Be Cool
In South Africa, December to April is our fire season, as proudly South African’s we enjoy the Saturday afternoon braai with our family and friends. It is our time to relax and enjoy the sunshine and outdoors after a week of slaving away. We never give a second thought of what hides behind that crackling wood or charcoal fire.
The majority of all fires are caused by human negligence and carelessness. So, what mostly causes fires; Cigarettes, matches and lighters, candles, heating appliances, and open braai fires if not carefully monitored. Daily things we never really take into consideration.
Don’t forget about the office braai on a Friday afternoon.
Humans, that’s us, are not always the culprit to some very serious fires. Nice to know ….. right!
What else are there…… looking at the environmental factors that can be the cause of serious fires such as the change in our weather patterns, lightning, a severe wind that contributes to the spread of fires. Let’s face it, we have had some serious storms lately.
So … we are not all that bad, but as mentioned above we are sometimes careless.
Fire prevention and Fire Fighting training have become a very important and vital need. Yes, it cost money to train an employee or two – extra money, not all companies have especially with the pandemic that caused loss of income for so many businesses.
Let’s look at what the law states: Occupational Health and Safety Act; Section 8(1)
“General Duties of employers to their employees; every employer shall provide and maintain, as for as reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health and safety of his employees.”
Let’s look at it from a different angle, heaven forbid, a fire breaks out at the workplace. The loss and damage to property lives will easily escalate to more than investing in trained employees as Fire Fighters.
Don’t become part of the “We Should Have ….”, “If only we …..” club. Too late…..!
I always say the fire is very sneaky. It finds its way through the smallest gap or hole and starts running. Fire runs faster than we think. Now it’s here and when you look again it has moved 2km into another direction.
In preventing the loss of lives and damage to property it is important to be very aware of the danger fire holds.
A few pointers to keep in mind to stay safe.
- If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL FOR HELP
- Remember: matches and lighters are tools, for adults only!
- Do not leave that braai unattended
- Ensure that your electrical appliances are correctly wired
- Always extinguish fires and safely dispose of hot ash, coal, and cigarettes
- Make sure you have the correct type of fire equipment
- Don’t forget the signage for your fire equipment
- Be Cool …… Don’t get caught off guard.
Contact us to assist you with your Fire Fighting Training.
Book now!