subject: Conducting A Household Fire Safety Risk Assessment [print this page] If you have never done a fire safety risk assessment for your home yet, it is probably judicious to have one now before it is too late. Fire safety is a very crucial topic and should never be set aside as this could very well spell the difference between having a happy home and catastrophe. Learning the rudiments of fire safety and prevention could save precious lives and property. Remember the adage that it is better to be safe than sorry.
One of the basic steps in commencing a fire safety risk assessment would be to purchase a fire extinguisher for your home. A small fire can be stopped immediately before it gets out of control by means of a handy fire extinguisher by your side. With majority of household fires starting in the kitchen, it is best to position your extinguisher just beside the kitchen entrance. It is ideal to hang the extinguisher by the wall with the lever handle or the topmost portion of the extinguisher at eye level.
If you must put the fire extinguisher inside a cabinet or closet, make sure you have a sign just outside the door of the cabinet or closet which clearly indicates, "fire extinguisher inside". Make sure that you have adequate training in using the fire extinguisher. Fire protection experts suggest the acronym "PASS" in operating a fire extinguisher, in that you should first PULL the pin of the fire extinguisher, then AIM at the base of the fire, then SQUEEZE the handle levers together to expel the fire extinguishment chemical out, then finally SWEEP the extinguisher nozzle sideways smothering the fire until it is finally stopped.
The next step in fire safety risk assessment is to have smoke alarms installed strategically inside your home, beside your kitchen, at the living room and inside your bedrooms. Most of the smoke alarms available in the market are battery operated so you will need to regularly check the power by pressing the smoke alarm button from time to time.
Another pointer is to make an inventory of all potential flammable and combustible materials which you store in your house, making sure that these are safely stored in dry and cool places, and away from the sources of heat like the stove or the electric range. These materials should be kept at a minimum, meaning you have to discard those which have no use for you anymore, and to keep these away from the reach of children.
The final step in your domestic fire safety risk assessment or fire fighting equipment maintenance & testing is to identify the exits available to the occupants in case of fire. Remember, there should at least be two different exits available in the house, and these exits must be free from any obstruction. Having a fire safety plan is also necessary, where you should know the steps to take when a fire occurs, specifically conducting periodical fire drills for all the household members.
Conducting A Household Fire Safety Risk Assessment
