Lincolnshire

Stay Safe This Halloween

It’s that time of the year again, when on 31st October we will be celebrating Halloween.  This is the night when ghosts, witches and fairies are out there making their presence felt and spooking us.  Halloween is a time of celebration and also superstition and it’s thought to have originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain.   During the festival of Samhain, people would light bonfires and wear animal costumes to ward off ghosts and ghouls. Banquet tables would be laden with food to placate the spirit world.

halloween-witch

Sadly, Halloween is also the time of year when many adults and children are injured.

DB Fire Safety would like to offer you some advice to help you reduce any fire risk this Halloween.

  1. First of all be very careful when choosing your Halloween costume, more especially the material and design.  Check the label carefully and only choose a fire resistant material.
  2. Avoid witches’ costumes which have a train.  Not only can a train cause you to trip, it can also come into contact with a candle or open fire and catch light.
  3. A DIY costume made from black bin liners will capture the mood of Halloween but, they are not fire resistant and could easily go up in flames.
  4. When out trick or treating, it’s much better to take a torch rather than a lighted candle.  Glowsticks are another safe option.
  5. Now what do we do about lighting the star of the show – The Pumpkin.  DB Fire Safety would advise not to use a candle but instead spooky effects can easily be created by using a torch or even a battery candle.
  6. Are you thinking of throwing a Halloween Party.  Stay safe from fires by
    1. Keeping paper decorations well away from lit candles
    2. Don’t overload your sockets
    3. Take care not to block any exits just in case there is a fire and have an evacuation plan.
    4. If clothes do catch fire, then the tried and tested method of “Stop, Drop & Roll” continues to be effective.

Best to safe then sorry.   Do have a happy, but safe, Halloween

happy-halloween

 

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Fire Risk Warning of Charging Mobile Phones in Bed

Children in Lincolnshire could be putting their lives, and the lives of their families, at risk by charging their mobile phones in bed.  Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue are recommending that parents are to check where their children are charging their mobiles phones at night.

Mobile Phone Charger

Research has revealed that 53 per cent of children are charging their phone or tablet either on their bed or even under their pillow. This is an extremely dangerous practice.  The heat generated cannot dissipate and the charger will become hotter and hotter. The likely result is that pillows will catch fire – thus placing the child (as well as everyone else in the property) in great danger.

In the event that a fire should start, the chances are that the smoke generated will render your child unconscious before he or she wakes up. If there is no smoke detector in the bedroom, others in the property are unlikely to be aware of the danger.

Best practice is that phone chargers should not be left switched on overnight. However, if it is necessary to charge your mobile phone up overnight (and many of us do), ensure the charger and phone are not placed under pillows, on beds, or on papers or magazines. In other words, not on, or near to, anything that could easily catch fire.

The advice given above also applies to chargers for electronic cigarettes. REMEMBER – mobile phone batteries and battery chargers and chargers for electronic cigarettes do get hot.

If your older children own their own mobile phone or laptop, DB Fire Safety advice is to make sure that chargers are turned off and unplugged when not in use.

Another recommendation to parents is to keep chargers downstairs and not in their children’s bedrooms.

DB Fire Safety Contact

For more information in respect of mobile phone and electronic cigarette chargers or fire risk assessments, please give David Black a call on 0800 772 0559.

Peterborough based DB Fire Safety provides businesses and organisations with comprehensive fire safety support and specialises in carrying out fire risk assessments on behalf of landlords of HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupancy).