Fire Safety in the Home: What you should do

  • Don’t leave chip / food pans unattended.
  • Hoover extractor fans and clean to keep free form dust.
  • Be careful not to overload electrical sockets.
  • Use chargers for devices (e.g. mobile phones, laptops etc) supplied by the manufacturer of the device. Cheap replacements have an increased risk of catching fire.
  • Unplug chargers when not in use - always unplug them overnight.
  • Never charge phones or tablets & place under a pillow or cushion. This causes the device to overheat and can pose a fire risk.
  • Close living room and kitchen doors at night. In the event of a fire this will help to hold back smoke and flames giving you vital time to escape or call for help.
  • Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
  • Keep portable heaters away from curtains and furniture. Only use the type with safety cut out which will turn them off if they should fall over. Portable Calor-gas type heaters are NOT permitted.
  • Never dry washing in front of an open fire.
  • Ensure your furniture is fire retardant, and keep combustibles away from any heat source.
  • Keep an eye on lit candles - they should be on a stable surface, away from flammable items e.g. curtains, and kept out of reach of children.
  • Never spray aerosols near an open flame or lit candle. 

Plug in Air Freshners

Reduce fire risks by following some basic safety precautions: Don’t cover plug-in air fresheners. Make sure there is plenty of space around them. Switch air fresheners off when you go to sleep or leave the house. Check plug-in air fresheners regularly for scorch marks or melting.You can also minimise the risk by only buying high-quality air fresheners from established brands. These products are likely to be tested to higher standards

Looking after your smoke alarm

Fire Safety Check your smoke alarm weekly by pressing the test button to make sure that it’s working. If your alarm bleeps intermittently this indicates a battery low fault or an alarm memory fault, which needs attention (contact us if you need help with this). A continuous beeping is an activation that requires immediate action to stay safe. Never disconnect the alarm if it goes off by mistake. Vacuum the grill area of the smoke alarm every 12 months. Never cover smoke or heat alarms. Report any issues to Calvay HA. 

Do you have a plan???

Even with care, fires can happen. They can spread quickly, so you need to have a plan of how you would get out of your home, and make sure that everyone who lives there, as well as any visitors, are aware of it. You should check your escape route regularly to make sure that it’s clear. You can find an example of a fire escape plan on the Scottish Fire and Rescue web page at firescotland.gov.uk/at-home/escape-plan