Safety in the home

Two representatives from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the meeting. Whilst Chris MacDonald tested members’ electric blankets his colleague Andy gave an excellent presentation entitled ‘Safety in the Home’.

We were reminded of the dangers of overloading electrical sockets, hazards in the kitchen, (thank goodness for the demise of the chip pan, the cause of so many fires in the home, which has now been replaced by the thermostatically-controlled deep fat fryer) and the need to ensure that our fire alarms are in good working order (these should be tested weekly!).

When the Service test electric blankets, if they fail to meet the required standard the plug is removed before the blanket is returned to its owner. One or two of our members are now looking for a new electric blanket. The overall message was – use your common sense when dealing with potential fire hazards in the home, and when locking up at night the key should remain in situ.