In large residential buildings and commercial premises, a single fire alarm is not enough to keep everyone safe. Installing interlinked fire alarms is not only a legal requirement, but the best way to ensure you are made aware of any potential hazards as quickly as possible.
In this blog post, we’ll explain the importance of interlinked fire alarms and break down the most recent guidance to help you ensure your premises are protected in line with the law.
As a business owner, you are required by law to have 'an appropriate fire detection system' and fire protection procedures in place within a commercial building. This can include fire alarms. In the case of a fire, a fire alarm provides a clear way for a fire to be detected and for others to be warned.
'Fire!' is never a word you want to hear yelled, no matter where you are. Car fires, house fires, chimney fires...any type of fire is never good news.
Fortunately, statistics can help us to understand where fire safety measures are working and what may still need to change. Statistics can be exceptionally useful when combined with contextual understanding of the times, which can give us deeper insight into why the numbers change - or stay the same - as years pass.
If you're interested in finding out more about fire incident statistics in Wales, and what they tell us about how we can better protect ourselves from fire-related incidents, read on.
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The question of ‘how quickly does a building fire spread?’ is a pretty relative question, and it’s definitely dependent on certain factors within the building itself, such as the presence of flammable materials and the number of fire safety protections currently in place.
In the ‘average building’, the speed at which a small spark or ignition point can flare up into a fast-moving inferno is only 30 seconds.
Christmas is a wonderful time of year when the family gets together, but unfortunately, it's also a time where we see an increased risk of fires in the home. With Christmas lights hung from the tree, a cosy fire in the hearth and a Christmas dinner cooking in the kitchen, there are a lot of opportunities for an accidental fire to start... especially if you've had a few drinks! Here are some harrowing statistics from the National Accident Helpline that put things into perspective:
As you can see, there is a real risk of house fires during the Christmas period, so it's important that you take precautions to keep your family safe. Here are a few things you can do to prevent a house fire in your home this Christmas.
1. Switch unattended Christmas lights off
2. Don't use Christmas lights with frayed or damaged cables
3. Move candles away from the Christmas tree, presents, wrapping paper & soft furnishings
4. Keep an eye on children, especially if they're near the fire, candles or the Christmas tree
5. Never hang decorations off lights, radiators or other heat sources
6. Don't be tempted to overload electrical sockets
7. Check that the cooker is switched off after you cook your Christmas dinner
If there's one thing you take away from this blog, we implore you to check that your fire alarm is working this Christmas period. Your fire alarm should be checked year-round to ensure it's operating properly, otherwise, you could find yourself in a sticky situation if a fire occurred.
If you don't already have a fire alarm system in your home, we can help you. We build, install and maintain fire alarm systems in both residential and commercial properties. Find out more about our fire alarms below.
Fire Alarms from IDS Security >
Read More: Fire Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic