Protecting the Environment in Small Ways: Tips for Everyone

In a production facility or commercial kitchen or other business that is at high risk for fires, no doubt you have fire extinguishers readily available, but what about fire blankets? If your facility doesn't include a good supply of these blankets, you might want to consider investing in them and placing them around the building, for the safety of your workers and the property itself.

Note when and how a fire blanket might be used, and how it can keep your staff and your facility protected even if you have fire extinguishers available:

1. Smothering a spreading fire

While fire extinguishers can work to smother a concentrated fire that is burning in just one spot, once a fire has spread it may become too wide for an extinguisher to tackle. A fire extinguisher usually has a thin, concentrated spray or foam or water that doesn't easily disperse and which might not be the best choice for a larger fire.

A fire blanket can more readily smother a fire that has started to spread since it covers a wider area. It might also be easier for untrained workers to use on a spreading fire; they may panic and forget how to release the pin of a fire extinguisher to get it to work, whereas they can easily toss a fire blanket over a growing fire and extinguish it that way.

2. Smothering clothes on fire

As well as smothering a spreading fire, a fire blanket is a good choice for when someone's clothes are on fire. Many people forget the "stop, drop, and roll" instructions that are needed when their clothes have caught fire, but the chemicals in some types of extinguishers can cause damage to a person's eyes and skin, making them an unsafe choice for when a person's clothes have caught fire. A fire blanket can easily be tossed over a person and more readily extinguish the blaze.

3. Protecting against heat

Another benefit of a fire blanket is that it can protect against the heat of a fire. If a fire quickly grows too hot, someone on your staff may not be able to simply stand there and put it out with a fire extinguisher. With a fire blanket, they can use this as a shield to allow them to more readily run past an area that has caught fire so that they can make their way to an exit and allow firefighters to tackle the blaze. This also protects them from being singed or burned as they make their way outside.

Contact a company like Action Fire Extinguishers Pty Ltd to learn more.