Learn fire safety and save lives. That’s the message of firefighters around the world. They try to spread every year during their annual Fire Prevention Week campaign. It has been a tradition for more than 100 years, but there is much more to it than just getting people to be aware of the risks of fires.
Many benefits come from learning how to prevent fires and what you can do if one happens in your home or business. Many people do not know that learning fire safety can also be beneficial to a person’s health. Today, you can find many companies that offer online fire training and emergency procedure courses online.
Fire Hazard Recognition
One of the most important things you can do to learn fire safety is knowing what a hazard is. Every home or business has at least one thing that could be an issue if a fire were to start, so you must know what those hazards are and how they may affect your situation. Pay special attention to what is around your appliances, whether in the kitchen or another room. Power cords are common fire hazards because they can easily get tangled up and cause a blazing spark.
Fire Risk Assessment
The best way to learn fire safety is by doing a risk assessment in your home or business. You can’t predict when something could start a fire, and you don’t want to be caught off guard if it does happen. If you’re not sure where to begin, then ask yourself the following questions:
- How many occupants are there?
- What are the escape routes?
- Are there any flammable items near potential ignition sources?
- Do we have emergency evacuation procedures in place?
Preventative Measures
Now that you know some of the standard fire hazards, it’s time to learn about some preventative measures that you can take to help keep your home safe. The first step will always be simple: don’t leave anything plugged in or lit if it’s not being used. If you’re cooking, make sure all burners are turned off before leaving the kitchen; if someone is sleeping on the couch with a candle burning nearby, make sure they blow out the flame before going to bed. It’s also important that you have a plan in place if there does happen to be an emergency and your building catches on fire.
The benefits of learning fire safety are many. Whether you’re a child or an adult, knowing what to do in the event of a fire can make all the difference between life and death. If you think there’s no way this will happen to me, consider how much higher your risk increases with each cigarette smoked per day. Forty percent of home fires start from smoking materials. With so much at stake, it doesn’t seem like such a crazy idea that children should learn about these dangers as early as kindergarten age – just for their own protection.
