Notts: Some advice ahead of Fire Safety Week

Electrical Safety Week aimed at helping people understand the dangers of electricity around their homes, and gives advice on how to help prevent fires involving electrical appliances and electricity sources.

NFRS has the following tips for electrical fire safety:

Always check that you use the right fuse to prevent overheating.

Make sure an electrical appliance has a British or European safety mark when you buy it.

Certain appliances, such as washing machines, should have a single plug to themselves, as they are high powered.

Try and keep to one plug per socket.

Keep your eyes peeled for signs of dangerous or loose wiring such as scorch marks, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow or circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reasons, or flickering lights.

Check and replace any old cables and leads, especially if they are hidden from view - behind furniture or under carpets and mats.

Unplug appliances when you’re not using them or when you go to bed

Have a family escape plan in place so that everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

Establish a night-time routine including closing doors, especially the kitchen door, so that your family have vital protection from smoke and heat if there is a need to escape.

Avoid using electrical appliances such as washing machines and tumble dryers at night or when your property is unattended – if there is a fire you need to be able to raise the alarm quickly.

Avoid leaving pets unattended in the kitchen when these appliances are in use.

Install smoke detectors on each floor of your property and test them weekly.

If a fire does occur, get out, stay out and dial 999. Never be tempted to re-enter the property once you have made a safe escape.

More information on how to stay safe from fire is available at www.notts-fire-gov.uk