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Keep safe from fire
Cooking safely
- Take extra care if you need to leave the kitchen while cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk.
- Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob and keep pan handles and matches out of reach.
- Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing and beware of tea towels and cloths – they can easily catch fire.
- Keep electrics (leads and appliances) clean and away from water and flammable materials.
- Don’t put anything metal in the microwave.
- Be careful when cooking with hot oil – it sets alight easily.
Use candles with care
- Make sure the candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fire – like curtains.
- Put candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they’re put out completely at night using a snuffer or spoon.
- Children shouldn’t be left alone with lit candles.
- We are upgrading the smoke detectors in 2000 homes by April 2011 as part of our Decent Homes Programme. Homes with more than one level will have one smoke alarm fitted on each floor. Smoke detectors in all remaining homes over a five year period will be tested to ensure they are in good working order and replaced where necessary.
Be cautious with electrical appliances
- Always check that you use the right fuse to prevent overheating and appliances meet British or European safety standards.
- Keep electrical appliances clean and in good working order and keep to one plug per socket.
- Look out for signs of dangerous or loose wiring such as scorch marks, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow, flickering lights or circuitbreakers that trip for no obvious reasons.
- Unplugging appliances helps reduce the risk of fire – unplug any you can when you go to bed.
Stub out cigarettes properly
- Never smoke in bed and use a proper ashtray – never a wastepaper basket.
- Make sure your ashtray can’t tip over and is not flammable - and don’t leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around.
In case of fire, however small:
- Get everybody out of your home.
- Dial 999 and ask for the fire brigade.
- Do not go back into your home for any reason.
- Warn your neighbours.
Top tip
Make sure you can hear your smoke detector. Go into your bedroom and shut the door to see whether you can hear the alarm.
Top tip
If your clothes catch fire, do not run. Instead, follow these simple steps: stop, drop to the floor, cover your face with your hands and roll back and forth until the flames are put out.
Top tip
Smoke naturally rises, so crawl on your hands and knees to leave the building your house is filling with smoke.
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