Pancake day is an eagerly anticipated and hungrily celebrated event that marks the countdown to Easter. On Tuesday 25th February 2020 families across the UK will be cooking up a storm in the kitchen and flipping pancakes to serve with their favourite topping. Whatever toppings you choose this Shrove Tuesday, make sure that fire safety is always a key ingredient in all your pancake creations. 

Cooking and flipping pancakes can present a high risk in the kitchen as it is easier to become distracted, especially with small children, which could lead to the frying pan being left unattended which could result in your pan overheating - one of the many dangers on this annual celebration.

AinsCo have put together a list of Pancake day safety tips to make sure you enjoy your pancakes safely this Shrove Tuesday and to prevent you from burns, slips and fires. 

 

Pancake Day Safety Tips

Do not:

•  - Leave any combustibles like tea towels, dishcloths, oven gloves or any other items on top of the hob.
• - Leave the frying pan unattended when the heat is switched on - particularly if the pan contains oil. 
• - Use water, or a water fire extinguisher to put out an oil fire.
• - Move the pan if it has caught fire.
• - Put food in the pan if the oil begins to smoke.

Do: 

• - Supervise your children at all times.
• - Keep frying pan handles tucked in to avoid them being knocked off the worktop and causing an injury.
• - Double check the hob is switched off after you have finished cooking.
• - Be vigilant in wiping up any oily spillages immediately - Slipping on oil or fat is a major cause of incidents.
• - Test your smoke alarm before you begin cooking to ensure it is working. Having a working smoke alarm can substantially increase your chances of surviving a fire  unharmed.

Pancake day is one of the most dangerous days in our kitchens and is usually the day when most fire alarms are triggered. Luckily, by installing sufficient alarm and fire systems, these types of fire detection sensors can work to help prevent you, your family, or colleagues, harm in a fire at home or in the workplace. 

Ensuring you have a fire detection system in place is essential in keeping you and your loved ones safe. There are numerous steps you can take to make sure your home is well equipped to prevent a fire. Number one is to triple check the complete fire alarm system throughout your home to ensure it meets all smoke alarm and fire alarm requirements you can do this easily and quickly by running a fire alarm test.

Running a fire alarm test

Is your fire alarm beeping, flashing red or causing a nuisance? You may need to think about changing your fire alarm battery. Start by running a simple fire alarm test to ensure it is in working order. Fire alarm installation and testing is an integral part of any fire safety plan, in both residential and commercial properties, as it is one of the most important items when it comes to your family or colleagues safety. Did you know in commercial buildings fire and smoke alarm testing is a legal requirement?

Testing your fire alarm at home

So what do you need to do to test your fire alarm at home? Fire alarm detectors (90) and smoke alarms have a test button that, when pushed, causes an alarm to sound. Once a month, get up on a chair or use a long brush handle for extra reach and push your test button on the device. If you don’t hear anything, your battery is dead. If then after changing the battery, your smoke detector and fire alarm is still not sounding or flashing, immediately find a new fire alarm replacement. 

This fire alarm test ensures that the batteries are working, however it doesn’t tell you whether the detector is working effectively. 

Testing your fire alarm in the workplace

Fire alarm systems play a vital role in the safety of your employees, however often the safety requirements of each building, depending on the size and use, can vary in order to safeguard the occupants and secure the building against fire damage. 

Measures for fire safety and security systems within the workplace must be taken to ensure they are in working order, including all fixtures such as fire doors, corridors and fire detection and alarm systems being regularly checked with any defects being raised and logged immediately. Fire extinguishers and fire safety signs are an indirect, but equally significant, form of fire protection that aims to protect all members of staff in your commercial building from the potential consequences of a fire. 

UK fire alarm regulations state that your fire alarm system should be ‘adequately maintained’. It is recommended that your fire alarm system (1900) should be serviced by someone at least every 6 months, however if you work on large premises more frequent servicing is recommended. The service of a fire alarm is intended to check everything is working properly, but in addition to this, weekly spot checking is also beneficial for your business. 

Fire extinguishers are required to be annually maintained.

Testing your smoke alarm at home

Smoke alarm testing is simple as all you need to do is hit the test button on the device. Once you have pushed in the button, if the smoke detector is working, the alarm will sound. 

How often should smoke alarms be tested? Many manufacturers have different recommendations, however as a general guide, aim to test it weekly. 

According to First Alert’s statistics from 2018, 38% of battery operated smoke alarms did not sound during a fire. Why? This is because the batteries were either missing, dead or had been disconnected in some way. One way to check if your alarm is working is to light several matches underneath and blow out the flame, leaving the smoke to travel upwards towards the sensor. 

Smoke detectors and call points in the workplace 

Smoke Detectors are tested in the workplace during routine maintenance. Regular maintenance and servicing is essential to ensure your alarm is working effectively.

Call points in the workplace should be tested weekly by a competent person who has been trained to check them.

 

Stay safe this pancake day. 

 

If you have any concerns regarding the service, maintenance or installation of your fire alarm system please give us a call on 01704 840 991 or email enquiries@ainscofiresecurity.com.