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Christmas Fire Safety

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  

Fire safety is crucial all year long. However, this time of year your home maybe filled with extra fairy lights, extra candles on display, decorations and presents, as merry as this time of year is, we want to highlight the possible risks to ensure you and your family have a wonderful but safe Christmas period.  

Ensure you place candles in suitable holders and away from Christmas cards, decorations, or anything else that may catch alight. Never leave cooking unattended or handle any cooking appliances under the influence of alcohol and, of course, test your smoke alarms. 

Here are some simple tips from the Fire Kills campaign to help you and your family enjoy the joys of Christmas safely: 

  • Make sure you test your smoke alarms regularly and never remove batteries
  • The majority of fires start in the kitchen therefore  cooking should never be left unattended
  • As it is the season to be merry be sure to avoid cooking whilst under the influence of alcohol. Always turn off kitchen appliances when you have finished cooking
  • Never leave burning candles unattended. Keep candles out of the reach of children, and away from decorations, cards and wrapping paper, fires, lights and heaters
  • As stunning as your lighted Christmas tree’s look with the twinkling lights, be careful you don’t overload sockets. A safety tip to remember is – one plug per socket. Always turn off plugs when they are not in use, except those that are designed to be left on, like freezers
  • Remember to switch off fairy lights and unplug them before you go to bed or leave the house
  • Always use an RCD (residual current device) on outdoor electrical equipment, including Christmas lights and decorations. This safety device can save lives by instantly switching off the power if there is a fault and can be found in any DIY store
  • Make sure that everyone in your home knows what to do in a fire – in the event of fire you should get out, stay out and call 999. 

Dreaming of a white Christmas also leads to the use of heated blankets and electrical heaters. We want people to be warm this Christmas but as the cold weather is upon us it’s crucial to ensure that the equipment used is for its intended purpose.  

Heaters can start fires it’s placed to warm to items surrounding them, so ensure that your heater is away from any furniture, curtains, decorations and presents and never use a heater to dry any wet clothes  

To help take off the chill an electric blanket sounds like the solutions. Remember to make sure it is unplugged before getting into bed (unless it has a thermostat control for safe all-night use, always follow manufacturer’s instructions). Like most electrical items, regularly examine for signs of damage. 

If you have any concerns about any electrical faults in your home, please contact Beyond Housing on 0345 065 5656  to log any repairs so that the work can be checked and completed properly and safely.