What Do You Have In The Home For Safety?

[ItchyTasty]

Mainly taking about fire safety and first aid.

I got for the kitchen:

1x 2 litre ABF foam(wet chemical) fire extinguiser for the kitchen that is suitable for use on cooking oils/fats, solids, flammible liquids and accidental live electrical fires not closer than 1 meter.

5 year warranty.

Once I had a pretty big fire in the oven/grill section caused by fat from the meat hitting the grill burner and catching fire. Luckily shut the oven/grill door and turned off the heat and it went out.

Cause was putting greasy/fatty sausages on kitchen foil, it couldn't drain away underneath.

Solution, used a wire rack next time, so the juices/fats/grease could collect underneath it.

1x premium fire blanket from Jactone with a 5 year warranty, 1.1m by 1.1m suitable for solids, and cooking fires.

Perfect say if the toaster was to catch on fire, would just put that over it.

1x Safelincs 2kg CO2 fire extinguisher with frost-free horn (suitable for use on flammable liquids and live electrical fires) with 10 year warranty.

Only bad thing about it is can't be used in confined spaces as it starves the oxygen and can cause asphyxiation.

Then again.....

Would eventually like to replace all the smoke detectors with dual sensor Ionisation and Photo Electric smoke detectors when I can afford it.

Currently only got one dual sensor Kidde Pl9000 smoke detector(with 5 year warranty) with hush button in the downstairs hall with 10 year lithium battery in.

Upstairs and in the loft there's only about a year old mini sized Ionisation smoke detector(with 10 year lithium battery in) that the London Fire Brigade installed.

My bedroom currently has nothing, and I'm a very deep sleeper and I'm on medication that makes me drousy, so it could be possible for me to sleep through a smoke detector outside my bedroom door (as I shut my door at night).

So that's the next smoke dual sensor detector I'm buying.

Dual sensor for:

"Ionisation responds quickly to fast flaming fires whilst Photo Electric responds quickly to slow smouldering fires."

I don't smoke at all, but sometimes use tea-lights though although only in ceramic holders and make sure they are out before bed.

Could really do with an ABC dry powder extinguiser as well for that, as the fire blanket stays in the kitchen and ABF foam(wet chemical) fire extinguiser stays in the cupboard, next to the kitchen so can be used quickly without having to look far for it.

Whilst the CO2 extinguiser stays upstairs in my room so can easily grab it, to use on electrical items. It's apprently no good for solids as it can scatter burning material everywhere.

However the only other probably causes of fires in my house could be: cooking, fire in the toaster(crumb tray doesn't get emptied enough).

And electrical, we got a TON of electrical applicances. Quite a few left plugged in 24/7 365. Especially computers, TVs, NOT left on standby though.... but plugged in and switch on 24/7 365 though.

And quite a few "cowboy" electrical repairs or extensions....

As a few rooms don't have enough mains sockets, some moronic "cowboy" builder illegally(I'm sure) wired a extension lead straight into a mains socket. Enough though the 13 amp cable is run under the floor and extension block is secured to the wall the other side could easily pull out from the 32 amp ring main cable it's attached to and short.

Yes we got mcb's and an rcd, but would they trip in time before a short makes enough heat to cause a fire.

Oh and some moron puts more than 13 amp on that extension lead "SPUR" it "WILL BURN" as it is only meant to carry 13 amps max. Wheras the 32 amp ring main cable carries 32 amps max before tripping the mcb.

So the mcb won't sense 13 amps off the "SPUR" as an overload and the extension lead "SPUR" cable WILL catch on fire.

As well as that I've had the rcd not trip once for some reason, resulting from a very loose connection lead to the kettle with the lead sparking everywhere(luckily on a melamine kitchen worktop, didn't start a proper fire, but has left a small burn mark on the surface permanently). before finally tripping the mcb when it shorted.

The rcd could be defective, or maybe it was more of an arc fault than earth leakage which is why it didn't trip.

Not sure how accurate the test button is on them, but unlike those plug in rcd's, we haven't tested the main consumer unit rcd for years.

Also one of the sockets in the bedroom ages ago arced badly in the switch and welded it's switch together. It was cheap shit which I think the switch contacts worn out on, and replaced it with a high quality MK socket now and has been fine ever since.

Think I'll get a carbon monoxide audible detector soon as well. I know blue gas flames are fine, but orange/yellow flames indicates a problem.

The gas boiler has blue flames with orange/yellow tips which is a bit concerning, but it get serviced by a registered british gas engineer regularly so hopefully is safe.

However the year or 2 old gas cooker/oven has a mixture of blue and orange flames in the oven part, but the hob part is pure blue flames. So I'm pretty sure the oven either needs cleaning from a build up of fatty deposits or is something more sinister like the start of carbon monoxide.

And last but not least my custom made first aid kit put together from various supplies consists of:

Small Ess Workplace First Aid Kit BS8599 Compliant:

Box Size: 18cm x 27cm x 9cm

• 1 x Guidance Leaflet

• 1 x List of contents

• 4 x Med HSE Dressing

• 1 x Large HSE Dressing

• 2 x Triangular Bandage

• 6 x Safety Pins

• 2 x No 16 Eyepad

• 40 x Adhesive Dressings

• 20 x Alcohol Free Wipes Wipes

• 1 x Adhesive Tape

• 6 x Nitrile Gloves (Pairs)

• 2 x Sterile Finger Dressing

• 1 x Resuscitation Faceshield

• 1 x Foil Blanket

• 1 x Burn Dressing

• 1 x Bandage and Clothing Shears(Tuffcut shears)

• 1 x Conforming Bandage

Also:

1x Ambulance Dressing No 1 (10cm x 12cm),

1x Ambulance Dressing No 2 (20cm x 15cm),

1x Sterostrip Washproof Plasters Assortment (100),

1x Sterowash Eyewash Pods 20ml- Pack of 25,

2x HypaCool Instant Cold Packs,

1x Robinsons FastAid Heat Pad,

1x Mueller Reusable Hot Cold Gel Pack,

2x Hot and Cold Ice or Gel Pack cover with fastening.

[belinda_sue_fox]

• 1 x List of contents

[alex 04]

i have nothing in the house realy

i have to follow german law for the car stuff

[sarah_ab]

we've got a smoke detectors in every bedroom, the kitchen and the hallways (they came with the house)....

I think we have afire extinguisher in the laundry room?

I've got some mickey mouse bandaids and some sponge bob bandaids.

ummm... i also have an ice pack in the freezer....

Sounds like the OP is clearly the place to be in a natural disaster hits.. but its not enough to have first aid supplies. don't forget to stock pile canned food, bottle water, peanut butter, as well as having at least 2-3 weeks of medications on hand in case of a natural disaster!!!!

[ItchyTasty]

we've got a smoke detectors in every bedroom, the kitchen and the hallways (they came with the house)....

I think we have afire extinguisher in the laundry room?

I've got some mickey mouse bandaids and some sponge bob bandaids.

ummm... i also have an ice pack in the freezer....

Sounds like the OP is clearly the place to be in a natural disaster hits.. but its not enough to have first aid supplies. don't forget to stock pile canned food, bottle water, peanut butter, as well as having at least 2-3 weeks of medications on hand in case of a natural disaster!!!!

Not natural disaster really unless you count my epilepsy as a cause. As I'm much more likely to have falls, burns and start possible fires(when cooking).

Plus general safety anyway.

[wetman]

I seem to recall that you are at the moment without a significant other half; If you should have a grand mal, do you come out soon enough to use the fire extinguisher if your frying pan burns? It'd scare the poo out of me.

[sarah_ab]

If your seizures are that uncontrolled would you perhaps be safer with a roommate and also not ever cooking when home alone and not lighting candles for what happened if you had a seizure and knocked one off... And yes how severe and how long are your post ictal symptoms .... Would you be alert enough to put out a fire or call for help

[Diapers4Me]

Smoke detectors on all floors. Fire extinguishers in Kitchen, FR, Garage, all bedrooms. Rope ladder on 2nd floor. Fire ext in all cars

[beallucanb]

I have smoke detectors in every room and a few in my basement, I have good sized ABC fire extinguishers stashed all over the house and garages.

I have electric heat so I don't use monoxide detectors, but I do have one, just in case.

I also have them in all 3 of the cars I'm using.

I was involved in a fire when I was a kid, and it was my fault it happened, I think that event made me fire safety conscious.

[Bettypooh]

Got the basics- small fire extinguishers rated for their use home and car, a decent stock of medical stuff, food and water to do a week if i stretch it, smoke detectors, and a Pit Bull security system in the yard to ensure I still have all this when I come home from work- plus she's a great friend and companion

[babychubby]

Smoke and CO detectors in almost every room and a 9mm that's on my side all the time!!!!!!

[sarah_ab]

Smoke and CO detectors in almost every room and a 9mm that's on my side all the time!!!!!!

so do you shoot at the fire to scare it away?

[wetman]

so do you shoot at the fire to scare it away?

No, at the neighbours, if they try to steal the fire extinguisher (The multiple exclamation marks do make me worry a little.).

[ItchyTasty]

I seem to recall that you are at the moment without a significant other half; If you should have a grand mal, do you come out soon enough to use the fire extinguisher if your frying pan burns? It'd scare the poo out of me.

I don't have grand mal. I have simple partials, complex partials and myclonic jerks.

[ItchyTasty]

If your seizures are that uncontrolled would you perhaps be safer with a roommate and also not ever cooking when home alone and not lighting candles for what happened if you had a seizure and knocked one off... And yes how severe and how long are your post ictal symptoms .... Would you be alert enough to put out a fire or call for help

I live at home at the moment that's why, so yeah I mostly got mum to look out for me.

Except if I cook when she's out.

Unlikely I'd start a fire when cooking as I 99% of time get an aura before the seizure comes on either an anxiety/panicy or jittery/shaky feeling or voices/sounds start going all quiet/muffled. The 1% time that doesn't happen I will straight away space out into a simple partial, where I could knock over a saucepan or frying pan.

So if this happens I would quickly turn off the heat(gas) rather throw away un-cooked food than burn myself and the house down.

My seizure symptoms can be very severe sometimes, but I never go fully unconcious, I have fainted/blacked out for a few seconds a few times though and often to go into a semi-concious state with TONS of confusion and my memory is fucked when that happens.

Post ictal symptoms can last 15 mins to 1 day, depending on its severity.

Simple partials only take me 10-15 mins to recover from and could get out in time from a fire or ring 999.

Complex partials with myclonic jerks last a few mins having them and can't do NOTHING but lay/sit there and wait till it passes, but after that I could ring 999 but I wouldn't be able to operate a fire extinguisher in that state.

Clusters of complex partials with myclonic jerks would present a REAL HAZARD, as they just wear me out, and I end up with a really banging migraine after, thirst and nausea and usually end up sleeping it off, as the post ictal symptoms make me feel very peculiar(like I'm going insane or dying) and extremelly spaced out.

So I could only operate a fire extinguisher when my mind is clear and NOT in a seizure state. I bought them mainly as mum is careless with things so I'm surpised there has has only been a contained fire in the oven/grill so far.

If it hadn't been for me there wouldn't have been any smoke alarms in the house in the first place, as I had to ring up the local fire brigade for a free home safety check, unfortunally they could only fit max 2 free mini smoke detectors(the one in the loft and upstairs).

As for fire extinguishers and fire blanket, after seeing carelessly she let the oven/grill catch on fire and the toaster crumb tray is really full. And she has tealights not in ceramic holders, unlike when I very occassionally use them. I wouldn't be surpised if there was a proper house fire one day.

Even though I told her how to operate them correctly and what to use them on and what not to incase of an emergency. I hope she remembers, or will I need to buy a fire extinguiser instruction safety signs too,lol...

Fire blanket can be used on almost everything, but you have to smother it with it completely and can be only used once.

I'd rather take proper precautions, than not have much at all.

LOL her first aid kit is shit, full of un-sterile(cut strip type) out-date plasters and not much alse, no dressings or bandages, reason why I had to buy my own stuff.

Her attitude is "it's not needed" until it's too late that is....

[glycerine]

Our house is VERY well protected with interconnected smoke alarms now. The massive rebuild that occurred after the vandalism (old readers know of what I speak) meant the house had to be brought up to current code. That meant stand-alone smoke/monoxide detectors in each room and wired/interconnected smoke/monoxide detectors on each floor. We also have ABC extinguishers on all floors.

As for first aid... my step-son is an EMT so his "crash kit" can handle damn near anything.

[:dlb]

As a burn survivor and fire safety advocate I'm happy to see you are doing your best to be prepared. Thumbs up.

[babychubby]

yeah it is so no one can steel my fire extinguisher lol

[DLHOOPZ]

Your preatty big on the Fire saftey, and EMS... Do I detect someone in the Emergency field, perhaps a first responder maybe?

[ItchyTasty]

Your preatty big on the Fire saftey, and EMS... Do I detect someone in the Emergency field, perhaps a first responder maybe?

I used to be a St John's Ambulance cadet for many years when I was younger. So I still have the experience. DR ABC was the main thing I learnt meaning: Danger Response Aiways Breathing Circulation

As for fire safety, I'm just fascinated in fire safety, fire fighters etc as a hobby. So maybe came from there.

Also I was in the UK, London,Hendon police cadets for a while when younger also.

I don't remember much anymore from that, except common laws like " A breach of the peace" and "harassment alarm or distress" and a few others, but don't know what section they come under anymore without looking them up.

[Guest gnappies]

Smoke Alarm, and an illegal fire extinguisher.

[BabyJune]

Having smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in the house are required by law in my state, so I have both. I also frequently check and clean the dryer vent system. Lint is very flammable.

[Guest gnappies]

That should come in handy if an illegal fire ever breaks out.

Well I've covered most bases with that one.

It's an old Halon extinguisher, still good pressure, and fine if you understand how to use Halon properly.

[Rihanna]

Having smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in the house are required by law in my state, so I have both. I also frequently check and clean the dryer vent system. Lint is very flammable.

Very good point as I have seen many dryer vent fires. Michigan also has smoke & CO detector laws.

For those that don't know it, the corrugated flexibile dryer vent tubing is illegal across most building codes in the US. I have no idea why it's still allowed to be manufactured and sold.

Do yourself, (as in anyone reading this,) your life, and lives of loved ones a giant favor, if "you" have the flexible, have it removed and switch to the proper hard tubing.

On topic, I have many safety and food/water supplies but should inventory as I probably need more. We have a generator and in the great blackout of 2003 we were the only house for miles to be lit. We bad though, we did not rotate the stored gas, but it ran fine on several cans that were bought in Dec of 1999 as a hedge on Y2K. Now we rotate.

Handguns, rifles, and plenty of ammo are also a must, both for protection, and as the old JOKE goes, one can get what they want from unarmed neighbors and businesses.

[Guest gnappies]

Oh I know what that is, I used to work in a building with a ton of electrical equipment in it and they had a halon system. Doesn't that work by displacing all of the oxygen in the room, which stops the fire?

Yes, you don't run in and get close to the fire, spray into the room.