Importance of Home Fire Safety during COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns are nowadays responsible for contributing to the risk of home fires. Further, the Corona Virus situation has resulted in many localities requiring people to self-isolate and except allowing for acute needs such as going to the doctor, getting essential things, etc. Since many more people are in their homes and investing their time in increased use of heating equipment, increased cooking and increased consumption of smoking materials may cause a home fire hazard, which has the greatest potential for death and injury.

(Image Source: Fireenginerring.com)

Since many offices have given the work from home preference to their employees, people are staying in their homes involving with such activities can turn devastating if not exercised with an attitude of fire prevention. Activities such as cooking and charging electrical equipment may be routine work, but then continuing to stay at home and engaging in these activities is among the leading causes of home fires. Hence, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is urging everyone to use extra attention to home fire safety as the public remains at home in response to COVID-19. NFPA urges the public to use best practices for staying safe from fire accident during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Cooking

• It is advisable to stay in the kitchen while you are cooking food, boiling water, or any related activity, and turn off the stove even if you leave the kitchen for even a short period.
• Keep any kitchen material like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains that can catch fire away from your stovetop.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, then check it regularly, or else, you can use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• If you have children in your home, create a kid-free zone of at least 1 meter around the stove.

Heating

• Keep anything like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.
• Do not ever use your oven to heat your home.
• Don’t forget to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not light the appliance, and in that case, leave the home immediately and call your local fire department.

Electrical

• When charging your smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices, it’s only recommended to use the charging cord that comes with the specific device.
• Do not charge any device on your bed, under your pillow, or on a couch.
• Any home appliances, such as refrigerators, dryers, washers, stoves, air conditioners, microwave ovens, etc. should be plugged directly into a wall receptacle outlet. However, extension cords should not advisable to use.
• Use a light bulb with the right number of watts as there should be a sticker that indicates the accurate number of watts.

Now the main concern is the best ways to prevent fire and maintain fire safety measures. There are certain fire control mechanisms that you have to have in your place to protect yourself and your family.

1. Installation of Smoke Detectors at Home

Your first line of defense is to have adequate smoke detectors or fire alarms in your house and make sure you replace batteries within a regular interval of time. Smoke alarms have a life of roughly ten years, so you should be replacing them once a decade and you can contact Variex.in (fire extinguisher manufacturer, fire safety equipment supplier) for such assistance if you have purchased a fire alarm system from us. Test them regularly with the help of experts and make sure they’re free of cobwebs and dust to avoid accidental alarms.

2. Use of Fire Extinguishers

Portable and easy-to-use fire extinguisher types are available in the market, and you can buy any from Variexonline.com at its online store. It is recommended to have at least one extinguisher on each floor of your house. Kitchens and laundry rooms are the ideal places for installing an extinguisher, though you need to keep them away from the stove and other heat sources.

And the most important part is to read the directions mentioned on the purchased fire extinguisher to know how to use it. You remember the P.A.S.S. technique when teaching your family to use an extinguisher:

• PULL the pin, which breaks the tamper seal.
• AIM or try to point the nozzle at the base of the fire, not the flames themselves.
• SQUEEZE the handle, which releases the extinguishing agent.
• SWEEP from side to side near the fire’s base until it is out.

(Image source: Ndma.gov.in)

Over to You

So you need to think twice about fire safety during COVID-19, and therefore, it’s important to make sure that your fire fighting equipment or fire protection equipment is properly maintained in case of an emergency. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher installations, inspection recharges, and many other related services at competitive prices to keep you and your family safe.