Fire Safety

 General Advice

• Keep lamps away from drapes, curtains, furniture and other flammable objects.
• Never leave lit candles unattended.
• Take care in the kitchen. Accidents while cooking account for 59% of fires in the home.
• Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully and never smoke in bed.
• Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire.
• Fit a smoke alarm and check it regularly.

About smoke detectors

• take your family to where it is easy to escape in case there is a fire
• check all rooms for signs of smoke
• feel around each door before opening it. If there is any sign of heat, smoke or noise, do not open the door.

If a fire has broken out:

• do not attempt to tackle it yourself. Smoke and Fumes can kill in minutes
• get everyone out of the house and call the Fire Service (999)
• do not go back for any reason.

If there is no sign of smoke or fire:

•  the battery may need replacing.

A smoke detector may operate in error if:

• a heater or clothes drier is too near it
• someone smokes a cigarette or pipe near it
• an aerosol spray is used to near it
• there are excessive cooking fumes or steam, eg: roasting meat, burnt toast, etc
• there are strong draughts from nearby doors and windows.

Changing the battery:

• buy a new 9 volt battery
• open the detector by gently prising off the cover
• unclip the battery from its connections and retaining clips
• clip the battery firmly in place. Ensure it is put in the same way as the one removed ie +and- signs on the detector
• close the detector and test it using the test button. 

To test your alarm:

• press and hold the test button for a few seconds. The alarm should sound
  if the alarm sounds, try cleaning it and test again
• if the alarm still does not sound after cleaning, replace the battery. If it still doesn't work you will need to replace the whole detector.