Most houses these days are practicing fire preventive measures to ensure fire protection.  This is very commendable since more people are realizing that fire can indeed be avoided by following fire safety tips.  However, some people tend to forget to include the guesthouse as they focus much on the main house.  While it is amazing that people are trying to set up a fireproof home, it would be better if the scope would be the entire property.

Fire can easily spread around the property and can start from different reasons.  One of the most recognized fire safety issues that have been found out from fire investigations is faulty electrical wiring.  It would be wise to seek out professional help to conduct a maintenance check up on your electric circuit board, junction box, on your electrical panel and everything connected to it.  They will be able to identify fire hazards that can start a fire, which you might have overlooked like disconnected water heater flue pipe.

On your part, simple things like not overloading of electric use on one socket must be avoided.  Do not also put extension wires under any rug or carpet, as you would not be able to see if they have been worn out.  Loose wires are potential fire starters.  If you are using a fireplace, make sure that you place a fireplace screen as to prevent sparks from flying around and never to put flammable materials near it.  It is also important that your chimneys be properly cleaned and has any accumulated creosote removed before the heating season starts.

After identifying fire hazards in and around the entire property, it is time to install fire-fighting devices such as smoke detectors and water fire extinguishers.  They would surely help in fire detection and eventually putting out the fire if needed.  Many can attest that installing smoke detectors around the house can minimize the possibility of a full-blown fire from occurring. Many houses and lives have been spared from injury and damage because of these fire devices.

This firefighting equipment should not only be limited to the main house as fire can easily jump from one area to another.  The guesthouse should be properly installed with these devices as well.  It does not mean that an area that is not used regularly cannot be a source of any accident.  The presence of water fire extinguishers in any home is a way to ensure that it is ready for any fire accidents.  However, this type of fire extinguisher can only be used on fires involving wood, paper, and fabric.  It is not advisable to use them directly on to fires involving electrical equipment or flammable liquids.  In this case, you need to acquire foam fire extinguishers to put out the fire out efficiently and sealing it from rekindling again.

Just remember to maintain these fire-fighting devices properly.  Check on the batteries of the smoke detectors and fire alarms if they are still functioning well.  See if those fire extinguishers are corroding or if there is something, you need to replace.  Fires are considered accidents or emergencies that can happen unexpectedly.  It is not enough that you have all of them installed in your house but make sure will work when the time comes that you needed them.

Fire extinguishers have a key function at the start of a fire. The different types of fire and the fire extinguishers used to fight them are broken down into four categories:

• Paper, wood, textiles and other easily ignited materials.
• Gases and fluids such as oil, solvents and lubricants.
• Electrical fires.
• Metals such as magnesium and sodium.

Fire as a general rule is caused by a chemical reaction between oxygen in the atmosphere and some sort of fuel. The sequence of events in a typical wood fire is as follows:

1. Wood is heated to a very high temperature.
2. The heat decomposes some of the cellulose material that makes up the wood when it reaches about 150 degrees Celsius.
3. Some of the decomposed material is released as volatile gases.

Fuel, oxygen and heat comprise the fire triangle. All three must be present to start a fire and removal of any single one can extinguish the fire. You should read and understand the instructions on your fire extinguishers. If a fire starts you should be prepared and not be indecisive. Activate the fire extinguisher, and direct it at the base of the flames using short bursts and sweeping it from side to side.

Fire extinguishers and hoses can be used to put out a small blaze, but their chief function is to help people make their way out of a burning building. Fire extinguishers in the workplace should be modern pieces of equipment that meet the terms of the BS EN 3 Standard. According to current recommended practice, extinguishers should be placed a maximum of 30m apart, and you need one extinguisher for every 200m² of floor area.

Some fires can be made even worse with water or foam extinguishers, and it is common practice to put additional extinguishers of different types next to specific hazards like cookers and boilers. A fire blanket should be fitted in kitchens, since not all fires can be put out with an extinguisher. Extinguishers should be fixed to the wall with the supplied clips; where this is not possible, small plastic or metal stands are readily available to take the extinguisher with a sign.

Workplace Safety Tips

If you are truly concerned about keeping your workers protected and productive in your workplace, here are some safety tips for you:

1. Maintain a clean work area.
2. Rather than depending on PPE (personal protective equipment), use guards and engineering solutions whenever possible.
3. Give clear work instructions.
4. Don’t go on about worst-case scenarios but concentrate on what is most likely to occur.
5. Spend time to get to know the work your employees do.
6. Maintain the machinery in good working order.
7. Avoid unnecessary risks.

Fire extinguishers are a very important safety item. You can use the red water extinguisher on Class A fires, i.e. fires that involve wood, paper and textiles. Foam extinguishers can be used as an alternative to the water type extinguisher. Blue powder type extinguishers can be used for Class A and Class B fires, and also for Class C (gas) and Class E (electric hazards).

The classic steps for operating fire extinguishers (described by the acronym PASS) are the following:

P – Pull the safety pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you, and free the locking mechanism.
A – Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, from a safe distance.
S – Squeeze the handle slowly and evenly.
S – Sweep the extinguisher from side to side while aiming at the base of the fire.

Your fire extinguisher service company should offer the following services:

• Annual inspection of fire extinguishers
• Recharging
• Hydrostatic testing
• Training.