What Is A Fire Blanket and How Do You Use It?
When it comes to fire safety, are you prepared? Knowing the proper measures to take in a fire is incredibly important and can make all the difference. It’s not enough to just have smoke alarms installed; having a plan in place and equipping your home with proper equipment is essential. A fire blanket is one such piece of equipment that can help prevent fires and safely extinguish them when they start. In this blog post, we’ll explore what a fire blanket does and how to use a fire blanket safely.
What Is A Fire Blanket?
A fire blanket is a safety item designed to help extinguish fires. It consists of a sheet of fire-resistant material, typically fiberglass or similar synthetic material, which is usually folded or rolled up and kept in an easy-to-access location. The blanket can be quickly unrolled when needed and thrown over a small fire to smother the flames. Fire blankets are often used in homes, workplaces, and other public places where there may be a potential for fire.
Fire blankets are nonflammable safety items that can fight temperatures up to 900 °F (482 °C). They smother small fires by not allowing any oxygen to fuel the flames.
Due to its simplicity, a fire blanket may be more helpful for someone inexperienced with fire extinguishers. Learn how to use a fire blanket in case of a fire and protect your home or office. If a small fire breaks out, a fire blanket can be released from its bag by pulling on the two white tabs at the base of the casing.
Roll the blanket’s corners over your hands before gently placing it over the flames for a minimum of fifteen minutes. Never reuse a blanket — when the fire is out, douse it with water, then dispose of it. To learn how to use a fire blanket to smother a fire on someone’s clothing, continue to read this informative article!
Fire safety is crucial in any working environment. Educating your employees about using a fire blanket is just as important as regular equipment testing and maintenance. Accessible, functional fire protection equipment is a standard requirement in every Australian workplace. If your business is in the retail food industry or in a commercial kitchen, you need to have a fire blanket installed in the cooking area.
Last month in Byron Bay, a man suffered second-degree burns after a fire caused by a deep fryer. The kebab shop employee tried to extinguish the flame with a Co2 fire extinguisher instead of an appropriate fire blanket, and the flame was subsequently exacerbated. Unnecessary harm can be avoided by knowing which equipment to use with the different classes of fire and how to use the equipment during an emergency.
How To Use A Fire Blanket
After you have confirmed that the fire is Class F in nature, use a fire protection blanket to suffocate the flame. Ensure every team member knows how to use a fire blanket correctly to avoid harm. Your staff can effectively reduce risk by following these simple steps:
- Turn off the heat source (if it is safe).
- There are two tabs on the bottom of the blanket packaging. Remove the blanket with a simultaneous sharp pull on each tab. This will release the blanket.
- Hold the material in front of you. Make sure your hands are protected by rolling the edge of the fabric over your hands.
- Place the blanket over the fire gently, keeping your hands and face away from the flame. Do not throw the material on the flame.
- Lay the blanket over the fire from the closest edge of the flame. Do this to avoid fire running up the far side of the blanket and onto your hands.
- If you haven’t turned off the heat’s source, do so now.
- Leave the blanket on the heat source until you are sure that the flame has been suffocated and the heat has dissipated. You should leave the blanket for at least 15–30 minutes to ensure the fire is completely gone.
- Leave the building and call the fire brigade. Even if you think the fire is under control, there is a chance of re-ignition, so you should have a professional assess the situation.
- If you feel at risk during these steps, remove yourself from the situation using the nearest exit and call emergency services.
- How to Use a Fire Blanket on a Person
Fire blankets can also be used against clothing fires. By wrapping a person in fire-retardant material, you can prevent extreme and painful injury. Follow these simple steps in immediate reaction to a clothing fire: - Wrap the blanket around the person. Protect your hands by rolling the material over them before approaching the flame.
- Roll the blanket around the person until the fire is covered.
- Stay calm and instruct the person to STOP, DROP, & ROLL. This means the person wrapped in the blanket should drop to the floor and roll around until the fire is extinguished.
- Call emergency services or seek medical attention immediately.
Precious seconds can be saved when your fire safety equipment is accessible. With a fast response to a clothing fire, a member of your staff could save a life. If you are an employee and you aren’t sure where your equipment is located, ask your employer to make each fire blanket readily available. According to Australian workplace standards, your boss must provide you with adequate protection and risk management equipment.
Fire Blanket Testing
Working fire protection equipment not only reduces potential harm – it also reduces property damage and loss to productivity. It is in the interest of every business owner and manager to install and maintain fire safety devices. With Jim’s fire blanket testing services, you can verify the functionality and accessibility of each fire suffocating device. Our routine testing and inspection services help minimize risk in businesses across the nation. Get in touch with our fire safety team for more information about our services plus a free quote. Safety is our first concern – make it yours today.
How to use Fire Blanket, First, remove the fire safety blanket from the pouch. then, lay it on top of the area on fire. This cuts of the oxygen and extinguishes the fire.