S T A Y S A F E T H I S W I N T E R

GWASANAETH TÂN AC ACHUBCanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru

Mid and West WalesFIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE

W O R K I N G T O G E T H E R F O R A S A F E R W A L E S

Did you know?• 5,000firesayeararecausedbyfaultyelectricblankets.• IntheUKonaverage,12,000chimneyfiresoccureveryyear.

Thisleafletprovidesyouwithkeysafetyinformationtohelpyoukeepsafethroughoutthewintermonths.

Heating your homeOpen fires

• Becarefulwhenusingopenfires.Makesureyoualwaysuseafireguardtoprotectagainstflyingsparksfromhotembers.

• Makesureembersareundercontrolandproperlyputoutbeforeyougotobed.

• Keepchimneysandfluescleanandwellmaintained.

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Heating your homeUsing portable heaters

Keep heaters away from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes.

• Alwaysunplugelectricheaterswhenyougooutorgotobed.

• Wherepossiblesecureheatersagainstawalltostopthemfallingover.

• Onlyusegasorparaffinheatersinwellventilatedareas.Heatersconsumeoxygensoyoucouldsuffocateifaroomisnotproperlyaired.

Keep away from fabric

Keeping warmUsing electric blankets

Never use hot water bottles in the same bed as an electric blanket, even if the blanket is switched off.

• Unplugblanketsbeforeyougetintobed,unlesstheyhaveathermostatcontrolforsafeall-nightuse.

• Don’tleaveelectricblanketsfoldedasthisdamagestheinternalwiring.Ensuretheyarestoredflatorrolledup.

• Testelectricblanketsevery3years.AgeConcernoryourlocalFireandRescueServicemaybeabletodothisforyou.

• Trynottobuysecond-handblanketsandcheckregularlyforwearandtear.Replaceyourblanketwhenitismorethan10yearsold.

• Lookoutforthefollowingsymbolswhichshowablanketissafetouse.

Store electricblankets flator rolled up

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If the electricity failsAlternative lighting

Keep a light or torch handy in the event of a powercut or failure.

• Takespecialcarewhenusingcandlesormatches.Putthemoutcompletelybeforeleavingtheroomorgoingtobed.

• Useasnufferoraspoontoputoutcandles.It’ssaferthanblowingthemoutassparksandhotwaxcanfly.

• Makesurecandlesaresecuredinaproperholderandawayfrommaterialsthatmaycatchfire–likecurtains.

• Keepamobilephonehandysoyoucanstillmakeanemergencycallifthereisapowercut.

Keep a torch and batteries handy

Chimney firesThemostcommoncausesofchimneyfiresare:

• Firesorapplianceswhicharetoobigforthechimney.

• Burningunseasonedwetwood.

• Infrequentsweepingandcleaning.

• Overnightburningorsmoulderingwoodforlongperiodsinwoodstoves.

Simpletipstogreatlyreduceyourchancesofhavingafireinyourchimney:

• Sweepthechimneybeforeuse.

• Ensureafireguardisinfrontofthefireatalltimes.

• Sparkguardscanpreventaseriouspropertyfire.

• Extinguishthefirebeforegoingtobedorleavingthehouse.

• Neverusepetrolorparaffintolightyourfire.

• Makesureyouhaveaworkingsmokealarmandtestitregularly!

How often should I clean my chimney?

Werecommendthefollowingsimplemaintenanceroutines:

• SolidFuelFires-Onceayearforsmokelessfuel;twiceayearforcoal.

• WoodBurningFires-4timesayearwheninuse.

• GasFires-Onceayearifdesignedforsweeping.

• OilFires-Onceayear.

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In the event of a chimney fire

• Dial999andaskfortheFireandRescueService.Itwillhelpifsomeonecanwaitoutsidetomeetthem.

• Ifyouhaveaconventionalopenfire,extinguishbygentlysplashingwaterontotheopenfire.

• Ifyouhaveasolidfuelappliance,closedowntheventilationasmuchaspossible.

• Movefurnitureandrugsawayfromthefireplaceandremoveanynearbyornaments.

• Placeasparkguardinfrontofthefire.

• Feelthechimneybreastinotherroomsforsignsofheat.

• Ifawallisbecominghot,movefurnitureaway.

• EnsurethataccesstoyouratticorroofspaceisavailablefortheFireandRescueServiceastheywillwanttothoroughlycheckthisareaforsignsofpossiblefirespread.

Always call the Fire and Rescue Service for a chimney fire - it has the ability to destroy your home.

Remember!

Withoutpropermaintenance,anyfluefromafireorstovecancauseadangerousbuildupofcarbonmonoxidegas.Acarbonmonoxidedetectorwillhelpprotectyoufromthisrisk.

The silent killer

CarbonMonoxide(CO)isacolourless,odourless,highly,poisonousgasthatisfoundincarbonbasedfuelappliances.Ifyouusenaturalgas,LPG,heatingoil,orsolidfuelforheatingorcooking,youshouldbeawareofthedangersofcarbonmonoxide.Ifyourequipmentisn’tproperlyinstalledandmaintainedyouriskexposuretoCOpoisoning.Badlyadjustedburners,blockedflues,dirtyjetsandpoorventilationcanallbeacauseofthisillnesswhichcankillinminutes.

CommonsymptomsofCOpoisoningareoftenmistakenforfluandinclude:

• Mildheadache• Nausea• Fatigue• Dizziness• Vomiting• Drowsiness

CO Awareness

It’s easy to be safe

• Makesureyourboilerandcookerareservicedonceayearbyaproperlyqualifiedengineer.Ifyouliveinrentedaccommodation,makesureyourlandlordabidesbythelawandgetstheequipmentcheckedeveryyear.

• BuyaCOalarmforyourfamilyandprotectthemfromthedangerofpoisoning.Olderpeople,youngmumsandotherswhospendalotoftimeinthehomeareespeciallyvulnerable.Keepthemsafe!

• Everyoneshouldhavetheirchimneysweptandcheckedregularly.

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Fire safety for thatched buildings

Fit a smoke alarm in the loft and make sure it is connected with other alarms in the house.

• Usetestedlightningconductorsandchecktheycarryoneofthesesigns,whichshowtheyareapprovedandsafetouse.

• Don’tburnrubbishorgardenwastenearathatchedproperty.

• Useabulkheadlightfittinginyourloftspace.Avoidexposedlightbulbs,whicharemoreofafirehazard.

• Neverlightfireworksnearathatchedproperty.

Fit TV aerials to free-standing poles to avoid thatched roofs being struck by lightening.

Fit a smoke alarm in the loft

Duringextremelybadweatherconditions:

• Checkthelocalandnationalweatherforecasts.

• Listentolocalandnationalradiofortravelinformation.

• Tellsomeoneatyourdestinationwhattimeyouexpecttoarrive.

• Makesureyouareequippedwithwarmclothes,food,bootsandatorch-insnowyconditions,takeaspade.

• Clearyourwindowsandmirrorsbeforeyousetoutandcarryascreenscraperandde-icer.

Winter Road Safety Advice

Checks

Checkthefollowingyourselfortakeyourcartoyourmechanicandaskthemtocheckthefollowing:

• Battery

• Wipers

• Engineantifreezelevels

• Windshieldwasherantifreezefluid

• Heatingsystem

• Brakes

• Tyres

• Windshielddefroster

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SafetyYoucankeepyourselfandotherssafe,by:

• Slowingdown

• Keepingagreaterdistancebetweenyourselfandthevehicleinfront,(increasethe2secondruleto4secondsorevenmore)

• Settingasideextratimetocompleteyourjourney

Winterdrivingconditionscanbeverydifficult.Yetwithalittlecareandpriorplanning,itispossibletominimisetheriskandmaximisesafetyforyou,yourpassengersandotherroadusers.

Driving tipsFollowthesetipsforsafewinterdriving:

• Keepyourmobilefullycharged.

• Packasnow/icescraper,de-icer,snowshovel,hat,gloves,boots,atorch,bottleofwaterandafirstaidkit.Forlongerjourneys,youshouldtakeblankets,asnackandaflaskofwarmdrink.

• Washthecarfrequentlytogetridofthesaltanddirtthatbuildsupoverthewinter.

• Alwayskeepafulltankoffuel-youneverknowwhenyoumightgetdelayed.

• Don’tusewatertodefrostthewindows.

• Oncolderdaysbeparticularlycarefulontreelinedroads-thetreespreventthesun’swarmthfromreachingtheroad,whichmaystillbeicywhenallaroundhasthawed.

SMOKE ALARMS

SAVELIVES

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FIRE SAFETYCHECKLISTRemember these top tips from our Stay Safe in the Home leaflet to stay safe from fire.

Don’t forget Keep this handy reminder of our top tips.

Fit smoke alarms on every level of your home.

Test your smoke alarm batteries every week. Change them every year. Never remove them.

Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when the cooker is on. Keep matches and sauce pan handles out of children’s reach.

Take care when cooking with hot oil – it sets alight easily.

Extension leads and adaptors have a limit to how many amps they can take. Be careful not to overload them.

Dispose of cigarettes carefully. Put them out. Right out.

Make sure candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fire – like curtains.

Plan an escape route and make sure everyone knows it.

If there’s a fire, get out, stay out and call 999.

Close internal doors at night to stop fire from spreading.