Several Dangers In Household Heating

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31728, 11 July 1968, Page 11

Several Dangers In Household Heating

“If people could see the sight of a badly burned child’s body or a badly scarred skin, it would be the greatest lesson on fire safety in the world,” said Mr L. R. Osmond, the chief fire officer in Christchurch.

Mr Osmond said in a wanting of the fire dangers which are encountered with heating mechanisms, that children should be made to dress in their bedrooms, away from open fires or heaters.

“The slight bit of discomfort that would be experienced in the cold for a moment or two would be nothing compared with the result of a child’s clothing catching fire while it was dressing in front of a fire or heater,” Mr Osmond said. “If there is an open fire in a house where there are children, it should be fitted with a spark guard which Is so fixed that it cannot be moved or knocked over by children; electric heaters should have guards which prevent contact with the bare element; kerosene heaters should be firmly fixed to the floor so that they cannot be tipped over. “In wintery conditions when many mothers have difficulty in getting clothes dry and therefore they have their washing inside by the fire or heater on a clothes horse, a danger arises with children playing round these and perhaps tipping the horse over on to the fire and a serious blaze could result,” Mr Osmond said. Mr Osmond said tests were at present being carried out by the Consumers’ Institute on flame-proofed clothing. “The flame-proofing of cloth- . ing should be done by manufacturers who should add some solution, which wouid not wash out or wear out, to prevent the cloth bursting into flame when it came in contact with fire.”

“Children are not the only I ones who have to be watched in connexion with fire—adults who should know better are l also careless. “One of the greatest dangers is the girl who is off out to a dance or something like that for the evening and she puts the finishing touches to her make-up and hair in front of the fire. It is very easy for a flowing gown to be caught in the fire and serious burns or even death could result,” Mr Osmond said.

“What to do if a clothing fire occurs? —Bring the person to the floor, roll him up in a mat, rug, blanket or

I something like that to exclude oxygen, call the fire brigade and ambulance and 1 don’t attempt any dressing of

burns,” Mr Osmond said. He said places where fuel for central heating units or kerosene for heaters was stored should be detached from the house and preferably out in the open. “Central heating units should be checked around the fire blocks to make sure there are no leakages and there should be a fire extinguisher handy to the heating unit, as is stated in most household insurance policies,” Mr Osmond said.

• Mr Osmond said the recent series of earthquakes in the South Island could have caused damage to chimney fittings. “All these should be checked for cracks and other disorders. Chimneys, according to most by-laws, must be cleaned every six months.

“If a chimney fire does occur, do not follow the old idea and put a wet sack over the chimney, instead pour water slowly on the fire to allow steam to escape up the chimney, which will go a long way to extinguishing the fire,” he said. Mr Osmond said that a regular inspection of electrical installations should be made by an electrician to make sure that when power facilities are fully stretched, as they are during the win-

ter, that the system is able to cope with the load. , “Smoking in bed has been a cause of serious burning and one death lately. Smoking should be confined to the easy chair or kitchen. AU butts should be properly

extinguished and inspected before retiring at night. I “Overall, when there is any I fire in the house, no matter] how small, the fire brigade should be called as soon as it is discovered,” Mr Osmond concluded.