Partying, smoking and drinking are all part of a student lifestyle, but could be putting you at higher risk of fire.
Over the past five years cigarettes, smoking materials and candles have been the cause of 1,500 injuries among 18 – 24 years olds. More than half of all accidental fire deaths amongst this age group occur in the kitchen when cooking, when handling hot substances or through misuse of electrical equipment.
Take extra care if you smoke when you have been drinking and be careful if you fancy chips in the middle of the night – a third of all deep frying injuries occur between 10pm and 4am!
Over 50% of all fires in the home are caused by cooking accidents.
However, there are important precautions you can take to keep you, your mates and those things most precious to you safe, when busy in the kitchen:
- Always take extra care with hot oil
- Avoid leaving any children you might know alone in the kitchen when cooking
- Make sure you keep matches and saucepan handles out of those children's reach to keep them safe
Other common fires in the home can be prevented by following these steps:
- Make sure cigarettes are stubbed out properly and disposed of carefully and NEVER smoke in bed
- Make sure that candles are in secure holders and try not to leave them unattended
- Do not overload electrical sockets