Yes, this is the season for lovely things like woolly scarves, knee-high boots and hot chocolate, but it is also the season where a lot of accidents happen. During winter months house fires seem to become a more common occurrence. This could possibly be attributed to the increased use of electric blankets, gas heaters and open fires to fight off winter’s frosty bite. Not to mention the traditional HVAC air conditioning, as HVAC Direct notes.
Here are the king’s top 5 tips to keep you cosy and safe this winter:
- Unplug.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s an electric blanket or a heater; make sure your heating devices are unplugged when you leave the house. Yes they need to be switched off, but for safety’s sake make sure that they are unplugged as well. You never know when a fuse might blow or short.
- Turn down the heater.
Be sure to keep heaters away from anything that could possibly catch alight. This could be paper, clothing or furniture. So you can forget about drying your clothes on the heater. Ensure that you turn all heaters off when you go to bed.
- Fireplace savvy.
Don’t use any flammable liquids, cardboard, trash, or debris in your fireplace. Not only can these items start chimney fires or send sparks into the room, but they could possibly cause toxic smoke. Also be cautious of the wood you use to make fire. Some wood also creates highly toxic smoke when burnt.
- Flaming faux pas.
Always be cautious when using open flames as a source of heat. Be sure that there is enough space to navigate safely around any fire (even that scented candle you got for Christmas) and that there aren’t fire hazards in the vicinity. Open flames are very dangerous and cannot be left unattended. Not even for 1 minute!
- Be aware of your children.
Never leave matches, candles or lighters where your children can reach. Also, always be sure to position your heaters in such a way that your little ones won’t be able to hurt themselves. DO NOT leave any heaters or open flames unattended when your children are around.
As winter’s cold grasp slowly tightens be sure to use the king’s top tips to keep your family warm, cosy and, most importantly, safe.
