Fire Safety Burn Prevention
People of all ages are at risk for painful burn injuries in the home. A burn is an injury that results from heat or flame and can lead to serious scarring, or even death in severe cases. Fortunately, these injuries are easily preventable by following appropriate safety precautions. To make your home safer for family and visitors, follow this simple advice: > Electrical receptacles (outlets) in kitchens, bathrooms and other wet areas should be protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). GFCI’s help reduce electrical shock injuries. An electrician can tell you if your home’s wiring needs to be updated for safety. > Always stay in the kitchen when you have something cooking on the range and give it your full attention. If you must leave the range for a moment, turn down the heat first and return quickly.
> Teach older children who are learning to cook burn prevention tips.
> Roll up sleeves when cooking and avoid reaching over burners and other hot surfaces.
> Avoid storing items you frequently use directly over the range.
> Keep children well away from the cooking area and place hot pans and cookie sheets away from the edges of counters where children can reach them.
> Use heavy oven mitts and hot pads when cooking.
> Learn how to prevent and extinguish a small pan fire.
> Keep electrical appliances such as toasters, radios, and hairdryers, away from the sink and tub. If an appliance falls into water, un-plug it immediately. Never reach into water to retrieve it.
> Never touch an electrical appliance when you are bathing.
> Unplug these appliances when not in use.
> Wood stoves, fire places and other portable heaters get hot on the outside. Keep young children well away from these devices.
> Store matches, lighters and candles up high, ideally in a locked cabinet, so young children cannot reach them.
Treat a minor burn injury immediately with cool running water for 3-5 minutes. Do not apply ice, which can harm the skin. Do not apply butter or lotions, because this can keep the skin temperature hot, increasing the injury. Apply a sterile bandage to the injured area. If the burn is serious, seek medical treatment immediately.
If your clothing catches fire remember the phrase, “STOP, DROP and ROLL.” This can save your life and limit your burn injuries. Stop where you are. Drop to the floor. Roll over and over to smother the fire. If someone else’s clothing catches fire, help them by telling them to stop, drop and roll. If they attempt to run, use a heavy rug or blanket to try to stop them and use it to smother the flames if you can do so safely.
Fire Prevention Tips
According to the Home Safety Council’s State of Home Safety in America™ Report, fires and burns are the third leading cause of unintentional home injury and related deaths. Fire safety and survival begin with everyone in your household being prepared. Follow these safety measures to reduce the chance of fire in your home: > Keep volatile chemicals, such as fertilizers and turpentine, in their original containers in a locked storage area separate from the home.
> Store gasoline in a garage or shed in a container approved for gasoline storage.
> Never bring or use gasoline indoors; and use it as a motor fuel only.
> Keep things that can burn away from your fireplace and keep a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace.
> Store matches and lighters in a locked cabinet.
> Always stay in the kitchen while cooking.
> Keep things that can burn, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, and curtains at least three feet away from the range top.
> Douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before dumping them in the trash.
> When cooking, do not wear loose-fitting clothing ,which can be ignited by hot burners or gas flames.
> Never leave barbecue grills unattended while in use.
> Keep grills at least three feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes.
> Never leave burning candles unattended and do not allow children to keep candles or incense in their rooms.
> Always use stable, candle holders made of material that won’t catch fire, such as metal, glass, etc. > Schedule an appointment with professionals to have chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves, central furnaces and space heaters inspected once a year and cleaned as often as necessary.
> Keep space heaters at least three feet away from things that can burn, such as curtains or stacks of newspaper, and always turn off heaters when leaving the room or going to bed.
> Be careful not to overload electrical outlets, extension cords and power strips.
> Check all wires and cords for damage and cover all unused electrical outlets.
> Protect bedrooms by having arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI's) installed. Contact a professional electrician to handle this job.
Fire Safety At Home
Safe practices at home are part of your family’s fire protection plan, and it is also critical that your home and family are prepared to react quickly if a fire occurs at home. Learn more about the following essential safety practices in the Home Safety Council’s Safety Guide.
> Develop a fire escape plan for your family that identifies two exits out of every room and an established meeting place outside. Practice makes perfect – hold a family fire drill at least twice each year.
> Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them monthly. Install additional smoke alarms inside bedrooms.
> Know how to extinguish a small pan fire by sliding a lid over the flames.
> Teach every family member to “Stop, Drop and Roll” if clothes catch fire.
> Consider having a home fire sprinkler system installed in your new home, or when you remodel.
> Learn how and when to use a fire extinguisher.
Installing and Testing Smoke Alarms
Research shows that 97 percent of American homes have at least one smoke alarm, but one may not be enough. Do you have enough smoke alarms in your home? Are they correctly installed? Early warning is essential for every fire escape plan. To ensure your family will be effectively alerted to any fire dangers, use the following guidelines when installing and testing smoke alarms: > Only purchase smoke alarms that are listed by UL and carry the UL mark on packaging.
> Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. Make sure there is an alarm near every sleeping area.
> Install additional smoke alarms inside all bedrooms.
> Smoke rises, so smoke alarms should be mounted high on walls or ceilings. Ceiling mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches away from the nearest wall; wall-mounted alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from the ceiling.
> Choose an installation location that is well away from the path of steam from bathrooms and cooking vapors from the kitchen, which can result in false, or nuisance alarms.
> Don't install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.
> Test your smoke alarms at least once a month, following the manufacturer’s instructions, which typically involves pushing the “test” button on the face of the alarm cover. Install fresh batteries at least once a year. > Use hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms with battery back-up. These alarms run on your household wiring and are tied in together so that if one alarm operates, they all signal together.
> Smoke alarms should be replaced at least once every 10 years.
Home Security and Fire Safety
Sometimes, families seeking to protect themselves from one hazard unknowingly put themselves at risk from others. For example, home security can protect people from intruders, but it can also be harmful if security features prevent quick escape during a fire emergency. Home security and fire safety can and should work together and you need to examine entryways, both doors and windows, to make sure home security doesn’t interfere with your fire escape plan. Security Locks
Every home entry door should be equipped with a sturdy dead-bolt lock that is properly installed and maintained in good working condition. When choosing deadbolt locks for your home, keep the following guidelines in mind.
> Avoid two-keyed deadbolt locks that require a key on both the inside and outside of an entry door. These keyed locks can trap people inside if there is a fire. Keys can easily be misplaced when the deadbolt is locked, making it impossible to escape.
> Replace any two-keyed entry locks with common deadbolt locks that only require keyed entry from the outside and have a turning or “throwing” bolt or latch inside. > If your home entry doors have two-keyed deadbolt locks, protect your family in the meantime by keeping the key to your deadbolt on a hook near the door but away from any windows. Make sure all responsible family members know exactly where to find the key and how to use it quickly in an emergency.
Window Security/Burglar Bars
Security bars on doors and windows can provide a strong defense against intruders and give families greater confidence in their home’s safety. However that same strength can prove deadly in a fire emergency. Bars welded over an escape route not only trap victims inside; they also prevent firefighters from being able to get them out. Families need to evaluate their fire escape route to make sure security measures do not hinder a quick escape.
Bars on doors and windows can provide a strong defense against intruders and give families greater confidence in their home’s security. However that same strength can prove deadly in a fire emergency. New research shows that home fires grow so fast and spread so quickly that people may three minutes or less to survive a fire and its deadly smoke. Bars welded over an escape route not only trap victims inside; they also prevent firefighters from being able to get them out. Families are urged to make sure security measures do not slow down a quick escape: > In rooms with window bars, install a quick-release mechanism on at least one exit.
> Purchase quick-release devices together with new bars, or have them installed on bars that are currently in your home.
> In an emergency you can use the release device to quickly unlock the bars from inside, usually with a lever or pedal, to make your escape path clear for immediate exit.
> Know that quick-release devices can only be opened from the inside of the home, and do not affect your home’s security.
> Contact an iron contractor to have quick-release devices installed on security bars in your home.
Developing a Fire Escape Plan
Fire is a leading cause of preventable deaths in the home; but by being prepared to handle this emergency, you can help your family safely exit your home in the event of a fire. Fire safety and survival begins with everyone in your household being prepared. In the year studied, The State of Home Safety in America™ report found that only 54 percent of families with children have discussed what to do in case of a home fire. Use the following guidelines for developing a home fire escape plan: > Early warning is a key element of your fire escape plan. Every home needs working smoke alarms on each story and protecting every place that people sleep. Install additional smoke alarms inside all sleeping rooms.
> Sketch out a floor plan of your home, including all rooms, windows, interior and exterior doors, stairways, fire escapes and smoke alarms. Make sure that every family member is familiar with the layout.
> Identify and remedy anything in your home that could possibly interfere with your ability to get out quickly in an emergency, such as windows that are stuck or heavy furniture blocking an exit.
> You need a primary and secondary exit. If you have a multi-story home, consider if you need to purchase fire escape ladders for upstairs bedrooms. If so, they should be part of your fire drill, deployed safely from a ground-floor window for practice.
> Push the “test button” on a smoke alarm to ensure everyone will recognize the sound of the alarm if it goes off.
> Select two escape routes from each room and mark them clearly on the plan.
> Ensure that family members with special needs, such as someone who is ill or frail, or small children, have a buddy to help them get out safely. If anyone in the household has a hearing impairment, purchase special smoke alarms that use strobes and/or vibrations to signal a fire.
> Designate a place to meet outside so that everyone can be accounted and someone can be assigned to go to a neighbor's to call 911.
> Make copies of the escape plan sketches and post them in each room until everyone becomes familiar with them.
> Practice makes perfect. Every second counts during a real fire. Hold family fire drills frequently and at various times until the escape plans become second nature. Once you’ve mastered the escape process, hold a drill when family members are sleeping so you can test each family member’s ability to waken and respond to the smoke alarm.
> Young children are especially susceptible to heavy sleeping and may not awaken. If any family member does not waken on his or her own during the drill, assign a buddy to help them waken and escape in future fire drills and in a real fire emergency.
Children & Smoke Alarms
Did you know that despite a piercing 70-85 decibel signal, children often sleep through the sound of a home smoke alarm? A quick response is essential in a fire emergency, so if children don't waken to the signal, parents and caregivers must wake them. Interconnected smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference. Interconnected smoke alarms are hard-wired into a home's electrical system and each alarm is connected together so that when one alarm signals, they all signal, no matter where the fire starts.
With interconnected smoke alarms, you'll have early warning of the fire wherever you are, because the smoke alarm in your room will sound at the same time as the alarm in the room with the fire. If your children or someone else in the household isn't aroused by the smoke alarm, you'll be able to waken them, hastening their safe escape.
DANGER! Even with interconnected alarms, emerging research has demonstrated that sleeping children may be able to tune out the blaring sound. Make sure your children wake and properly respond when the smoke alarms signal. Empowering children with basic fire escape skills is a very good idea - everyone should know to react immediately to the sound of the alarm and how to get outside quickly. But before assuming children will react appropriately to a late-night fire, parents must learn if their children will be roused immediately or sleep through the smoke alarm. Even those who awaken to the sound of the alarm may be groggy or move with indecision.
Learn if your children will awaken
To find out for certain, parents are urged to hold regular family fire drills. Children can participate in the drills by helping to draw the fire escape plan. Once kids have mastered fire escape skills, hold a drill when children are sleeping to learn how they will respond to the sound of the smoke alarm. Push the "test" button on the closest alarm during the drill. If children don't readily waken and demonstrate the ability to move with decision, parents must make a contingency plan for awakening them in family drills and in a fire emergency.
IMPORTANT! Children aren't the only ones who sleep through smoke alarms. Research shows that teenagers and even adults can tune out the loud sound while they sleep. Additionally, people with hearing impairments may not be able to hear conventional alarms; special smoke alarms with strobes and/or vibration are available for purchase online and through local fire equipment distributors. Make sure everyone in your family is protected by the early warning that smoke alarms provide.
Every-level fire protection
Hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms are now required in new home construction. If you are building or remodeling your home, hire an electrician to install interconnected alarms throughout your house. Every home should have working smoke alarms on each level, and protecting each sleeping area. Install smoke alarms inside bedrooms as well. For additional protection from fire, consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your new or remodeled home.
Child-Locator Window Decals
Many groups, including some safety organizations, offer adhesive "child locator" window decals to be placed on the window panes of rooms where children sleep. The decals are intended to aid firefighters in more easily locating children in a fire; however the Home Safety Council DOES NOT recommend the use of child-locator window decals. Firefighters are very systematic in their response to home fires and they thoroughly perform search and rescue operations as standard procedure.
Decals signal an area of vulnerability
Parents and caregivers should be aware of a potential safety concern about using child-locator decals. They may signal to intruders an area of vulnerability in the home, highlighting where children are asleep. That unintended possibility outweighs the questionable value the decals may have to firefighters who are trained to perform thorough searches of homes involved in serious fires, regardless of window markings.
Another concern is that window decals can be misleading. An old decal could potentially lead a firefighter on a dangerous, yet needless, prolonged search for a child who isn't there. Many fire departments do not recognize the decals as legitimate markers because they often remain affixed to windows long after a child has out-grown the room or families with children have moved away.
A proactive home fire safety program
Rather than using decals, concentrate on a home fire safety program. It is essential for everyone in the family to take a proactive role in fire safety, including children, who should be taught how to quickly and properly respond to the sound of smoke alarms and how to safely escape if fire breaks out. Firefighters agree it is counterproductive to teach children to wait to be rescued.
To survive a fire, every home needs: > Working smoke alarms on each level and protecting every bedroom
> A carefully developed home fire escape plan
> Regular family fire drills so everyone can practice getting out
> Quick and decisive response in an emergency
For additional protection from fire, consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your new or remodeled home.
Change Your Clock/Change Your Battery
Each year, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) sponsors a campaign to help keep household smoke alarms working: Change Your Clock/Change Your Battery™. According to research studies, 97% of American homes have at least one smoke alarm installed, but less than one in five tests the alarms at least quarterly. Safety experts recommend testing home smoke alarms monthly and replacing the batteries once a year or when they chirp, signaling low battery power.
When you change your clocks back in the fall, replace the batteries in all your smoke alarms, and then hold a family fire drill.
Home Fire Sprinkler Systems: The Ultimate in Home Fire Protection
Every home needs early warning if there is a fire. The sound of the smoke alarm provides extra time to follow your escape plan and get out safely. For additional protection from fire, it is recommended to install automatic home fire sprinkler systems. Fire sprinklers save lives and prevent injuries. They also protect your valued belongings and other property. But many home owners aren't aware that they can have sprinklers installed in their homes. In fact, only about 2% of U.S. homeowners have taken advantage of this life-saving technology.
If you are renovating your home or planning to build a new home, consider having a fire sprinkler system installed by a qualified contractor.
Fire Sprinklers: A Proven Technology
Home fire sprinklers are based on the same technology as the sprinklers you have seen at work, in high-rises and in hotels. But residential sprinklers are generally a lot less conspicuous. A network of piping installed behind the walls keeps water at the ready in case of fire. Sprinklers are located on the ceiling or wall at various junctures along the piping, protecting the rooms of your home. The sprinklers are specially designed to react only to the high temperature of a fire. When they activate, they douse the flames below with water. The sprinkler(s) closest to the fire will open; usually only one sprinkler is needed in home fires.
The sprinkler's quick response to the fire suppresses or extinguishes the blaze and limits the amount of toxic smoke that is produced by the fire. By the time the fire department arrives, the sprinkler has typically extinguished the blaze, and firefighters turn off the water supply. Automatic fire sprinkler technology is more than a century old. Today, fire sprinkler systems have been uniquely adapted to suit home environments.
Don't be taken in by sprinkler myths
There are many myths about home fire sprinkler systems. Here's the truth: Sprinklers slow a fire's dangerous growth and spread, giving you and your family the time you need to safely escape and call the fire department. Although their primary role is life safety, sprinklers also protect property.
Because they react while the fire is still small, sprinklers dramatically limit the fire and smoke damage to a home. As a result of this quick response, sprinklers also put far less water on the fire, typically only 25 gallons of water per minute. When firefighters arrive several minutes after a fire has grown and spread, they typically have to put 10 times that amount of water on the fire. The result is far greater water damage.*
Sprinklers do not activate in response to smoke; only the high temperature of a fire will trigger the sprinkler to open. Despite what you may have seen in movies, sprinklers do not all go off at once, and burned toast or cigar smoke will not trigger a sprinkler. Home fire sprinklers can be concealed under ceiling plates and painted by the manufacturer to blend in with your décor.
Residential fire sprinkler systems are affordable. According to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC), sprinklers add about 1-1.5% to the overall cost of new construction for a system that can save your loved ones and irreplaceable family treasures. That's often less money than you would pay to upgrade your kitchen cabinets or carpeting. The cost of installation is higher when installing sprinklers as part of a renovation project.
Learn More: The Home Safety Council is a member of the Steering Committee of the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition. To learn more about this powerful fire protection technology and to watch animated clips of how home fire sprinklers work, log on to HFSC's site: http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/.
How and When to Use a Fire Extinguisher
Home Safety Council’s State of Home Safety in America™ report identifies fires and burns as the third leading cause of unintentional home injury related death. While portable household fire extinguishers are not designed or intended to fight a large or spreading fire, knowing how to properly operate one may prove vital in the event of a small fire. If fire strikes, people are advised to put their safety first, and belongings second. In many cases, the safest response is to evacuate the home and call the fire department. Under no circumstances should children be encouraged or taught to fight a home fire.
With proper training, the right portable fire extinguisher can enable you to control a containable fire until the fire department arrives, helping protect your property. Use the following guidelines if you plan to use a fire extinguisher at home: > Contact your local fire department and find out where you can receive training in the proper use and selection of sizes and types of portable fire extinguishers.
> Select the most appropriate size and type of fire extinguisher(s) for your home
> Purchase UL-listed fire extinguishers and install them above the reach of children, near an exit.
> Read the usage and maintenance directions and keep them on hand, where you can reference them again.
> Before attempting to fight a fire, always report the fire by calling your local fire department emergency number.
> Make sure all others have evacuated the home
> Identify an unobstructed exit and don’t ever put the fire between you and the exit. Safety authorities use the acronym PASS to teach the preferred method of using a fire extinguisher. Position yourself near an exit to outside. Stand 6-8 feet back from the fire and don’t allow the flames to come between you and the exit. > P: Pull the pin out to unlock the operating lever
> A: Aim low: point the extinguisher nozzle (or Hose) at the base of the fire.
> S: Squeeze the lever below the handle to release the extinguishing chemical.
> S: Sweep from side to side, moving carefully toward the fire, keep the extinguisher aimed at the base of the fire and sweep back and forth until the flames appear to be out. Watch the fire area. If the fire re-ignites, repeat the process.
Be ready to abandon the effort if the fire does not extinguish or if your safety is at risk. Even if you believe you have fully extinguished the fire, have the fire department inspect the fire and check for hidden hot spots that could flare up later.
How to Handle Kitchen Fires
Research shows that most home fires begin in the kitchen. To help keep the risk of injuries low in your kitchen, keep oven mitts and pan lids easily accessible and learn the preferred method for extinguishing a pan fire. Understand how to best handle different types of fires that can occur while cooking and be aware that in many cases, evacuating the home is your best defense.
Pan Fires: Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Sliding a lid over a burning pan is a relatively safe way to extinguish a small grease fire. Placing the lid from front to back will limit your exposure to the flames and scalding grease. With the lid covering the flames, it is easier to turn off the burner. As long as the lid stays on, the oxygen is cut off and the fire can die out naturally. This procedure is widely recommended by safety authorities and is preferred over portable fire extinguishers, which if used improperly could push burning grease and flames off the pan and spread the fire. Baking soda can also be used to extinguish a small pan fire; however the user risks greater exposure to the heat, flames and scalding grease. Do not use baking powder because it can burn and would actually add fuel to the fire.
Don't remove the lid until it is completely cool. Never pour water on a grease fire and never try to move or carry a burning pan as you can be severely burned by hot grease and can easily spread the fire.
Oven Fires: Turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you and your clothing. Call the fire department to report the incidence so that firefighters can check for possible flame spread.
Toaster Oven or Microwave Fires: Keep the door closed and unplug the appliance if you can safely reach the receptacle. Call the fire department to report the fire. Have the appliance serviced before you use it again or replace it.
Using a Portable Fire Extinguisher: If you know how to safely use a portable fire extinguisher, you may be able to put out a small, contained fire, such as a toaster oven or trash fire. Always call the fire department before fighting the fire and make sure everyone else has left the building. Never let the fire get positioned between you and the exit.
Candle Safety
Candles can provide a warm and festive atmosphere - but they can also be a fire hazard if left unattended or placed near anything flammable. Families are encouraged to enjoy the warm and inviting atmosphere of candles while always keeping fire safety in mind: > Never leave burning candles unattended. Extinguish all candles before going to sleep or leaving the room.
> Do not permit children to keep or use candles or incense in their rooms. Candles should only be used when a sober adult is present and awake.
> Never use lighted candles on or near a Christmas tree or other evergreens.
> Keep candles at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including other decorations and wrapping paper.
> Always use stable, nonflammable candle holders.
> Place candles where they will not be knocked down or blown over and out of reach of pets and young children.
> Always keep burning candles up high, out of the reach of children. If you have children in your home, store candles, matches and lighters out of their sight and reach. |
