“A Good Servant- Bad Master”

Details

Homes & Gardens

Saturday, 11 July 2009 05:55

By D Francis

Here in Antigua, we often refer to the old adage, a good servant – bad master, when speaking about fire.  This point was brought home during a recent lecture which was conducted by Harlett Burton, a Fire Safety Consultant and a retired ASP from the Fire Department.

Burton has a wealth of experience in this field as a result of attending extensive overseas training programs such as crash fire and rescue, senior fire officers’ duties, fire preventions/inspection and incident command system and airside safety awareness.  

During a recent lecture to staff at Jolly Harbour, Burton shared tips on fire precaution that are applicable to home and work. He reminded everyone that the three elements that are needed to sustain a fire are heat, oxygen and fuel; however, if these elements are removed, the fire will be extinguished.

He said, “It is good to have these fire training sessions so that people can be aware of what and what not to do if a fire occurs and they have to provide emergency assistance.”

Burton also offered some advice regarding home safety, “Don’t play with fire, you might find this funny, as I am speaking to adults, but believe or not, a number of adults still play with fire.  Mosquito coils should be placed in a safe place when lit, candles should not be left unattended, electric wires should not be run under the rug/carpet, circuits should not be overloaded.  You should stop, drop and roll if your clothes catch fire.  If your home is filled with smoke, you should stay low and crawl to the door.  And ensure that cigarette stubs are fully out before you dump them”

A number of housewives/individuals have adopted bad practices which could be future fire hazards.  These include throwing a stick of match in the trash while it is still lit, leaving the iron plugged in face down, leaving the fan on all day while no one is at home and turning on the oven before having the matches handy.

Burton offered safety tips in case of an emergency.  For example, if you a frying and your pot catches fire, do not throw water on it. Instead, cover the pan immediately and turn off the heat. Because gasoline can travel up to 700-800 feet per minute, people should always be careful when dealing with this type of fire.

The lecture also demonstrated how to use a fire extinguisher.  Burton spoke about an incident when a fire stated in an office.  Although the fire extinguisher was available, no one knew how to use it and the fire caused damage.  To avoid this conflict, anyone who needs to use a fire extinguisher should remember the acronym PASS - Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep. First you must pull the pin to discharge the extinguisher.  Second, aim at the base of the fire - do not aim at the flames.  Third, squeeze the top handle or lever which depresses a button that releases the pressurized extinguishing agent in the extinguisher. Fourth, you sweep from side to side until the fire is completely out.  If you need to use the extinguisher, begin at a safe distance but move forward as the fire retreats.  Burton warned that one should continue to keep an eye on the fire even after it has extinguished to ensure that it does not reignite. Burton believes that everyone should be taught how to use a fire extinguisher.

British High Commission Launches Photography Contest A competition open to photographers, dubbed Arts in Motion, was launched during a ceremony at the British High Commission in Bridgetown, Barbados last... read more

Burton also addressed ways to improve fire safety in the workplace.  He suggested proper storage areas for chemicals and supplies, fire safety equipment being readily available and unobstructed access to fire extinguishers and emergency evacuation routes.

Burton concluded, “Fire is very useful in our daily lives.  It cooks the food.  It destroys a lot of unwanted garbage and items around us.  It provides heat and the provision of electricity to make our devices and equipment work. However if you are not careful, the good old fire and electricity can bring heartache and pain to us through ways which most of us have seen or experienced.  I’ve seen many people perish from these elements during my years in the fire service.  Sometimes it’s scary but we have to be brave and assist.   You can also help minimize such situations by being careful - fire is a good servant, but it can also be a bad master.”

 

• < Prev
• Next >