Installing and maintaining working smoke alarms can improve your safety, as they will alert you if a fire has started in your home, giving you time to escape.
It’s recommended that you put a smoke alarm in every room, outside each bedroom and on every level of your home and have them interconnected.
A small fire can engulf an entire room in two to three minutes, leaving little time to escape.
Making a home fire safety plan with your household is simple and could save your life.
Practising your plan will help you to respond better during a fire when you’re stressed or have just woken up.
When developing your home fire escape plan, consider the following:
This is also a good time to consider the location of your fire prevention and fire-fighting equipment, including smoke alarms, fire blankets and fire extinguishers.
Once you have considered the above, write down your plan and put it somewhere everyone can access it, such as on the fridge
Make sure everyone in the household knows what to do if there is a fire by practicing for a fire using your home fire escape plan.
Make sure everyone in the household knows what to do if there is a fire:
Lithium-ion batteries, or LI batteries, are a major cause of house fires in WA. LI battery fires are sudden and intense, often throwing battery cells several metres which can cause several fires simultaneously.
There are several reasons a fire may occur in Lithium-Ion battery operated equipment, including overcharging, overheating, batteries being poorly manufactured, and impact damage to batteries.
Unattended cooking is a major cause of home fires.
Unattended heat sources in the kitchen are responsible for one in seven house fires.
IMPORTANT! Never use water to put out a fat or oil fire, as this will cause the fat to explode and the fire to spread.
It is very dangerous to install or repair any kind of electrical component or appliance yourself. Use a licenced electrical contractor to install, check and maintain your home electrical needs and appliances.
If you’re concerned about faulty installation or repairs, contact a licenced electrical contractor immediately.
If the electrical appliance has been purchased internationally or obtained in a used condition, you should check that it complies with Western Australian electrical safety regulations, and have it inspected and tested before use.
Appliances, especially heaters and electric blankets, can develop faults and be the subject of product safety recalls. Check the Product Safety Australia website to search for product recalls.
Do not overload power boards, extension leads or adaptors:
Your clothes dryer may not be working properly if:
You can improve the safety of your household by making some simple changes when smoking or using candles.
Fires can start from:
All fireplaces should:
If your fireplace is not properly cleaned, a fire could start and spread to the roof space, threatening the whole house.
At the start of each winter season before using your fireplace check:
When using your fireplace, it is important to:
You can improve your safety by putting a smoke alarm in every room, outside each bedroom and on every level of your home.
Learn about which smoke alarm to install and where to place it.
You’re at a higher risk from fires starting in your home if:
As part of your home fire escape plan, you need to consider how you will exit safely and quickly. Follow these helpful tips on the safe use of doors, windows and home security.
Use an alarm system that conforms to Australian Standards Mark AS 2201 and ensure it is installed by a licensed installer and connected to smoke alarms.
If you live in a multi-storey building it’s important to know the specific fire safety and evacuation details of that building and what to do if a fire alarm is activated.
If a fire starts in your multi-storey building, you’ll need to have a plan to escape quickly.
Take the time to:
Ensure everyone in your household understands the above and practice your escape plan regularly.
It is important to evacuate immediately after you’re alerted to a fire.
Stay calm and get everyone out as quickly as possible.
Never use lifts in a fire. Take the emergency exits and fire stairs to leave the building.
Remember to:
When you live or are staying in a multi-storey building, it is important to:
In case there is a fire, it’s important to have quick access to fire safety equipment, including a fire extinguisher and fire blanket.
Both the fire extinguisher and fire blanket should be located near an exit, where they are easily accessible.
In case there is a fire, it’s important to have quick access to fire safety equipment, including a: