Are you going to check your smoke alarms over Christmas? Everyone has heard the stories about how Christmas can cause a fire hazard in homes, there have been a lot of news articles warning us about the dangers, and telling us how to avoid a fire starting. But the best precaution that you can take is to make sure that your smoke alarms have been checked and are in good working order to keep you and your loved ones safe.
People’s risk of fire at Christmas time varies, but sadly the most festive of us are at the most risk. The more lights and electric decorations that you have in and around your house the greater the risk of fire is.
Take as many precautions as you can:
- Turn lights off when you go to bed.
- Don’t overload power boards, and definitely don’t double up on adapters or extension cords.
- Don’t buy sub standard lights. Make sure they have an Australian Standards label.
- Keep flammable materials such as wrapping paper away from power sockets.
Taking these measures will help you prevent a fire in your home. However should the worst happen the you want to make sure that you and your family are safe. Smoke alarms then become your best line of defense. Make sure that all of yours work, and wherever possible make sure that they are up to date.
Last year a legislation passed in Queensland stating that all homes need to put photoelectric smoke alarms in place. There si time to get this done, but if you want to make your home as safe as possible then these alarms are recommended. In the meantime, make suer your alarms are in good working order, and if possible get them inspected.