Summer is a great time of year to relax and unwind. There are a lot of great parts of summer, but unfortunately, accidents can still happen. To ensure your summer is as safe as possible. We’ve collected some of our favourite summer fire safety tips.

If you’d like more information about you can stay safe this season, check out our fire protection services.

Grilling Safety

Having a summer barbeque? Make sure you follow these grilling safety tips to avoid an uncontrolled flame at your next cookout.

  • if you have a propane or charcoal barbeque, make sure it is only used outside
  • regularly clean the grill to avoid flammable grease or fat build up
  • never leave your barbeque unattended
  • check for hazards around your grill: make sure there aren’t any tree branches nearby and place your appliance a safe distance from your external walls & balconies

Gas barbeques:

  • tighten the hose that connects to the gas cylinder and burners
  • check for leaks (find out how with these grilling safety tips)

Charcoal grills:

  • Make sure the coal is left to cool after cooking before disposing of in a fire safe container
  • only use charcoal lighter fluid

 

Workplace Summer Fire Safety Tips

  1. Remove fire hazards

Walk around the perimeter of your building and make sure any hazards have been removed. This includes flammable liquids or any combustible that have been left in bins outside the building. To ensure your bins are as safe as possible, keep a lock on them outside hours and make sure the area around them is tidy.

  1. Evacuation strategy

Make sure you have a plan in case of an emergency. Once you have an established fire warden, evacuation path, and a designated safe meeting point, check for any obstructions or hazards in the exit paths and remove them.

  1. Fire protection equipment

If a fire does start on your property, you need to be prepared. This means testing and inspecting your fire blankets, fire extinguishers, and fire hose reels to make sure they are functioning correctly. At Jim’s Test & Tag, we also conduct fire safety testing services for businesses across New Zealand. Browse through our range of services today and make sure your employees have access to protection during an emergency.

 

via GIPHY

 

Check It’s Alright

Thinking of lighting a fire for work or recreation? In New Zealand, you need to check it’s alright before you light. Go to http://www.checkitsalright.nz and check the fire season status in regional and metropolitan areas before you light a fire. During summer. there is a restricted and prohibited fire season for most of New Zealand. According to Fire and Emergency New Zealand, a Prohibited Fire Season means “there is a total ban on the lighting of fires in open air”. If you need a controlled flame for your work, you may be able to obtain a permit.

Portable Fans

Summer fire safety can start with your portable fans. If you’re using a fan to cool down this season, make sure you plug it directly into the wall. Avoid using adaptors, extension cords, and power boards if you’re using portable equipment.  The wattage of your fan may be too high for your distribution equipment and cause the circuits to overheat. This may cause an electrical fire. If you suspect that damaged has already occurred in any of the PowerPoints in your building, get in touch today.

Stay Cool

At Jim’s Test & Tag, we think safety is pretty cool. We hope you found our summer fire safety tips useful. If you have any questions about our advice, or any of our services, get in touch today! We are fire and electrical safety experts. If you liked our blog share it with your mates!