Home Fire Safety Brochure

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Kitchen and Cooking

Cooking in the kitchen is the single largest cause of fires in the home. A fire in your kitchen can cause extensive damage. Kitchen fires are responsible for a high level of personal injury. Pay attention in the kitchen.

Always supervise children in the kitchen. Keep them away from the stove top and oven. Keep pot handles turned in.

Keep stove top, griller, oven, range hood and cooking area free from built up grease, dust and oil.

KEEP BACK

WATCH OUT!


A fire extinguisher and fire blanket should be stored within easy reach but away from the cooking area. MFB recommends that you only use a fire extinguisher or fire blanket if you feel physically and mentally able to use this equipment safely.

Stay in the kitchen and never leave cooking unattended.

Combustibles such as tea towels and paper towels must be kept away from cooking and heat sources.

Make sure kitchen appliances are clean and in good working order.

SO OT


Bedroom

Fire risk is greatest at night when you are asleep. When we sleep we can lose our sense of smell. Without a working smoke alarm you may not wake up or wake up too late to safely escape.

Smoking in bed is very dangerous. Do not smoke in bed.

Ensure powered electrical appliances like hairdryers, hair straighteners and laptops are not left on bedding.

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Turn electric blanket on 30 minutes before getting into bed and turn off once you are in bed.

Keep electric blanket flat with controls at the side of the bed. Regularly check for broken and worn wiring.


Smoke alarms must be installed outside sleeping areas. Extra smoke alarms should also be installed inside any bedroom where someone sleeps with the door closed.

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Only purchase heat bags with instructions and use according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

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Heating

Heaters can include fixed electrical and gas powered appliances, an open fire, wood heater/slow combustion or portable heaters including electrical, gas and kerosene. Fires caused by heating increase during winter months.

Drying clothes and other items must be kept at least one metre away from all heating.

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Ensure heaters are installed, maintained and operated according to manufacturer’s instructions.

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Always use a fire screen in front of an open fire. SER UAN M NUAL ER SNU UAN AL

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Turn off all portable heating and extinguish open fires before leaving home or going to sleep.

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Keep fuel and combustibles at least one metre from fire.

Chimneys and flues should be cleaned yearly.

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Children must be supervised near all types of heating. Maintain a safe distance between children and heating.

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Electricity

Electrical appliances including double adaptors, power boards and extension cords are an increasing cause of fires. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using any electrical appliance.

MAX 60 W

Ensure monitors, laptops, televisions and other equipment have good air flow around them and are not in confined spaces or covered.

Turn off all electrical appliances at the power point when not IN S P E C T O R in use.

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Use low wattage globes in lamps.

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Using damaged electrical equipment and appliances can result in a fire. Only use appliances in good working order.

Use power boards according to manufacturer’s instructions, never overload and check regularly for damage.

LICENSED REPAIRER LICENSED REPAIRER

Only use certified electrical trades people to repair NSPEC T O R damaged/faulty electrical appliances, wiring or equipment. IN S P E C T O R

SO OT Avoid using double adaptors.

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Open Flame

Candles, incense and oil burners are used for social, cultural and religious practices. It is vital when using these items that you do so safely to avoid starting a fire.

Keep curtains and other combustibles away from open flames at all times. KCAB PEEK

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Ensure children and animals are a safe distance from candles, incense and oil burners.

Only use candles, incense and oil burners on stable noncombustible surfaces.


Always extinguish cigarettes, candles, incense and oil burners before leaving home or going to sleep.

The use of open flames should always be supervised.

Use heavy, high-sided ashtrays to prevent them tipping over and always properly extinguish cigarettes.

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Keep cigarettes, lighters and matches P O T S out of reach of children.

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Laundry and BBQ

The laundry contains electrical items such as washing machines and dryers and is used to store cleaning products and chemicals. Good house keeping is essential for a safe laundry.

Check gas bottle test date is current.

Only use your bbq outdoors and maintain a distance of one metre from fences, sheds and walls.

Ensure hose is not perished, connections are tight and not leaking.

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Clean lint filter after each use.

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Always supervise children around the bbq. Drink alcohol in moderation if you’re cooking, to keep yourself and others safe from burns. ROTC

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Keep electrical appliances away from water.

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WAIT FOR Always let clothes dryer COOL DOWN complete cooldown cycle before stopping.

Keep chemicals out of reach of children.

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Smoke Alarm

A smoke alarm provides you with early warning of a fire and gives you time to escape safely. It is law in Victoria to have at least one smoke alarm on each level of every home. Only working smoke alarms save lives.

Install smoke alarms on the ceiling.

All Australian Fire Services recommend photoelectric smoke alarms.

30 cm

At least 30cm from the walls.


Without a working smoke alarm in your home you are u 57% more likely to suffer property loss and damage u 26% more likely to suffer serious injury u four times more likely to die in a residential fire than people with working smoke alarms.

AT THE END OF DAYLIGHT SAVING

EVERY TEN YEARS All smoke alarms including those connected to mains electricity need to be replaced.

YEARLY Change the battery in your smoke alarm and gently dust around the outside cover.

MONTHLY Press the test button on the smoke alarm every month and wait for the beep, beep beep.

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Home Escape Plan

It is vital you know what to do if a fire occurs. Follow these rules to plan how you would escape a fire in your home.

If it’s safe, close doors to slow down the spread of fire and smoke.

Get down low and stay out of the smoke.

Alert other people on your way out.

GET OUT


It is essential that everyone has a home escape plan. Practise your home escape plan with the whole family.

Meet at a safe place such as the letterbox outside your home.

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Get out and stay out.

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Call 000 (triple zero) from a mobile phone or a neighbour’s phone. Ask for FIRE.

000


Other important information Look for the Australian Standards logo when purchasing smoke alarms, fire blankets and electrical products. Choose low fire-risk children’s nightwear styled to be close fitting and made of less flammable material. Look for the fire risk label.

Never deadlock your door when you are home and keep the keys in the deadlock when you are home. If you are going away on holiday make sure to turn off power to electrical appliances and let a neighbour know you are away. Switch off major appliances (washing machine etc) if you are going out.

Reducing the temperature on your hot water service will reduce the risks of scalds.

Hoarding in and around your home increases your risk of a fire, reduces your capacity to escape and access for firefighters. It is the legal responsibility of all owners and landlords of rental properties to install and maintain smoke alarms.

If you live in an Office of Housing property (and have a standard Brooks model smoke alarm installed) you don’t need to change your smoke alarm battery at the end of daylight saving. You are required to test your smoke alarm and report any faults to the Housing Call Centre. 13 11 72 If you are unsure if you have the standard Brooks model smoke alarm installed please contact your local Housing Office.

In the event of a large scale emergency such as fire, flood or industrial incident there are two ways in which you may be notified. 1. Via television or radio 2. Via a message to your mobile or home phone

You need to: 1. Stop what you are doing 2. Listen carefully to the information provided 3. Act as directed


Useful links Get more fire safety downloads from the MFB website. Go to: www.mfb.vic.gov.au and search for: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Home Fire Safety Booklet including access to other languages Smoke Alarm Information Brochure Hoarding Information Home Fire Safety Training Materials Change Your Clock Change Your Smoke Alarm Battery Winter Fire Safety Summer Fire Safety Total Fire Ban Day Information SmokeBuster Information and Bookings Seniors Fire Safety Program International Student Fire Safety Juvenile Fire Awareness Intervention Program

For more information contact MFB Community Education on 9665 4464 commed@mfb.vic.gov.au

For more information on fire safety and other safety advice visit these websites: • Create a Home Fire Escape Plan and a Home Fire Safety Check List. - Go to: www.homefiresafety.com.au • Be prepared. Have a plan. Survive a fire. - Go to: www.cfa.vic.gov.au Country Fire Authority • Red Cross RediPlan, 4 steps to plan for an emergency. - Go to: www.redcross.org.au/media/Four_steps_booklet.pdf • VicSES has advice on floods, storms, tsunamis and earthquakes. - Go to: www.ses.vic.gov.au • Energy Safe Victoria is the safety regulator responsible for electrical and gas safety in Victoria. - Go to: www.esv.vic.gov.au • The Victorian Government funds a subsidy to purchase a smoke alarm specifically designed for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. - Go to: www.vicdeaf.com.au, search for “Smoke Alarm Subsidy” • The Triple Zero (000) service is the quickest way to get the right emergency service to help you. You can contact Police, Fire or Ambulance in life threatening or emergency situations. For more information. - Go to: www.triplezero.gov.au • Kidsafe Victoria promotes child injury prevention and education of the Victorian public in the effort to preserve and protect the lives of our children. - Go to: www.kidsafevic.com.au


This book is also available in the following languages:

METROPOLITAN FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES BOARD (MFB) 450 Burnley Street, Richmond Vic. Australia www.mfb.vic.gov.au The MFB is the owner of these materials, no part may be produced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. DESIGN BY

Version 5 4/11 P 448


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