Home Safety Beats Cleaning The Windows – We Can Prove It!
Research reveals that cleaning the windows is the least popular household chore in England and Wales with people preferring to test their smoke alarm instead.
As Easter weekend is a traditional time to catch up on jobs around the house, The Fire Kills campaign has teamed up with Kim Woodburn and Aggie McKenzie, stars of the television programme ‘How Clean is Your House?’ to offer tips on home safety and keeping on top of all those chores we love to hate!
The survey with over 900 people in England and Wales found out how people feel about chores like checking their smoke alarm and the things they will do to put them off. (Survey by TNS, commissioned by COI on behalf of the Fire Kills campaign. March ‘05.)
The survey revealed that:
- 72% of people prefer to get chores over and done with as soon as possible;
- Homeowners with a mortgage are more likely to have a working smoke alarm than those who rent privately;
- Men are more likely to put off tidying the house than women;
- Younger people aged 16-24 years old are more likely to find excuses not to do boring tasks than older people aged 55+;
County Fire Officer, William Brown said: “You are twice as likely to die in a house fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm, so it is vital to think of fire safety while you are carrying out your household chores. Make sure you own and maintain a smoke alarm in your home. Get into a routine - it only takes a matter of seconds each week to test the alarm that could save your life.”
Kim and Aggie recommend that to make your home sparkle each week you should:
1. Change the bed linen
2. Change bath and shower towels two or three times weekly
3. Vacuum carpets and floors
4. Wash or mop all hard floors
5. Dust the surfaces
6. Wipe fingerprints from door handles and light switches
7. Thoroughly clean the bathroom
8. Attend to areas of the kitchen not covered by daily routines
9. Iron the laundry
(Extracted from How Clean Is Your House? by Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie.)
William Brown also urges people to add one life-saving task to their list:
10. Test each smoke alarm by pressing the test button and holding it until the alarm sounds.
A smoke alarm was absent in over half (51% or 30,300) of dwellings fires attended by fire and rescue services in the UK in 2004. These fires accounted for 201 deaths and 5,300 non-fatal casualties. In a further 12% (7,200) of cases a smoke alarm was present but failed to operate. These fires accounted for 97 deaths and 2,100 non-fatal casualties. (UK fire statistics from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)
Here are some hints and tips on how to fit and maintain alarm:
· You should fit a smoke alarm on every level of your house - at the bottom of the staircase and further alarms on each stair landing are the best positions.
· The best place to fit an alarm is on the ceiling as near as possible to the centre of the room, hallway or landing. It should be at least 12 inches (30 cm) away from any wall or light.
Once your alarm is fitted it doesn’t take much looking after:
· Once a week - test each smoke alarm
· Once a year - change the battery in the alarm (unless it is a 10 year alarm).
· Twice a year - open the alarm case and gently vacuum the inside using the soft-brush attachment to remove dust. If the alarm case doesn’t open, vacuum over the slots. Never paint over a smoke alarm.
· Every ten years - replace the detector.
You should also keep fire safety in mind for all your DIY jobs. Remember never to overload sockets, wire plugs correctly and use the right fuse and replace all damaged or frayed cables and wires.