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Here is an overview of the eight core components discussed through our Person-Centred Framework and some of the advice you can provide as part of your home fire safety visits. Beginning with Electrical Safety and Safer heating, what does this entail and why is this an issue? Fires relating to electrical equipment and supplies are the second highest cause of accidental dwelling fires in the home and of accidental dwelling fire related injuries and deaths. Faulty electrics, in appliances and wiring cause around 4,000 fires in the home across the country every year (*Source = Home Office, Dwelling fires ILD) We can help our clients by: Promoting product registration so people can be informed if a safety issue arises. White goods can be registered at Register My Appliance. Advising them to check if existing electrical products are subject to recall either with the manufacturer or at a trusted site such as a government portal. Reminding them if an electrical product shows signs of being faulty e.g., sparking, smoking, or overheating – turn it off, unplug it and get it checked by a competent, qualified person. Encouraging anyone who has purchased potentially unsafe goods, in any context to inform their local Trading Standards Alerting to products such as mobile device chargers or portable heaters that may present a fire risk if not used safely or in accordance with guidelines. The following core component is Kitchen, Candles, and escape planning. Within the kitchen, we can offer guidance to help eliminate and reduce potential hazards. • Avoid cooking when under the influence of alcohol or medication, which may make you drowsy. • Keep tea towels and clothes away from the cooker and hob • Keep cooking appliances clean and free from grease build up • Use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer rather than a pan of oil • Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob • Keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach To isolate and control the hazard: • Double check your cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking • Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out and present a fall risk • Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing as they can easily catch fire When using candles, we can help eliminate and reduce the hazard by: • Consider replacing candles with battery-operated candles • Not leaving children or pets alone with lit candles. To isolate and control the hazard: • Put candles completely out when you leave the room and at night • Make sure candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fire (tea lights get hot and without proper holders can melt through plastic like a TV or bath) To remain safe within the home, planning a safe and strategic escape route is essential in case you do have to act quick. • Plan and practise an escape route, making sure everyone knows the routine. The best route is the normal way in and out of your home. • Think of a second route in case the first one is blocked. • Make sure exits are clear. • Keep door and window keys where everyone can find them. • Consider the people in your household. Both children and vulnerable people may not be woken by smoke alarms and may need assistance in leaving the premises. • You are more at risk from a fire when asleep, so, it’s a good idea to check your home before you go to bed. When you leave the home, make sure to leave behind the relevant Fire Kills leaflets and educate on emollients. A further component includes medicines and medical devices. Advise: • Not to smoke if clothing, bandages, or bedding could be contaminated with emollients • Not to cook in any clothing if contaminated with emollients • Not to sit too close to open fires or heaters if clothing or soft furnishings may be contaminated with emollients • Talk to the occupant about speed of fire development and be clear about risks • Check the Smoke detection and Linked Telecare • Advise on using flame retardant bedding • Ensure smoking sessions are being supervised with smoking aprons and safety lighters In a follow up scenario: • Contact family and provide follow-up calls to carers and nurses • Explain risks clearly so that they can reinforce message - don’t assume professionals are aware • Encourage them to have conversations with their patients/clients • Reinforce that they should not consider switching to alternative emollients In some cases, you may enter a home where Home Oxygen Therapy occurs. Oxygen forms 21% of the air around us. When we breathe we take in oxygen to produce energy. Without sufficient oxygen we will be limited in what we can do. Oxygen is colourless, has no odour nor taste, however, too much can be harmful. Home Oxygen Therapy is prescribed when your body struggles to get the right amount of oxygen from the air, improving the quality of life to those who need it. • Firebreaks help prevent the spread of fire by blocking the flow of oxygen when heat and smoke are detected, they should be fitted by the person and by the concentrator. • There are normally 2 firebreaks – one is fitted into the tubing 6-12 inches from the patient face and the other 6-12 inches from the concentrator machine. • There is a blue arrow on most fire breaks- the arrow should always point towards the person as it indicates the flow of oxygen. Fire breaks with blue arrows are being replaced by new models which will work when inserted either way. • Here, is an oxygen concentrator and beside it, on the floor, a small portable oxygen cylinder. Some homes have oxygen piped through a junction box which is mounted on the wall so the occupant can select which room the oxygen will be supplied to. • Concentrators can generate heat and noise, so they are often not found in the same room as the occupant. Paediatric devices can be found in children’s bedrooms. Therefore, all rooms should be checked to ensure: • The concentrator is plugged directly into the mains socket and there is space around the concentrator to ventilate • The concentrator is not being used as a storage shelf and there are no combustibles near it • Loose tubing is not trailing across the floor or preventing doors from being closed as this might help a fire develop rapidly • The firebreaks are present, have not been tampered with and the blue arrow is facing towards the person. • The rooms where oxygen is used or stored are well-ventilated • Oxygen equipment is at least 3 metres away from open fires and 1.5 metres away from heating sources including radiators, ovens and static electric sources such as televisions, hairdryers and cooling fans. Ensure the user: • Knows to switch off equipment as soon as they have finished using it and avoid contaminating the equipment with any grease or oil-based substances such as WD40 or emollients, along with spray products such as hairspray, perfume, and deodorants immediately prior to using oxygen • Knows not to smoke, cook, or go near open flames while using oxygen nor within 30 minutes of using it The next component to look at is smoking-related fires. Smoking-related fires are those caused by smoking materials such as cigarettes, lighters, and pipes. Fire and Rescue staff delivering Home Fire Safety Visits should; • establish and record the smoking status of householders • ensure smoking-related fire risk is an area of focus if a smoker is a resident • understand the smoker’s right to smoke and the addictive nature of smoking • assess the impact of ‘person’ factors on the risk of a smoking-related fire (e.g., mobility, physical and mental health, beliefs, motivation) • assess the impact of ‘environmental’ factors on the risk of a smoking-related fire (e.g., clutter or trip hazards, blocked exit routes, overflowing ashtrays, no working smoke detection) • assess the impact of ‘behavioural’ factors on the risk of a smoking-related fire (e.g., smoking in bed, careless disposal of smoking materials, substance misuse, home oxygen use) • Assess the impact of protective factors that may already be in place (e.g., working smoke detection, solid ashtrays, support from others). Fire and Rescue staff delivering Home Fire Safety Visits should; • apply the ‘Hierarchy of Risk Control’ to identify fire risk reduction measures for smokers • recognise that not all measures in the ‘Hierarchy’ will suit all smokers • work through the options, from top to bottom, to find an option that meets the smoker’s needs • recognise that a combination of risk reduction measures is sometimes appropriate. • ASK and record whether the person smokes • ADVISE that ‘the best way of stopping smoking is by using a combination of medication and specialist support’ • ACT on the person’s response, for example; Fire Safety officer: ‘It’s great that you’d like to try and quit. Call this number for the local Stop Smoking Service and they will arrange treatment and support to help you to quit’ Fire Safety officer: ‘I can refer you to the Stop Smoking Service and they will phone you to go through the options for treatment and support’ Fire Safety officer: ‘I understand you don’t want to quit right now. If you want to quit in the future, you can speak to your GP or call this number’