Fireplace Safety
When purchasing a fireplace for your home you must consider
every hazard associated, so you can take all necessary measures
in preventing fires or fire related injuries. Keep in mind the
precautions listed below in order to decrease the odds of any
fire related problems in your home:
Never: - Never burn charcoal or use a hibachi in
your fireplace because they both produce deadly carbon monoxide.
- Never close the flue while a fire is still burning. Carbon
monoxide could build up and cause danger to those in the home.
- Never use gasoline, lighter fluid or kerosene to start a
fire. The best choice for starting a fire is using long-stemmed
matches.
- Never leave a fire unattended.
Always
- Always protect yourself and your family from
fire-related injuries by enclosing the fireplace opening with a
glass door or a screen.
- Always have your fireplace checked
by a professional at least once year.
- Always make sure
flammable items such as newspapers or magazines are away from
the fire.
- Always teach children to stay away from
fireplaces.
- Always have a fire extinguisher on hand.
- Always make sure there is at least one working smoke
detector on every level of your home.
Studies show that in
2003 someone died in a fire related accident about every 2 hours
and someone was injured, due to fire, every 29 minutes. Fire
safety is very important and should be taught to children at a
very young age. The following is a list of fire safety tips
which you should teach your children when they are very little:
- Stop, Drop and Roll