Winter Safety Advice for Carers
Everyone should be aware of the dangers of fire at home, but when caring for someone you may need to put extra consideration into how you can mimimise the risk of fire.
You can take the following measures to reduce the impact of fire:
- Prevention – Look for fire risks
- Detection – Install some form of detection to alert you if there is a fire
- Restriction – Slow the spread of the fire
- Escape – Know how you will leave the house, and make sure the route is kept accessible
The person you are caring for may have restricted mobility, this would reduce their ability to leave the house quickly if there was a fire, or if they have dementia they may be more at risk of starting a fire.
To reduce the risk of fire you should:
- Check that electric blankets have an automatic overheating protection, and make sure it isn't damaged - fraying, scorch marks and loose connections are all dangerous. They should never be used by people who are incontinent.
- If you are caring for someone with dementia or reduced thought process abilities you should also consider the impact of their condition, ask yourself questions such as:
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- Will they light a cigarette or cooker and forget about it?
- Can they assess risk, for example do they understand why you shouldn’t use a portable electric heater in the bathroom?
It can be hard to find the right balance between protecting the person you care for and allowing them their independence. As most fires are caused by accidents in the kitchen or from smoking, helping the person prepare their meals and restricting access to cigarettes may satisfy your safety concerns.
Detection
One of the easiest and most beneficial measures you can take is to install a smoke alarm, ideally you would install one on each level, including in the bedroom. You should ensure that they are installed correctly and are properly maintained, testing weekly and replacing the batteries annually.
- If the person you are caring for lives alone, they may not be able to respond to the alarm, but it could alert their neighbours. You can also install detectors that report to a remote organisation; upon activation they will contact the emergency services.
- If the person you are caring for is deaf or has other impaired senses, you can buy detectors that have additional indicators such as a flashing light.
- Your local Fire and Rescue Service may be able to fit a smoke alarm for free. > Find out more
- You can find contact details of your local fire service at Fire Gateway
- You may also want to consider a carbon monoxide alarm, carbon monoxide will cause you to become unconscious and eventually suffocate. It can be caused by faulty gas fires, and is also present in house fires.
- It is a good idea for the person you care for to keep a phone by their bed so that they can contact the emergency services if the alarm is triggered.
Restrict the Spread of Fire
Always close internal doors, consider fitting fire doors and automatic door closing devices. Fire doors will restrict the spread of the fire and smoke, providing more time for escape or help to arrive.
If the person who you care for has restricted mobility you may also want to consider a sprinkler system for the house. The sprinkler will douse the flames, whilst it may not be able to put the fire out it can slow down its progress, giving more time for the emergency services to arrive.
Plan an Escape Route
Make sure that you and the person you are caring for know how to get out of the house in the event of a fire.
Keep all exits free from obstructions, and ensure that you can open doors along your path, if necessary keep spare keys in easily accessible places, clearly labelled with which door they open.
If the person you are looking after needs a mobility aid, make sure that it is within reach at all times. If they suffer from a visual impairment you could place tactile markers along the escape path.
