9 Basic Tips From A Fire Manager During A Fire Hazard
Fire hazards are among the most common occurrences in many areas of Singapore. What does this mean?
It means that we may often ignore safety hazards that could lead to a fire. Just imagine a scenario where you are fast asleep and get awakened suddenly by smoke and flames.
Or maybe you are at work and a fire breaks out. What are you going to do? Will you be prepared? Yes, while fire can be contained, it can also easily go out of hand and quickly turn into something far from containable.
In such a situation, you will have to be quick on your feet and move fast while assessing your situation. It cannot be stressed enough how essential it is for you to prepare yourself with some fundamental fire safety education.
While we hope that no one ends up finding themselves in such a scary situation, the fact of the matter is that it could.
For this purpose we have an informational guide on fire hazard which covers the basic tips for anyone to remember when in presence of such a hazard.
With this information, we wish you will be able to protect yourself, home and workplace.
What Should You Do In The Event Of A Fire?
1. Strategically Plan Your Escape Route.
In the event you are faced with an emergency situation involving a fire, you will need to quickly assess the situation and think of a plan. Just like the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”, it is true in such circumstances as well.
Truth is, we get complacent sometimes and often brush off the idea of having an emergency escape plan. By having one and thinking ahead, you can save lives. Does your home and workplace have one?
The first thing when coming up with an emergency escape plan is to map out your home or workplace. This includes every door, window and pathways.
Take note of the main exit for emergencies and identify with the most efficient route leading to it. Additionally, plan alternative routes in case the path is blocked.
In real fire situations, paths do get blocked and it can be impossible to go through. Thus it should be in your best interest to look out for alternative routes of exit while planning your emergency escape.
When you have a complete and clear picture of your emergency plan, have a fire drill. This will improve muscle memory and revision on good practises.
While we can never truly predict when and where the next mishap might happen, it is always good to practice or rehearse so that when it actually happens you won’t get shocked and freeze up.
Having different scenarios in a drill will also help you be more prepared in an actual emergency. Take note that in a real situation, visibility will be poor and that you may have to rely on your other senses other than just your sight.
What you can do is to practice familiarising with your surroundings, like knowing the number of doors there are to the exit etc.
2. Put Out The Fire If You Can
If there is a fire in your home or workplace, call the Singapore Civil Defence Force at 995 immediately.
Then assess for yourself if you can put the fire out by yourself. At the end of the day, it will be up to your judgement and discretion to call 995 or not. Sometimes even if you think you have put out the fire, there may still be ambers which could lead to another if not put out properly.
As long as professional help is on its way, you could attempt to use a fire extinguisher to put out small flames first, so that they don’t spread further and grow.
If there’s too much smoke and a lot of heat, the initial priority is to go get yourself to safety. Smoke inhalation can cause life threatening health problems and even death.
3. Rescue Yourself, The People Around You And Your Pets
In the event of a fire, you must not be sentimental and worry about perishable items and belongings. That includes things like your furniture or phone.
Those things can be replaced. Unlike those, your family cannot be replaced. Prioritise those who are in need such as babies or the elderly and get them to safety where possible.
If you are confident and think there’s time, only then you can gather important documents such as your passport or birth certificate etc.
If there isn’t enough time, just forget about it. Your life and the safety of others are far more important than saving temporary items.
4. Don’t Panic And Stay As Close To The Floor As Possible.
Most of the time, getting burnt from a fire isn’t the only dangerous thing. The heat and smoke it emits are just as dangerous. If you are not careful, smoke inhalation can cause suffocation.
In the event where there’s too much smoke, you should get as close to the floor and crawl to the nearest exit. The reason is because the air below is cleaner than the smoke, after all, hot air (smoke) rises and cold air sinks.
If you can get your hands on a spare piece of cloth, you should do so to cover your mouth and nose. This will help in filtering out the smoke in the air and prevent you from fainting.
5. Avoid Elevators, Just Take The Stairs
Standard rule of thumb during a fire is to never ever take the elevator. This should be highlighted when covering on your fire escape plan. For someone who attempts to take an elevator out of convenience, they may potentially put themselves in more danger.
For example, they may get stuck and trapped in it or even suffer a fall if the elevator fails. As such, you should always take the stairs to escape.
6. Drop It Like It’s Hot
Where there is fire, there will be heat. Never walk into a room without testing a doorknob first. If you touch it and it’s hot, most likely that it is not safe to go through.
Furthermore, by opening many doors you can increase the possibility of airflow which could lead to an even faster spread of fire.
7. Keep Calm And Carry On
You don’t have to panic. Take a deep breath and stay calm. Yes, fires can be extremely scary but it won’t do you any good if you are not thinking clearly.
Don’t let fear cloud your judgement and stay focused. If you get trapped, just remember this:
- Keep the doors closed and cover any gaps with a moist cloth. This will help filter out the smoke.
- Next, you should call 995 to let them know where you are stuck.
- If you happen to not have a phone with you, keep shouting for help. Let them know where you are.
- You can also hang a piece of cloth at a window as an indicator to show rescuers where your location is.
Fires are without a doubt scary, however staying focused and rational will keep you safer.
It doesn’t have to only be when you are trapped. Even when you are not trapped, you should carefully think about the proper steps to get everyone out of safety.
8. Fastest Route Out Always
After getting everyone out of the burning building, keep away from it. Do not enter back inside to retrieve anything else because it may be very dangerous.
Get the help of firefighters to do so instead. They are trained professionals and they have the proper gear to protect themselves, you don’t.
So don’t go and do anything risky. Always keep a distance from the fire, you may never know what could happen.
9 – Preventive Tips You Should Take Note
There’s a wise saying that prevention is better than cure! Now that you know what to do in the event of an actual fire, continue reading to learn how you can prevent any accidents from happening.
It will be good to have fire alarms and smoke detectors installed. Early warning systems can help you identify the location of a fire and contain it before it goes out of control. Having smoke detectors installed can also help you get out safely.
Install an alarm in every room of, and have it tested occasionally to make sure it works.
Teach your family and staff the basics of fire safety and how to prevent, prepare, and take proper action in the event of a fire.
Keep flammable items a distance away from anything hot. (e.g. ovens).
Turn off all electrical appliances when not in use. Electrical fires are an entirely different beast.
Here’s A Summary Of Some Notable Tips:
Cooking equipment is one of the main reasons we get fire accidents. Sometimes workplaces contain mini kitchens where people due to their hurry neglect the main precautions hence causing a fire to break out.
The solution for this is to be careful and try to make sure all the knobs and appliances are turned off. They should be checked again so as to avoid trouble.
Suppose a fire breaks out in a building then one should ensure that there is a fire alarm present so as to warn the inhabitants of the fire and they should immediately evacuate.
Alarms work as warning bells and people immediately respond to it. Evacuation is highly important. No matter how far away the fire is, it takes two minutes for it to burn at extremely high levels.
The best solution for this would be to create multiple routes of exit just in case. There should be proper evacuation procedures so that people don’t rush in chaos. A systematic plan will help ease in evacuation.
Fire extinguishers should be installed everywhere in the building so that a small fire can be contained immediately and effectively by respective workers or employees.
Proper training and Instructions for the usage of fire extinguishers should be handed out and taught so that everyone is aware of what to do in an emergency.
It is quite simple to use a fire extinguisher. With one simple training, anyone can easily learn how to operate it. Alternatively, having instructions attached to each extinguisher will be extra handy to our friends who may forget.
The next essential thing is to communicate. When a fire breaks out, immediately turn off the main switch so that electric appliances won’t cause any accidental damage.
Next would be to hail the alarm. Once done, immediately call 995 to report the fire.
Useful Safety Products
Here are some fire safety products that may be helpful to have on hand during a fire or to prevent one from getting out of hand:
- Fire Extinguishers. Store a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and on each level of your home, near bedrooms.
- Fire Blanket. Use a fire-retardant blanket to extinguish a small fire by smothering it before it has a chance to get any bigger.
- Smoke Detectors.
- Home Fire Sprinklers. Automatic home fire sprinklers, once activated, can help greatly reduce flames and heat, often long before firefighters can get to your home. You can search for companies near you that can install sprinkler systems in your home.
- A Fire Escape Ladder. If you live in a building with more than one level, fire escape ladders can help you quickly and safely escape out a window.
The most important step you can take to protect yourself and your family is to prevent a fire from happening. However, if one does break out, stay calm, get everyone out, and call for help immediately. After all, almost anything can be replaced except for your life.
Recent Comments