First Aid Training for Parents

You are a parent or a grandparent, are you taking care of children or infants or toddlers, learning first aid safety training courses give you and your family a confidence to save lives.

Importance of safety measures

Prevention is the first step of protection. Parents are responsible for protecting their family. There are numerous threats to think about whilst making safety plans and adjustments to the house. For example, dangerous chemicals or other medications should be kept inaccessible to the children.

Fire accidents may happen in a fraction of a second and for various reasons, hence keeping matches and lighters away from the children’s reach is very important. Sometimes you can’t predict the reason for a fire accident hence the parents must create fire escape plans and at the same time ensure that everyone in the family knows how to escape from the fire.

Preparing and pasting the emergency phone numbers on the wall or tables so that your children know whom to contact in case of emergency.

Role of the parents

• It is natural that parents are concerned about the safety of their children but sometimes they do not know how to safeguard or how to give first aid for an injured child
• It is essential that all parents must be aware of basic first aid steps to be taken in the case of an accident
• Infants can burn easily, even from bathtub water that is too warm
• Babies, infants, and children are generally more easily injured by burns and scalding
• To prevent burns, care should be taken to ensure that temperatures are tolerable for sensitive babies

Common causes of fire accident

• Internal or domestic fire are very dangerous to children. The smoke from a fire can kill a child quickly
• Never leave cigars or pipes unattended especially near children
• Never smoke in bed, never smoke when you are drowsy as it may lead to a fire accident
• Don’t run any electrical wires under rugs
• Carefully use electrical blankets
• Don’t allow children to use any electrical appliances on their own if they want to try any make sure it is done under your supervision
• Carefully cover any outlets that are not in use with safety covers so that it is not accessible by children

Veteran Fire Safety your safety partner

Careful parents will learn toddler and baby CPR instructions. First aid training may even provide parents with the know-how of what to do for different types of injuries which include burns from the overly warm water.

First Aid Training for Parents

Veteran provides a complete paediatric first aid training and first aid for baby and child course by a registered trainer. The trainers will help you to understand the safety measures and actions to be taken at the onset of any fire accident and they provide a detailed first aid steps that must be given for various types of injuries.

Visit our website -  http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/training/first-aid-training or give us a call on 01530 588 189 to book an appointment or for further safety training course details.

Fire Safety for the Elderly

Focus on fire accidents focus on safety measures

• Whether the reason is an electrical malfunction or an act of nature, a home can go up in the fire in a matter of minutes. Due to lack of mobility and other ailments elderly people have an increased risk of death in a fire accident

• The risks of fire accidents are very dangerous and everyone should be educated about the diverse factors of fire safety awareness training especially children, and the elderly, since they represent almost 34% of the population

• Older people are statistically proven to be the most prone sufferers of a fire accident. At age sixty-five and above people are two times as likely to be killed or injured in a fire compared to other age groups

Importance of a small instrument that do a big safety!!!

• Surprisingly, in the winter months that we are more prone to fire dangers. The chance of a family surviving after a fire accident is literally doubled by fixing of a small smoke alarm

• Smoke is a mixture of particles and gasoline made a fire. Smoke alarms can provide you with a warning of this lethal mixture earlier than you may see smoke or smell it.

• Special smoke alarms are available for the deaf and hard of hearing.

• Fire prevention tools for the old people are readily available and can be operated easily.

A few safety precautions

If elderly people are living independently or in a care facility, there are a few basic precaution that they educated about it.

Fire Safety for the Elderly

While cooking

• Wear close fitting sleeves or an apron to avoid clothes catching on fire.

• Don’t leave food unattended on the stove try to keep an eye on it.

• Always keep the toaster and stove clean because sometimes the grease or crumbs that settle may build up and cause a fire.

Safe smoking

• If you are a smoker try not to smoke in bed or while lying on a couch.

• Always have the safety of an ashtray nearby the bed and clean it properly once used.

• Never smoke near an oxygen tank.

Other basic checks

• Always unplug the heaters or other electrical appliances when not in use or before going to bed.

• Don’t hang clothes too near the heater to dry them.

• Place a smoke alarm in all rooms possible but not in the kitchen.

• Plan your escape from a fire

• If a fire occurs do not panic and believe that you will get out of the fire.

• Always spot the fire exit from your apartment or find out two ways out of a room.

• Note the emergency numbers to call for help near your bed.

• As soon as you see a fire, try to move out of the fire area and get as low to the ground so that you will not be as affected by the deadly smoke.

For more valuable information -  http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/training/fire-safety-training

Fire Risk Assessment and Asbestos Survey

Health and safety checks are vitally important to protect people and keep them safe in the workplace and in the home. In shared buildings, office blocks and flats there is a need for regular fire safety checks as well as checks for asbestos. Sometimes the question arises as to who is responsible and who pays for the undertaking of these vital safety checks.

Fire safety assessment

The Regulatory Reform Order 2005 requires fire risk safety assessments to be carried out in flats, or a premise that contains common parts of two or more houses. The duty is on the responsible person who is managing the common parts. It includes freeholders, resident management companies, right to manage companies and others. 

The main purpose of an assessment is to protect people in the event of a fire, improve the existing fire safety measures and determine if, additional measures are required. The assessment is limited to common parts, and it does not extend to leaseholder’s own premises.

Fire risk assessment and asbestos survey

The legislation states, these assessments must be reviewed periodically by the responsible person and kept up to update. The frequency of risk assessment may depend upon the building concerned. For example, a small house with a small communal hallway may not need to have an assessment as frequently as large flats. 

Fire safety orders can be expensive and often costs involved in compliance such as the inspection cost itself, fire extinguishers, replacement of communal doors, etc. can be passed on to leaseholders by the freeholder or the responsible person depending on the terms of the lease. Modern leases include an obligation of freeholders to comply with statutory requirements with a right to recover the cost of this from leaseholders.

Asbestos checking 

There is a legal duty on the person responsible for managing the maintenance and repair of common areas in buildings and flats to manage asbestos. The major requirement is in the Asbestos control regulations 2012 and applies to common areas such as the staircase, foyers, corridors, lifts, etc.

Asbestos checking and removal

The duty of a person is to ascertain whether the premises have asbestos, where it is and what condition it is in, to assess the risk and prepare a plan to manage the risk and act on it. According to the HSE website buildings prior to 2000 may have asbestos, as it was extensively used as a building material between the year 1950's and 1980's.

Recovery of the cost of the survey and essential work resulting from this is based on similar principles as set out above for fire safety. The lease may allow for a recovery charge or the freeholder to bring the cost within the sweeping up clause.

Conclusion

It is beneficial to leaseholders have a check while flats are on sale, the purchase solicitors may ask for confirmation that a risk assessment was carried out for fire safety and asbestos as a matter of course and ask for evidence. It may cause an issue with a sale if this is not available.

For more information - http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/services/fire-risk-assessment