Click on these links to see two seasonal safety leaflets - Wishing you a safe and happy Christmas and Fire safety in the winter - and click on this link for more about the Don't Drown in Toxic Smoke campaign

7 December 2009

Firefighters are urging everyone to plan ahead to ensure that Christmas is a safe as well as a happy celebration.

They say people often get distracted by the hustle and bustle of the festive season and are unaware of the potential fire hazards and toxic threats that can lurk in fairy lights, candles and flammable decorations. 

Terry Ridgley, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s community safety manager, said: “The risk of fire in the home is an all-year-round issue – but people are particularly vulnerable at Christmas for many reasons.

“These include unsafe electrical decorations, unattended candles, cooking while drinking and the fact that the house can be a busier place than usual. Lots of people means lots of distractions!”

People also vastly underestimate the deadly strength of toxic smoke and overestimate how long they have to escape should a fire break out. The reality is that just two to three breaths of smoke in a fire can render a person unconscious. 

This will be highlighted in the national ‘Don’t Drown in Toxic Smoke’ advertising campaign, which will be running over the Christmas period. It dramatically shows how quickly toxic smoke can affect the human body. A sleeping couple are shown being overcome by the drowning sensation of toxic smoke when a fire breaks out in their home at night.

Terry added: “Christmas should be a time for celebration rather than tragedy, and for this reason I’m urging people to be aware of fire risks and to keep themselves safe.”

Here are Terry’s top tips to stay safe from fire this Christmas:

• Ensure you have a working smoke alarm installed on all levels of your home. Test your smoke alarms weekly and never remove batteries to power presents!
  
  
• Make sure everyone staying in your home over Christmas knows the main escape routes in the event of a fire.
  
  
• Never leave cooking unattended and avoid cooking while drinking alcohol. The majority of fires start in the kitchen so this is a high-risk area. Always turn off kitchen appliances when you have finished cooking.
  
  
• Never leave candles unattended. Keep decorations, cards and wrapping paper away from candles, fires, lights and heaters.
  
  
• Ensure you switch off fairy lights and unplug them before you go to bed or leave the house. Check your Christmas tree lights conform to the British Standard (BS EN 60598).
  
  
• Always use an RCD (residual current device) on outdoor electrical equipment. An RCD is a safety device that can save lives by instantly switching off the power if there is a fault.
  
• Don’t overload sockets – ensure only 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.
  
  
• Make sure cigarettes are extinguished properly and never smoke in bed.  Put it out, right out.
  
  
• Check on older relatives and neighbours this Christmas as they are at greater risk from fire.
  
  
• Ask the experts – Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service offers free home fire risk checks to identify potential fire risks and advise what to do to reduce or prevent them. This includes the free installation of smoke alarms – the ideal gift for keeping your family safe. Ring 01296, email cs@bucksfire.gov.uk or fill in the online form at www.bucksfire.gov.uk/bucksfire/free
  
  
• In the event of fire, get out, stay out and call 999.