Fire Safety and Kids

If you are looking for ways to teach your children fire safety in the home, it is not always necessary to find the information on the internet or in the local library. When it comes to fire safety there are no actual rules that apply. It is more like the commonsense steps to take to ensure the safety of your home and children during a fire. Child outgrowth education includes formulating some sort of plan. It is important that your house is well equipped with working smoke alarms. You should develop a plan that will inform the whole family, yet keep in mind it should be simple enough for children under the age of 12 to understand.

Children have the tendency to be very curious so it would be good to beat them to the punch of finding out the hard way. Educate them about lighters and matches and the hazards that they cause. Try to make sure that they fully understand the use of these items and that they are not to be looked at as toys. If possible try to keep these things out of their reach. Also make sure to emphasize that fires are not always caused by children, as a matter of fact adults are more likely to set off a fire than children. For example the kitchen is one of the main spots that house fires begin. Food and other flammable products such as oil left on the stove at a high temperature are one of the many reasons that fires that tend to begin in the kitchen. It is a god idea to keep children away from the kitchen when you are cooking.

Another thing to stress to kids when discussing fire safety is the steps to take if they ever catch on fire or in case of heavy smoke. The main steps to remember if you or your clothes catch fire are to drop down to the ground and proceed to roll around until the fire dies out. Also notify them that in case a heavy smoke arises you will wrap the children in a wet blanket and instruct them to creep low, below the smoke. It is also good to keep in mind the parents are the ones who the children will depend on to keep them safe; so don’t panic, it will only make matters worse.

Child fire safety education is never ending process; most of the responsibility is placed on the parents. You may be confident that your house is fully child-proof and safe but never assume a house is completely safe; there are always dangers hanging around somewhere. Therefore make sure that the gadgets that are installed in your home are effective. Try vocal smoke alarms which are cogent alternatives to the traditional smoke alarm. It allows you to use your own voice to configure the alert; you can even record instructions on what to do, which will be great for younger children as well as elders.

For the sake of their safety remember to keep them up to date on what to do in case of a fire emergency or any other danger constantly. Always remember that your child’s safety lies in your hand so it is also critical that you are aware of the safety information as well.

Fire Safety Checklist for Home

Handling a tough situation needs some practice before hand, if it is to be handled properly. Similarly handling fire in home also requires some homework. Some inspection and practice is requires which will take not more than twenty minutes everyday. Firstly, a checklist should be made which requires questions to be answered to after thoroughly inspecting every corner of the home.

The very first room of the house which is pose extreme fire threat to house is the kitchen. The checklist for the kitchen is:
1) Is the kitchen occupied by grown ups when food is being cooked on the stove?
2) Are the counters and stove tops uncluttered and clean?
3) Are the pot holders in reachable distance of the stove?
4) When cooking, are the handles of the pots turned inwards so that nobody bumps into them?
5) Are curtains and other loose fabric away from the stove?
6) Is there an area of three feet surrounding the stove which is a kids free zone when adults are cooking?
7) Are the electrical appliances in the kitchen, such as toaster oven, blenders, food processors, coffee makers, and microwave plugged into different receptacle outlets?

The second threat to the house is the heating system. The checklist for the heating system is:
1) When there is no one at home or when adults go to sleep are the heaters turned off always?
2) Are the heaters placed at a distance of one meter away from everything such as furniture, people, and pets, especially material which can burn easily?
3) Is the fireplace equipped with a sturdy screen in order to catch the sparks?
4) Is the chimney been cleaned and inspected every year?
5) Is the furnace been cleaned and inspected every year?
6) Are the propane tanks and fuels stored outside the house?
7) Has the family practiced the home fire drill in the past six months?
Does everyone in the household has knowledge about the fire department’s emergency phone number, which needs to be dialed from the neighbor’s phone since everyone has to evacuate the house in case of fire?

Electrical gadgets and electric circuits are also dangerous if not handled properly. To check them, here is the check list:
1) Are the extension cords laid safely and not across the doorways or under the carpet?
2) Are the electrical cords in excellent condition and not worn out, cracked or frayed?
3) Do the grown ups of the house unplugs electrical appliances, even such as lamps, after using them?

Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers must be installed on every floor of the house. The check list for this purpose is:
1) Are there smoke alarms installed on every level of the house, including the attic or basement and also outside every sleeping area?
2) Are the smoke alarm batteries working in all of them?
3) Are the smoke alarms tested by pressing the test button by a grown up?
4) Are there more than one exit in the house?
5) Are all the home exits clear of furniture, clutter, and toys?
6) Is there home fire escape plan which also includes two exits? The two exits can consist of door and windows?
7) Is the decision being made about an outside safe place to meet after exiting the home?

If all the questions of every checklist are answered as yes then the house and the family members are ready to face fire accidents.
If the answer is yes to fifteen to twenty questions then few adjustments are needed to be made to ensure safety in case of fire emergencies.
And only ten to fourteen questions are answered as yes, then the family members need to double up and put in extra effort in order to be hit a fire safety home run.
If less than ten questions are answered as yes, then the whole house needs to be revamped in order to make it a safe place to live in. Not only do the adults of the house need to get trained but also the children. If there is a pet in the house, it also needs to be included in the plan.

Basic Fire Prevention

One of the best ways to prevent home fires is to install smoke detectors at every floor of the home and also fire alarms. But, installing the smoke detectors alone would not serve the purpose. Some people think that “once installed forever installed” after installing smoke detectors. But, the fact is many a time the smoke detectors don’t work and do not detect smoke due to mere negligence on behalf of the house owner. The smoke detectors batteries should be tested and checked on a regular basis and in fact the smoke detector should also be tested in whole. Make it a point to replace the battery every year. Do not smoke at home. It is one of the biggest causes of home fires.

The next big cause is electrical short circuit. Use properly rated wires for house wiring and so does other components. Also when plugging in electrical gadgets check the voltage rating to avoid shot circuits. Also, keep cords at a distance from rugs and carpet. Disconnect any appliance when done using. Replace old appliances or fix them before they become an electrical fire hazard. Also, use circuit breakers in the house wiring and also for plugging outlets to prevent fires due to overloading.

In recent years a lot of fires have been experienced due to electrical heaters to supplement home heating. Care should be taken to keep portable heaters at a distance from combustible materials to prevent fires. Also, go for heaters that have auto shutoff in case of overloading or overheating.

Fire places are also one of the biggest fire hazards in houses with fireplaces. Use screens to prevent fire spark from flying off to the outside of the fireplace. Keep combustible material at a distance from the fireplace to prevent them from catching fire. Also, do not overload the fireplace with excessive wood, which may cause sudden outburst of fire within few seconds and unexpectedly. Clean the chimneys periodically to help smoke escape freely into the air and also to clean bird nests which can catch fire.

Have an escape plan ready for the home. It is a good idea to be also prepared for a fire. Practicing an escape from time to time also increases response during the times of actual fire. Have a plan for every room in the house.

Educating the house inmates especially children would make evacuation plan easier in the event of an emergency. Children are especially fascinated about fires and like to create fires, about a hundred thousand fires a year are started by children while playing.

People have a negligent attitude towards fire safety especially during the holidays. They relax every rule just for fun and end up paying huge price for that. Care should be taken even while selecting a Christmas tree, see that it’s not too big so as to make it difficult to manage and which can catch fire easily. Decorations which are non-flammable in nature should be used to decorate homes.

First Aid Training Resources

When it comes to first aid training, knowledge is everything. Resources and materials are a very important part of getting the word out in schools, workplaces, industries and many other places distributing these resources is extremely beneficial. OSHA provides resources in safety training in all organizations that must also be compliant with OSHA regulations. OSHA has materials that are resourceful for such industries as agriculture, construction, maritime, long shoring, and many other types of industries. OSHA delivers catalogs, brochures, DVD’s, audio, posters, booklets, and training packages.

Safety resources are available through OSHA on employee safety, back injury prevention, blood borne pathogens, hazard communications, the prevention of slips and falls, fire prevention, training on how to use fire extinguishers properly, conveyor safety, hand and power tool safety, cranes and hoist safety, forklift operator safety, hazardous energy prevention, and confined space entry. These resources are all made available as part of first aid training in industrial settings where this is mandatory and federally regulated.

Some very good resources and materials are available through the American Heart Association. Some are free and others need to be paid for but all are extremely useful. Many topics are included in these resources such as first aid training basics, and first aid training for more advanced readers, materials on the importance of and administering CPR and AED, materials on prevention measures for many diverse settings. Some of the many other resources that are available are for students in first aid training and prevention which include cookbooks on preparing heart smart foods, pediatric first aid, and the importance of knowing what to do in the event of a stroke, and so on.

Using a collaboration of both effective print and video instructional materials is the best way to distribute the most effective and modern methods of learning first aid training. Many of these resources are available by ordering through direct mail in the value of booklets and pamphlets, posters, first aid video programs DVD/VHS, first aid safety programs DVD/VHS, and all are available in both English as well as Spanish.

All of these are also available as computer software CD ROMs. These re actually quite nice foe use in schools, home, or in the workplace as they are interactive as well as self paced. They utilize a combination of audio, full motion video, and color graphics to capture the attention of just about anyone. These resources also have follow up quizzes after each section so you can see how well you retained the information that was presented to you.

The whole concept is to get this information out there and make resources and materials on first aid training readily available for everyone; there is no particular segment that is off limits when it comes to first aid and safety.

Everyone needs access to the materials and resources because it is not always as easily accessed for some as it is for others. And that might be the key to success in getting everyone as equally interested in caring enough to want to be part of a greater change.

Quick First Aid Training Guide

If you have not had a chance yet to make it to your local American Red Cross for some first aid training then this is a read for you. By no means is this meant to make you qualified in first aid, although a bit of know how is better than none, but the intent is that it might just spark your interests enough to force the envelope a little and get you to take a real first aid training course.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can often lead to death. The allergy could be to just about anything from pollen to nuts. It causes great respiratory distress and can include symptoms as mild as minor hives to swelling in the throat that hinders breathing. OK that part is down pat so what are you going to do about it now? First you want to call 911 and then find out if possible if this person has an EpiPen, which they would if they ever had an allergic reaction before.

Had you gone to the first aid class they would have taught you to have a nice first aid in your home and in your car and in it would be Benadryl. Have the person lay flat with their feet elevated higher than their head. Make sure their clothes are not binding in any way; cover them with a blanket, the blanket that also would have been in your car when you took the first aid training class. Do not give them anything to drink at all. If their heart r breathing stops then begin CPR, oh yeah, that was part of the class you have not gone to yet. Then wait for paramedics.

So you are at the mall and it appears that the fellow ahead of you may have suffered what appears to be a heart attack. No one seems to know for sure if that’s what it is. They discuss the warning signs of a heart attack and how to identify one in the first aid training class by the way. Immediately call 911 and while you are waiting See if the person has nitroglycerin but if not attempt to give them an aspirin. Wait on paramedics but at any time if the person stops breathing or loses their pulse, administer CPR.

You are near someone that is bleeding severely and only you can help them. What will you do? Before you touch them you should have sanitized your hands or put on a pair of vinyl gloves as to not cause an infection when you touch them. Those too would be in the first aid kit along with the aspirin for the guy who had the heart attack. Do not move things around just cover the wound with a dressing.

If they are not already, have the person lie down and elevate the part that is bleeding if possible. Try to do a basic clean job on the wound then apply pressure and do not let up until either the bleeding stops or help arrives.

Just observing these three emergency situations you can clearly see the tools and knowledge that you are lacking by not taking a first aid training course right away. There were many situations above that could have been handled well if you had the proper first aid training.

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