Fire Safety For Social Occasions

What are the fire risks of throwing a party?

The fire risks involved with throwing a party would be the fire risks associated with large numbers of people in a small area. The people attending the party may well participate in taking drugs or drink far too much alcohol. As these start to take effect, and people become less aware of their surroundings and become more relaxed, cigarettes may not be extinguished properly, a fire risk. And certainly, if a fire were to start, because they're unaware of their surroundings, they may not know how to escape from the building.

What part does alcohol or drug use play in causing fires?

Alcohol could affect fires in the sense that some people, when they've been out for the night, they've had far too much to drink, they can come in, start cooking themselves some food, and then pass out on the settee and leave the food unattended, which would then start the fire in the kitchen. Other ways alcohol can affect fire is when people have had too much to drink they start messing around; they start becoming a bit brave and start setting fire to things. Also, once again, falling asleep on a settee after having a cigarette and leaving it unattended, which would then cause a fire. Drug use is also similar to alcohol in the sense when someone has taken the drug they become unaware of their surroundings and may well leave cigarettes unattended, cooking unattended, which would then start a fire.

What are the risks of allowing smoking in your home?

When it comes to fire safety for social occasions, the risks of allowing smoking in your home are that cigarettes could be left unattended in your home, a cigarette could be unsafely discarded in the home, and this could lead to the start of a fire.

What safety precautions should you take when using candles?

If you're using candles in your home, the safety precaution you should take is to never leave them attended. Certainly never leave them alight when you go to bed at night. Always make sure your candle is extinguished before you go to sleep.

What are the dangers associated with Christmas decorations?

The dangers associated with using Christmas decorations is leaving them unattended or leaving Christmas lights on the Christmas tree on all night. These can often overheat. A Christmas tree is flammable and can catch fire. Some of the Christmas decorations can also be flammable. And if these aren't looked after properly and serviced on a regular basis, these can ignite and cause a fire.

What precautions should you take when handling fireworks?

The precautions you should take when handling fireworks is always read the label on the firework. This would normally mean make sure you are kept well away from the firework, make sure that you haven't got display fireworks in a small garden - sometimes the distance on these could be 3 to 4 meters away. It is important to make sure that children never go anywhere near them. You don't light them using a naked flame such as a lighter or matches; always use the lighter that comes with the firework.