No one knows when an electrical fire can break out and knowing what to do or what not to do can mark the difference between life and death during such incidents. Whether you are inside or outside the building during electrical fires, the actions you take can help to save not only your life but those of the people who might be trapped in the fire and save also the building from being gutted out as well.
In case of any fire outbreak and not necessarily electrical fire, the paramount thing is your safety and those of the people around you. The moment you hear the fire alarm or the smoke alarm goes off indicating the presence of fire, the first thing you need to do is to take control of yourself and keep calm. Avoid panicking in any way. Then shout the word “fire” to alert any persons in the building who might have not heard the alarm go off. While still maintaining your composure, look for the nearest emergency exits then rush towards them without running. If you are in an apartment building avoid using lifts or the elevators. Don’t stop to pick up anything. Your safety is the concern and not your purse or whatever that might be in it. Once you are out of the building, go the nearest fire assembly point or a safer place where you cannot be reached by the fire or even the smokes. At this point, if someone has not called the fire department then you can make the call so that they can respond to the emergency. Don’t try running back into the building no matter what you may have forgotten with. In the process of coming out of a building on fire, due to the urgency and the disorganization, sometimes one may attain some injuries without knowing. Once you are safely outside, do an injury test to find out if there might be any parts of your body in pain. You can stretch yourself or feel throughout your body with your hands to be sure that you didn’t get any injury on your way out. Safety tips for electrical fires Electrical fires can be minimized by observing the following-:
- Keep appliances and wires away from wet surfaces.
- Don’t keep flammable materials close to items that can generate heat
- Avoid forcing plugs into outlets if they don’t easily fit in.
- Don’t use broken power points
- Only use certified electrical appliances
- Avoid stuffing items on the fire exits and never lock exit doors whith a padlock.
- Avoid handling exposed electrical wires
- Replace any appliance producing sparks or that isn’t working properly
- If in a business premises, clearly mark out fire escape routes.
- If someone gets shocked with an electric current, do not touch them with your bare hands. Try to switch of the power from the source and immediately ask for help.
Observing the above tips greatly reduce the incidence of electrical fire and keep people and the appliances safe.
