Safety with Flammable Liquids at Home

If you are an average homeowner with regular household items like hair sprays, rubbing alcohol, paint thinner, linseed oil under your roof, then you must also be aware of the risks these have to offer. While they may not seem like a serious threat in most cases, they sure can increase your risk during a fire accident. Here are a few handy tips to keep in mind while housing these liquids.

1. Hand sanitizers

 A true fact but hand sanitizers are flammable because of the high alcohol content in them. Whether gel or liquid, all alcohol-based hand sanitizers pose a great risk in case your house gets caught in a fire. A safety measure to follow here would be to keep sanitizers away from heat or direct sunlight. Avoid keeping them near stoves, heaters or in areas directly exposed to sunlight or areas that tend to get warm.

2. Gasoline, paint thinner and turpentine

Paint thinners are a common household liquid used to lighten oil-based paints or clean up after their use. Being widely used, they are also the reason for top residential fire accidents. In most homes, these liquids are carelessly stored in garages and often with negligence, a spillover is capable of causing sparks. To avoid accidents, these flammable solvents should be stored in tightly sealed containers away from sources of heat.

3. Nail polish remover

Because of the acetone content in this liquid, this is considered one of the most common flammable household liquids. The vapours it produces are also flammable as they are able to travel through the air, igniting any nearby flames. If you are using a candle, make sure to blow it out and keep it at a safe distance before you apply or remove any nail polish.

4. Linseed oil

Linseed oil a common household liquid used for staining and finishing work and dried upon exposure to heat. It generates heat as it dries, which can cause the spontaneous combustion of materials. Rags, waste, and other oily materials having residues of linseed oil can cause spontaneous combustion fires if not handled properly. This liquid is to be handled with great caution and stored in an appropriate place away from sunlight.

5. Aerosol cans/sprays

Over half of the household products stored in residential homes are contained in aerosol cans. Aerosol sprays are no surprise in catching fires when sprayed in close proximity of a flame or a fireplace. As much as possible store these cans away from heat-related appliances and warm areas and do not spray them near candle flames and kitchen stoves.

See Also: Fire damage and the Need for Restoration  

Safeguard your homes with these simple tips. In case of fire accidents, fret not! Our team of fire damage restoration experts at Bio Cleanse Services is always there to help. Call – 0427 411 789 in case of an emergency. You may also email us at – info@primerestorations.com.au

Tips for Fire Safety During the Fall Season

With the daylight becoming shorter and leaves taking a new form of green to orange, you’re preparing for the cold season and all the exciting festivities. But are you really prepared? Here are a few important fire safety tips to keep in mind:

Replace smoke/carbon detector batteries and test the alarms. It’s advisable to change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries when Daylight Savings Time begins and ends. This ensures the alarms don’t fail when you turn on the heat in your home. Once the batteries are changed don’t forget to test the smoke alarms. Ensure all the fire extinguishers are in working condition.

Before cranking up the heat, have your heating devices fully checked:

• Have a certified HVAC contractor inspect your HVAC system. Check and replace furnace filters with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.
• Ensure sufficient space of at least three to four feet around space heaters. Don’t place fabrics on space heaters to dry, and turn heaters off every night before bed.
• Have a professional chimney sweep to inspect and clean your chimney. Keep flammable objects at least three feet away from the fireplace and install a mesh metal screen around it.

Halloween safety – Excited to decorate your home and mastermind scary costumes for Halloween? Don’t forget the safety aspects. Ensure considerable distance between decorations and open flames and other heat sources, and replace candles in jack-o-lanterns with battery-operated lights. We strongly advise you not to use real candles for decorating your home, but if you do, follow utmost care.

Outdoor fire risks – Periodically remove the leaves and other flammable debris that builds up around the house. Prune trees and rake up leaves and twigs. Avoid fuel storage in your home or garage. Clean your roof, gutters, and downspouts of debris and drain the fuel from lawn mowers before storing them for winter.

See also:  Safety with Flammable Liquids at Home 

Formulate a fire escape plan and make sure everyone in the house is well aware of it. In case a fire breaks out at 2 AM and your smoke alarms wake you and your family up – what do you do? This is when the fire escape plan comes into play. Designate an escape route for each area of your home and establish a meeting place outside. Practice escaping your home while staying low to avoid breathing in smoke. Also, practice escaping through windows using emergency ladders.

We, at Bio Cleanse Services, have an expert team of fire damage restoration technicians. If you ever face a fire incident in your home/office, contact us on 0427 411 789 for property remediation.

Common causes for fire damage

There are quite a number of causes for fires, and the effect of fire damage is endless too. When it comes to safety concerns, we should think about unseen possibilities that could happen. Let’s take a look at the chief causes of fire damage at homes and workplaces:

At home: 

• Cooking equipment - When it comes to cooking equipment in the house; unattended stoves, unchecked electric cords, overheated pan or pots are to be seen to. 

• Heating equipment - Some of the reasons heating equipment can cause a fire are being careless with portable heating appliances, no mesh guard in front of a fireplace, uncleaned chimney and flue, etc. Children and wet clothes should be kept away from heaters or fires. 

• Smoking - Smoking in bed can be fatal - tiny embers can smoulder unnoticed and burst into flames later. 

At workplace: 

• Flammable Material - This can be a dangerous hazard to your employee and your business. Inappropriate storage, incorrect disposal or improper processes handling these materials or substances can lead to fire damage. 

• Human error - Spillages of flammable liquid, burning off or combustible liquid can be due to human error or accidental, which can be a cause for fire damage.

• Faulty electrics - This is one of the biggest reasons for fire breakouts. Unqualified electricians could install inferior materials, unsafe switches, incorrect fuses, double adaptors and power boards which lead to power point overloads.

If you are having any of the issues mentioned above, contact Bio Cleanse Pvt Ltd. to help you clean, remediate and restore your surroundings to its previous condition. Our team of trained professionals will get the job done in a right and systematic manner.

What happens after a fire accident?

You may be anxious to clean your home after a fire, but unless you take the time to get professional advice, you may be wasting your efforts or creating further damage. Contact a professional service immediately once the fire is out. They can provide advice on restoration or replacement of damaged items. 

Why there is a need to hire a professional fire restorer? Fire restorers can prevent further damages, help determine which items can or cannot be refurbished, provide estimates and services for thoroughly cleaning and deodorizing your home. Professional services at times can be expensive, but the cost may be substantially less than the cost of replacing damaged furnishings and floors. 

Preventing Further Damage

Before hiring a professional fire restorer to do the big tasks, you can minimize further damage by following these guidelines. Before starting with the tasks you need to be sure that its safe enough to re-enter your home, ask for expert advice. Get the air moving. Open windows to ventilate areas. Install a fan to circulate  air. 

Note: If there has been substantial water damage and the weather is warm, you will probably need to keep the windows shut and run a dehumidifier. In cold weather, your heating system is operating and the cold air will usually help remove the moisture.

Dry wet items as soon as possible. Use fans and dehumidifiers to dry carpets and draperies. If not thoroughly dried, carpets and floors underneath may be quickly damaged beyond repair by mould and mildew.

Remove brass and copper items and clean them using brass or copper cleaner. Place aluminum foil or plastic food wrap under furniture legs. Remove oriental rugs or other colored rugs from wet wall-to-wall carpeting. Cover dry, clean items with plastic while repairs are in progress.

Contact us at Bio Cleanse Pty Ltd on 042 741 1789 or visit http://www.bio-cleanse.com.au/ for a free quote.