Lockdown Fire Safety Tips for Children

Incidents Rise as Exposure Increases

As the threat of lockdown and isolation becomes more and more likely due to COVID-19, the chances of a fire incident at home increases, fire safety tips for children can help save lives.

Young children need to understand the key elements of fire safety as much as adults – in some ways more so. Many fires in the home occur at night while everyone is asleep. In these instances children may panic and if they are unaware of what to do have been known to try to hide under a bed or in a cupboard. Just about the worst place for them. When explaining fire safety it’s important not to scare them, but it is information that could save their lives. For young children explaining the risk and what action to take can be incorporated into a ‘fire drill game’, an effective way to engage their attention without scaring them!

Lockdown fire safety tips for children

• Make sure that children know to crawl below smoke – the biggest killer in fires.

• Teach them to check doors to see if they are hot before using metal door fittings and to use an alternative route if this is the case.

• Be clear where escape routes are and ensure they know to use them before looking for you.

• Never leave children, especially young children, alone in the kitchen where food is being cooked.

• Tell children how to get help by calling 000 or raising the alarm with neighbours and explain that they must never re-enter a burning building, even if someone is missing.

Teaching self-reliance saves lives 

Consider organising a ‘play’ fire drill involving neighbours and their children. Although it is not something any of us want to think about, never assume you will be in a position to save your own children in a house fire. It’s important that children are taught early to be self-reliant in the event of a fire and to get out safely and stay out. Hopefully you and your family will never need to put into practice your fire safety skills, but if you do, preparation can make all the difference.

Other precautions

For adults there are some simple tasks that you can complete regularly to ensure that you minimise the risk of fire breaking out in the first place. Electrical appliances should be turned off overnight. Sockets should not be overloaded as they can easily over heat. Install smoke alarms if you don’t already have them and check them once a month. Children can be included in this task which is a way to raise their awareness of fire safety without frightening them! Keep an eye on what they have plugged in, in their own rooms, and rectify any problems explaining why you are doing so.

General fire safety rules include using candles carefully and ensuring that they are out before you go to bed. Any other potential sources of fire should be dealt with in a similar way. If you are a smoker ensure that cigarettes are properly extinguished, although if you have children smoking should of course always be done outside!

Stay Fire Safe

Alex

Own a Restaurant? Warnings about Outdate Fire Protection Systems

Restaurants, cafes and other eating establishments are workplaces that are at a high risk from fire. This is due to the environment with the potential of combustibles in close proximity to hot surfaces and open flames.

The most common fires involve unattended cooking, overheating of cooking oil or fat, and the ignition of fatty residues within range hoods and ducting.

Restaurants owners planning to open a new restaurant in the space where another previously existed may be playing with fire if they don’t upgrade obsolete or poorly functioning fire suppression systems.

In many cases, it’s great if you have the opportunity because it’s already set up to be a restaurant, but depending on the age of the system, there could be elements of it that no longer meet current building and safety codes.

What To Look For

When a restaurant owner is considering a building in which to occupy his or her business, there are some things they can look for that may provide some insight into the age of the fire suppression system and how well the system may have been maintained by the previous owner.

One of those is checking the fire extinguishers to see if they are tagged, which is a sign that they have been inspected and maintained. Another piece of equipment on fire security systems that can be checked is the links, because they often will have a date on them if they have been inspected by a professional. It is recommended that larger cooking and food preparation facilities are protected by automatic wet chemical systems for their deep fryers. Wet chemical fire extinguishers and fire blankets should also supplement this system, and also applies to smaller facilities. Ensure that the appropriate fire extinguishers and fire blankets are installed in an easily accessible location and not near vats and hot plates. They must be in good working order and checked as per Australian Standards. Ensure all cookers/fryers etc. have thermostats fitted, are serviced and cleaned as recommended by manufacturers.

Commonsense Signs

There also are some common sense signs that show whether a system has been maintained, such as parts of the system being rusted or covered with grease.

In addition, those are clear signs that perhaps cleaning and maintenance schedules on the system weren’t maintained.

Time to Call in the Professionals

To be sure of what they are purchasing before they seal the deal, many restaurant owners contact a professional fire system company to perform an inspection. These services often are free and can include cost estimates for any repairs and improvements that may be required to bring the system up to current code prior to the restaurant opening.

If you don’t know what you’re looking for regarding these systems, it is a good idea to call a fire protection specialists that can send someone out to perform an inspection. That way, you go into the deal with your eyes wide open and fully aware of what additional expenditures may be necessary prior to opening the doors for business.

Yours in Fire Safety

Alex

Automatic Fire Protection - The Ultimate Protection for your Business

One aspect all business owners agree upon is the importance of safety. There are leaders in the installation, engineering, and fire alarm or automatic fire detection system inspection, that can provide you with the highest level of service and peace of mind, with the use of cost effective and innovative solutions that will ensure your business continuity by protecting your property. You as a business owner are required to keep your fire alarm working properly by getting a regular fire alarm inspection as per AS 1670 – Automatic fire detection and alarm systems. In order to get the alarm of your business inspected properly, a full service fire protection company can help you with correcting any deficiencies or code violation that exists. This company will be able to conduct all types of fire alarm inspections. Some of the benefits of using a full service fire protection company for fire alarm inspections to protect the safety of your business include:

• The ability to inspect all types of fire protection systems to include clean agent systems, sprinkler systems.
• Inspection reminders received through a phone call e-mail, or both
• Online inspection reports which adhere to specific guidelines. Customers can download, view, and print work orders, inspection reports, and invoices on the company’s extranet.
• One service agreement for all of your fire protection equipment.
• Receiving service from a licensed company.

Some of the businesses a full service fire protection company provides quality solutions to include industrial and commercial spaces, high-rise buildings, campuses and more. This company may even be able to provide you with voice evacuation and central monitory services. With the use of top quality products for providing security and fire protection for the protection of your business, you will receive the ultimate in fire alarm inspection.

A professional, full service fire protection company may even offer standard protection plans that will offer you the basics protection service at a reasonable price. The standard plan may offer basic fire protection services to include computerized scheduling, mandated inspections, and 24-hour emergency service. Some of the more advanced plans may offer your services to include customized scheduling reports, online access to your inspection reports, annual engineering review of your facilities, and much more.

If you are interested in a high quality fire alarm inspection for your business, call on the professionals to do it for you. You will get regular inspections of your alarm systems that are accurate and adhere to and comply to the specific regulatory guidelines and codes.

Yours in Fire Safety

Alex