It is essential that you familiarize yourself with important safety issues, including:
- Where are the emergency exits and escape routes?
- Where are fire extinguishers and fire blankets and how do I use them?
Fire blanket
Fire blankets should be used when there is a fire in a pot or pan during cooking or if clothing or small items are on fire.
How to use a fire blanket:
- Pull out the two tabs from the box containing the fire blanket to get the blanket out.
- Hold the tabs and twist the blanket in a semi-circle. By doing so you can better protect yourself from the heat.
- Lay the blanket over the fire (as tightly as possible) until the fire has been extinguished.
- If you try to put out a fire in a small object, such as a book or a teddy bear, wrap the blanket around the object as tightly as possible.
- It can take a few minutes until the fire is out and therefore it is important to allow sufficient time for the blanket to extinguish the fire.
- Do not try to remove a burning pot or pan and running out - this creates an even greater risk.
- If possible, turn of the cooking stove or appliance and carefully pull the pot or pan off the hob (if the hob is even).
- Keep the blanket on the pot or pan until the fire department arrives.
Fire extinguisher
Hand-held fire extinguishers are designed to extinguish a fire in its early stages, before it becomes uncontrollable.
- When using a fire extinguisher, make sure to hold it upright and point the fire extinguisher with even lateral movement to the base of the fire.
- Depending on the size and type of device, a fire extinguisher can become empty within a short time, often within seconds not minutes.
The information published here is obtained from the Housing and Civil Engineering Institute.
