to get confused insmoke, so count how manydoors you need to go throughto reach the stairs.

Check there is nothing in thecorridors or stairways thatcould catch fire - like boxes orrubbish.

Make sure doors to stairwaysare not locked, but they shouldalways be closed to preventsmoke from spreading.

Make sure everyone in thebuilding knows where the firealarms are.

You are more at risk from a fire whenasleep. So it’s a good idea to checkyour home before you go to bed.

a

aa

Close inside doors at night tostop a fire from spreading.

Turn off and unplug electricalappliances unless they aredesigned to be left on - like yourfreezer.

Check your cooker is turnedoff.

Don’t leave the washingmachine on.

Turn heaters off and put upfireguards.

Put candles and cigarettes outproperly.

Make sure exits are kept clear.

Keep door and window keyswhere everyone can find them.

MAKE A BEDTIMECHECK

1. Fit smoke alarms and test them regularly.

2. Devise a fire action plan.

3. Keep exits clear and accessible.

4. Take extra care in the kitchen.

5. Never leave candles in rooms wherechildren are on their own.

6. Make sure cigarettes are stubbed outproperly, never smoke in bed.

7. Close doors at night especially those tokitchen and lounge.

8. Do not overload electrical sockets.

9. Keep lighters and matches away from thereach of children.

10.Take special care when you are tired or have been drinking.

Top tip

Close insidedoors at night

10 TOP TIPSTo protect your home

INSIDE REAR COVERThis page is intentionally blank

SMOKE ALARMS

Published by the Gibraltar Fire & Rescue Service DJG O6/2015Reproduced under the terms of the Click-use Licence (CSI 100000043) © Crown Copyright 2007

For further advice contactThe Fire Safety Department,Gibraltar Fire & Rescue Service,on Tel. 20072936 Email firesafety@gibfire.gior to download a copy of this guide go to;www.gibfire.gi

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