Month: January 2024

Is Your Home Gas Safe?

Thursday 25th January 2024

Gas boilers, heaters, fires and cookers are common in households across the UK. However, many people are unaware of the dangers of poor maintenance of this type of appliance. Is your home gas safe?

Dangerous gas appliances

Faulty gas appliances can produce toxic carbon monoxide gas as a result of incomplete combustion. Carbon monoxide is odourless and colourless meaning that without a detector, its presence cannot be identified. Even if your gas burning appliances are regularly serviced by a qualified engineer, it is possible for faults to occur. Alongside maintaining household appliances, the best way to keep your home gas safe is to install a CO alarm.

Carbon Monoxide emissions from a poorly fitted, poorly ventilated or faulty gas appliance can be deadly. On average, 50 people in the UK are killed each year by CO poisoning, with 4,000 admitted to hospital. There are also an unknown number of people who have suffered some degree of carbon monoxide poisoning, and either do not report it or are mis-diagnosed as the symptoms are very similar to common flu.

Dangers of unqualified gas fitters

The Gas Safe Register has highlighted the dangers of unqualified fitters, reporting that when inspected by a registered Gas Safe Engineer, 79% of boilers originally installed by unqualified fitters are putting occupants at risk, or are classified as immediately dangerous. Similar statistics published by Gas Safety Week show that half of all gas fires inspected by a registered Gas Safe Engineer are unsafe.

The Gas Safe Register logo is a recognisable yellow triangle.
The Gas Safe Register logo is recognisable

Maintaining gas appliances

If you have a gas appliance, you should have it serviced every year. Always ensure that repairs or new installations are only carried out by a qualified and registered Gas Safe Engineer. Regular servicing is the best way to prevent faults, and keep your family safe from deadly CO gas. Check to see if loved ones and vulnerable friends or neighbours have an up to date gas safety certificate.

Remember to check whether the engineer in your home appears on the gas safety register before allowing them to start work.
Only registered Gas Safe engineers should service the gas burning appliances in your home

The Gas Safety watch dog is urging consumers to always check the credentials of any gas fitter. This should always be done before allowing them to do any work on a gas appliance. They are also asking the public to inform them of any rogue installers who are claiming to be qualified, but do not appear on the Gas Safety Register.

Get gas safe – Importance of installing CO alarms

You should always install a carbon monoxide alarm to protect your household from the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, especially because carbon monoxide can travel through adjoining walls. Therefore, even if you don’t have any gas appliances, or are certain that every appliance in your home is gas safe, a detector is the only way to have complete peace of mind.

Many detectors have a long life, and so remain reliable for up to a decade. With options for audio and visual cues, there is an alarm suitable for everyone. Check that every CO alarm in your home is marked BS EN 50291 and displays the British Standards’ Kitemark. If you can’t see these markings, or need to replace an old device, you can find a selection of CO alarms on our website that are suitable for use at home.

Pancake Day Safety Tips

Friday 19th January 2024

What is pancake day?

Pancake day, or Shrove Tuesday, is a Christian traditional feast that takes place just before Lent. Across the world every Shrove Tuesday, thousands of people cook and eat pancakes. Pancakes are easy to make, and many children will get involved in cooking them.

Cooking pancakes is fun for the whole family, but there can be safety risks, especially if children are helping in the kitchen. If your frying pan caught fire, would you and your children know what to do?

Can pancakes catch fire?

Yes, pancakes, and more importantly the oil in which they are cooked, can catch fire. It is all too easy to get distracted lathering your pancake in your favourite topping. It doesn’t take much for a pan with oil to overheat and to burst into flames, so take care when cooking with oil.

Top Pancake Day Safety Tips

Before you get started

Ensure that you have an in-date fire blanket on hand, and that everyone in your home knows how to use it.

Fire blankets are suitable for use on Class F fires (cooking oils and fats), and should be a safety feature of every kitchen.

You will see the instructions clearly printed on the front of most fire blankets, and tutorial videos are available online. You can find more information in our fire blanket help guide.

Before pancake day, we recommend that you go through the evacuation plan for your house before cooking, to ensure that everyone knows to get out of danger quickly and safely.

You can also keep your family safe by ensuring that enough smoke and heat alarms are fitted and working in your property. Why not sign up for Safelincs’ Alarm Test Reminder Service to keep your family safe all year round?

How to extinguish a pancake on fire

Make sure everyone who will be cooking knows what to do if a pancake catches fire:

  • Stay calm and turn off any heat sources if you can
  • If the flames are still just in the pan, cover the fire with a metal lid or a fire blanket
  • If you cannot safely extinguish the fire yourself, evacuate the building and call the fire brigade immediately.

NEVER attempt to extinguish an oil fire with water, as this can cause explosions. This YouTube Video is a useful resource to share with your family.

While you are cooking

Ensure that a responsible person is supervising the cooking of the pancakes at all times.

Pancakes are simple to make and lots of little ones like to get involved on Shrove Tuesday, but parents and guardians should be mindful of the dangers in the kitchen. As with all cooking, open flames and hot pans pose burn risks. It’s a good idea to always have a fully stocked burns kit on hand in the kitchen in case accidents happen.

Turn off the heat in between ‘rounds’, when the pan is not being used.

Don’t leave the hob burning or pancakes cooking unattended

When excitement levels are high, it can be easy to forget normal safety habits. You would never leave the hob on while eating dinner – make sure it is off while you are eating your pancakes, even if you are planning to go back and make more.

Check your cooking area is clean and clear to prevent anything from catching fire.

Messy counters can be a fire risk

Keeping a clear workspace when cooking can be hard, especially with small children around. Even if you can’t keep on top of the floury counters and sticky fingers this pancake day, ensure that the area around the hob stays clear. If you put oven mitts and tea towels down next to the cooking area, this can pose a huge fire risk.

For more top home safety tips, try the home fire safety check. This free tool will help you to identify fire safety hazards in your home and offers clear tips and advice for how to improve safety for your household!

Easy Pancake Recipe

We recommend BBC Good Food’s Easy Pancake recipe for all aspiring chefs!

Enjoy pancake day and stay safe! 🥞

Foam vs Powder Extinguishers

Tuesday 16th January 2024

Both foam and powder extinguishers are commonly found in workplaces and public spaces across the UK, but which is best? Both types of extinguisher are suitable for use on most common fire risks, making them versatile, and a popular choice. Selecting the best fire-fighting solution for your organisation can be difficult and will depend on the type of environment and risks that exist.

foam vs powder fire extinguishers
Powder extinguishers are best suited to outdoor areas

Powder Fire Extinguishers

As the name suggests, powder extinguishers contain a dust like powder, which when discharged, forms a thin layer on top of the burning fuel. This layer absorbs heat and deprives the fire of oxygen, which prevents the continuation of the chemical process of combustion.

foam vs powder fire extinguishers
Powder fire extinguishers are available in a range of sizes

Pros of Powder Extinguishers

Cons of Powder Extinguishers

  • No class F rating
  • Messy and costly to clean up after discharge
  • Should only be discharged outdoors
  • Discharge can aggravate respiratory and digestive systems
  • Can reduce visibility when discharged

Foam Fire Extinguishers

Due to the harmful PFAS chemicals that AFFF Foam contains, the manufacture of AFFF foam fire extinguishers is expected to be banned before the end of 2026. Safelincs have already discontinued the sale of AFFF Foam and water additive extinguishers, and some manufacturers have developed a range of more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Britannia Fire has launched two eco-foam P50 Service-Free Fire Extinguishers: A-Foam and B-Foam. Like AFFF Foam, the medium in these units works by covering the fire, and forming a seal that cuts off the oxygen supply, and has a cooling effect.

foam vs powder fire extinguishers

Pros of Foam Extinguishers

Cons of Foam Extinguishers

  • No class C rating

Water Mist Fire Extinguishers – an Alternative to Powder and Foam

Water mist fire extinguishers are 100% environmentally friendly, as they contain only de-ionised water. Upon discharge, water mists therefore release no harmful substances, and leave no messy residue to clean up. The water they contain is de-ionised, and so does not conduct electricity. This means that they are also safe for use on live electrical equipment, making them an ideal replacement for the AFFF foam extinguishers.

An alternative solution to foam or powder fire extinguisher

Foam vs Powder Extinguishers – Which Extinguisher Should I Choose?

In premises where the fire risk assessment has identified only Class A and/or Class B risks plus fires involving electrical equipment, there are several types of fire extinguisher which may be suitable:

Ultimately, the type of extinguisher that needs to be installed on a premises will be determined by the risks identified by the fire risk assessment. Where there is overlap, and more than one type of extinguisher would be suitable, it is up to the responsible person to ensure that they have selected the most effective and appropriate fire-fighting solution for their organisation or property.

Powder extinguishers are often best for outdoor environments where there is a mixed fire risk. Water mist or eco-foam extinguishers are ideal for indoor spaces with common fire risks.

If you are still unsure which type of extinguisher to install on your premises, why not book an extinguisher survey with one of our qualified engineers. We also offer free site surveys for service-free P50 fire extinguishers.