Smoke Alarms

Your smoke alarm should be tested once a month. Just get Mom or Dad to press the test button to see if it works.

If your smoke alarm runs on batteries, they need to be replaced at least once a year. Pick a day, any day of the year, maybe even your own birthday, and for a present, give your smoke alarm fresh juice.

Have a look around your house. You should have at least 1 working smoke alarm on every floor, and at least one outside each sleeping area.

Candles – Fire Safety

Candles mark special occasions and create a special atmosphere. They also bring fire into your home. So treat them carefully. Here are some guidelines.

• Always put candles on a heat resistant surface.
• Be especially careful with night lights and tea lights, which get hot enough to melt plastic. TVs are not fire-resistant objects.
• Put them in a proper holder.
• Candles need to be held firmly upright by the holder so they won’t fall over. The holder needs to be stable too, so it won’t fall over either.
• Position them away from curtains.
• Don’t put candles near curtains or other fabrics – or furniture. And keep them out of draughts.
• Don’t put them under shelves.
• It’s easy to forget that there’s a lot of heat above a burning candle. If you put it under a shelf or other surface then it can burn the surface. Make sure there’s at least three feet (one metre) between a candle and any surface above it.
• Keep clothes and hair away.
• If there’s any chance you could lean across a candle and forget it’s there, put it somewhere else. You don’t want to set fire to your clothes or your hair.
• Keep children and pets away.
• Candles should be out of reach of children and pets.
• Keep candles apart.
• Leave at least four inches (10cm) between two burning candles.
• Take care with votive or scented candles.
• These kinds of candles turn to liquid to release their fragrance, so put them in a glass or metal holder.
• Don’t move them when they’re burning.
• Extinguish candles before moving them. Also, don’t let anything fall into the hot wax like match sticks.
• Don’t leave them burning.
• Extinguish candles before you leave a room. Never go to sleep with a candle still burning. And never leave a burning candle or oil burner in a child’s bedroom.
• Use a snuffer or a spoon to put them out. It’s safer than blowing them, which can send sparks and hot wax flying.
• Double-check they’re out .
• Candles that have been put out can go on smouldering and start a fire. Make sure they’re completely out.

Electric Blankets

It is not advisable to buy or use a second hand electric blanket. You will not know its history and are unlikely to be able to judge its safety. When using an electric blanket ensure:

The blanket is laid flat on the bed as folds or creases can damage the internal wiring and cause overheating.

With underblankets, ensure the lead and controller switch are hanging freely and not caught up in the blanket or damaged in any way and any underblankets are securely tied to the bed if tie tapes are supplied.

The blanket is switched off or unplugged before you get into bed if it is marked as a pre-heating underblanket.