Fire safety
A smoke alarm is essential, especially with young children in the house. Safety experts
recommend installing smoke detectors near every bedroom and living room – with a minimum of one on each floor. Alarms are inexpensive to buy, simple to install and are battery operated.
Features to look for
- A built-in light that illuminates when the alarm is activated
- An alarm test – may be a push button or remote torch-activated test. Torch-activated tests are useful for alarms inaccessibly positioned in high stairwells or halls
- A ‘battery low’ warning signal
- Child-friendly design or colours for use in a nursery
Other fire safety items you may wish to consider include:
- A fire blanket – used to smother small domestic fires. May come in a wall-mounted
dispenser - A fire extinguisher – small extinguishers are available to tackle wood, plastic, paper,
grease, oil, petrol and live electrical fires. May come with a quick-release wall bracket - Fire escape ladder – a compact ladder which can be stored under a bed and unrolled in case of an emergency escape through an upstairs window. Available in a variety of lengths
